Writer's Workshop: An ER Moment....And Happy Thanksgiving!

First, I just want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you've all enjoyed time with your families and had some wonderful conversation and food!

Today is also writer's workshop day over at MamaKat's so head on over, check out the writing prompts and write something if you so desire. Then, link up and read what other people have written. Have fun! I have chosen the prompt An ER Moment. Let's begin!

Let's remember October of 2003. I was making dinner, and all of a sudden felt like I was stabbed in the right side of my stomach. I decided to ignore it. I ate dinner and carried on about my business for another couple of hours. All the time, I had this feeling like I was being kicked, stabbed, poked with hot irons in the right side of my stomach. After awhile, I just couldn't stand it anymore, so I called my MIL and she said she'd take me to the hospital. Just where I wanted to go..The ER. Seriously..It's October in Phoenix, which means the ER is PACKED...Six hour waits..Super. To my surprise though, it wasn't nearly as full as I thought it would be. I was triaged and called back in about an hour. Here's where the fun begins.

So, I'm laying in this tiny bed, chatting with my MIL trying to keep my mind of the hot pokers running through the side of my body. The nurse comes in and tells me that I'm going to need to change into a gown and get and IV. Super..So, I change into the gown and look down at myself. You see, at this point in the game I had honestly not shaved my legs in about 2 weeks. Totally disgusting, I know, but I was wearing jeans ALL the time, and pajama pants when I wasn't wearing jeans, and I really didn't care what David thought about my hairtasticness. This is where is gets awesome. So, the nurse comes in to start my IV, but she says she needs to check to see if I have swelling anywhere (legs, feet, ankels..blah blah) and pulls down the sheets to look. There are my hairy legs. She says, "Well, I see you haven't shaven your legs." Umm..Well, no, I haven't..Thanks for noticing.

In pops a medical student. He explains that he's a surgical resident, and he'll be examining me before the doctor comes in to see me. Super. He pokes around on my side. I'm wincing and getting tears in my eyes because it FREAKING HURTS!! He then needs to check for swelling and blah blah blah pulls down my sheets. There are my hairy legs. He also mentions them. That's people mentioning my hairy legs. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?

In comes the surgeon. After poking me and telling me I have appendicitis and will need surgery, he needs to not only check for the swelling and blah blah blah, but also do a pelvic exam to make sure nothing else id going on. Super. He pulls down my sheets to check for swelling and there are my hairy legs. He also mentions them. Is there not a doctor in this hospital that will not mention my hairy legs? I mean, COME ON!! Yeah, they're hairy. I get it. I should have shaved. I wasn't expecting everyone in the hospital to come in and poke me and call everyone they know in to look at my legs. I mean, it's appendicitis, they're not removing a limb.

I tell you what though, after surgery, when I woke up back in my room and they allowed me to shower, I requested a razor and went to town on my legs. I could barely see straight, and was having a super hard time even staying awake in the shower, but I made sure my legs looked awesome so I didn't have to hear about it from anymore nurses and doctors for the next couple of days. Especially since they made me get up and walk around the pod on the floor I was on.