Misdiagnosed!

Well I learned that bigger isn't necessarily better! Most of you read on Jim's blog where I went into the hospital about 2 weeks ago. I was very adamant that Jim take me to the Presbyterian hospital in Denton, instead of the little hospital in Decatur. I'd heard to many horror stories about the Decatur hospital from the locals. I did have Brayden there, but that was the L & D side of it and not the actual hospital. Anyway, so he took me to Denton. While in the ER the doctor that saw me suspected my appendix. But when the CT scan showed fluid from an unknown source and he didn't see my appendix, he consulted the gynecologist and she suspected a ruptured cyst and that's what I was admitted and treated for. They even when as far as saying that I still had another cyst there. So for 2 days they pumped the strongest antibiotics they could in me and sent me home. I did start feeling pretty good and by the time my one week check up rolled around, I felt human again. So the doctor said to come back in 6 weeks and that she'd check up on the remaining cyst and to call her if I start to have pain again. I left there thinking that this was a done deal and all was good. I stopped the antibiotics she sent me home from the hospital with on the day after my one week check up (7/20).

Well that Saturday (7/22)when our good friends Kim, Gary, and family came to see us, poor Kim ended up being in some pretty serious tooth pain and for the time of night that is was...ER was her only choice. So I was again adamant that she go to Denton. Well as this transpired I started feeling on and off pain, but just dismissed it cause it had to be all in my head. The next day we went to 6-Flags and the pain was still off and on, but by the evening is was ON and stayed on for the next several days. I confessed to Jim on Wed night that I was just hurting and I didn't feel right. So I told him I was gonna try to go in the next morning to the doctor in Denton. By the morning I was really convinced that it wasn't in my head. Well the doctor in Denton couldn't see my till today and I said that I was hurting NOW and I'd just call my doctor in Decatur. I went in to see Dr. Campbell (who's the doctor that delivered Brayden). It told him about the hospital visit and the pain and the pain coming back. He listened to all the info and was confused as to why they thought it was a cyst and not appendix. I told him that the ER doc thought it might be, but the Gyno convinced him otherwise. He did a sono and confirmed that I had not cyst and that my ovaries and such looked fine, but there was this fluid that he couldn't explain. I told him that that's what they said about the CT scan earlier. By this time the pain was pretty strong and when he helped me sit up in the table I almost kissed the floor. He said that we weren't screwing around and that he need to do a scope and see what was going on. He had me admitted...to the hospital I'm terrified of...right away. I begged that he not leave my side even if another doctor did the procedure. He promised that he wouldn't.

So to wrap this LONG story up. He did the scope and found that I had a retro secal(sp?) appendix (which means that is was inverted and that's why I guess they didn't see it on the ct). He said that it didn't rupture, but apparently was perforated and that's where the fluid was coming from. He washed it out with a lavage (sp?) He said that everything else was a picture of health and he supposedly showed Jim and Dad the pictures to prove it.

I got released on Friday at 3pm and each day I've been feeling better and better. I've been able to pick up the baby with no pain today so that's great!

So my lesson has been learned...bigger's not better. Just cause its a big named hospital don't mean squat. Doctors can make mistakes anywhere. And as my doctor pointed out, this was a mistake that could have kept me from blogging...to say the least :) And I have only God to thank for this one!!!