RUPTURED APPENDIX

It was a dark and stormy night---well not really for it was actually a bright sun shiny day but I have always wanted to start a story that way. I was ten years old and I put my self to bed around noon. My tummy really hurt and I just felt yucky all over. Parents always know you are really sick when you volunteer bed rest in the middle of the day. Especially if there is no school the next day then they know you aren't trying to dodging a test.

I am pretty stoic about pain but this really hurt so my mother called my cousin, JY Porter, who was a well respected doctor in the small town of Key West. He was where we went for practically anything medical. Though he was partially retired, he was always good about patching my brother and I up free of charge.

J Y's home and office

J Y examined me in the clinic, drew blood and when he saw how elevated my white cell count was, he feared acute appendicitis. Got to admit, I wondered how he knew my appendix was cute. He frantically started making phone calls looking for a surgeon.

I was on a bed in his office when I heard an awful scream. It was when they all ran to my bed that I realized it was me who had screamed. I didn't know why I had screamed for now the pain was gone and I really felt like I could go home. That is when JY got really worried. I heard the word "ruptured" as he hurried out of the room to make more phone calls.

My brother Jim was in the room with me and even he looked worried. That was not his normal sibling behavior. My scream must have really scared him. JY came back in the room to announce that he still hadn't found a surgeon. He said that a Dr. Lester was supposed to return his call but that time was critical. He looked down at me and said something that chilled me to the bone.

"If he doesn't call back in 15 minutes, I will do the surgery my self."

The look my brother shot me echoed my dread. We all loved J Y but at that time he was about my age now, his hands shook and he only had one eye. The way my brother and I could tell which eye was not glass was that the good eye jumped rapidly in the socket. The thought of him cutting me open and trying to find my appendix terrified me.

Fortunately, the phone rang and Dr. Lester had been located. He would meet us at the hospital. I was so relieved and pleased to see he was a young doctor with steady hands and eyes. I was hurriedly prepped for surgery and was tickled when they shaved my stomach. I was still just curious when they wheeled me into the brightly lit operating room. I was sorry they all wore masks for I had already formed a crush on the good looking young doctor.

A masked man put something over my nose and mouth and told me to breathe deeply. Ether took surgery out of barbarianism but if offered to me today, I think I would just ask for a bullet to bite instead. I felt for all the world like I was inhaling fire. I tried to struggle but I was strapped down. Each breath was agony and the only thing to save me was my first and only out of body experience. To escape the pain, I just left my body. I was suddenly above everyone and looking down at my twitching self. I was amazed at how different I looked from that view point but by leaving my body, the pain was gone and very soon after, so was my consciousness.

When I awoke, all was definitely not well..........