(Not) A Near Death Experience

Things I’m grateful for with my surprise appendectomy

Lying on an operating table; this wasn’t how I imagined my day would end when I woke up that morning.

It all came too fast. I was woken up at 3am with a sharp pain on my left abdomen. I was completely fine the night before so I was wondering if it was something I had eaten. At 6am, the pain was almost unbearable that I had to stop preparing for work and head back to bed. At 11am, after several promptings from my wife, I was driving to our family doctor’s office. My doctor immediately sent me to the emergency ward at Lakeridge Hospital five minutes after she saw me. That set off alarm bells in my head.

By 4pm, I was done with an ultrasound and a couple of blood work. By 430pm, they were already prepping me for surgery. They need to remove my appendix at the soonest possible time.

A complete and perfect curve ball. I thought earlier that day that I would just be handed a few pain meds and be sent merrily my way.

Instead, I found myself strapped to a state-of-the-art operating table, Grey’s Anatomy-style, with six trained medical workers deliberately hovering around me.

But what I really want to talk about is what I am grateful for around this incident. Yes, the pain is a bitch and the medications are making me feel nauseated and slow and thick. But that is not what’s important. This is not a rant. This is a celebration.

One, I am grateful that my appendicitis was caught early and that it did not have the chance to rupture and cause poison to flow through my system. If I decided to go to work that day, my appendix would’ve ruptured which could’ve meant a longer operation, nastier scars, and more medications.

Two, I can’t believe how fortunate I was to be surrounded by able physicians who looked after my every need. I was blown away that there were 3 nurses, an anesthesiologist, a surgical assistant and a surgeon present for a simple appendectomy. In all honesty, I never feared for my life nor for my safety. I was never in any danger.

We may have a lot to complain about the Canadian health-care system, but when it comes to critical care, they certainly deliver. I was already lauding this a few weeks back when a friend spent weeks in the ICU and she was well taken care of. Learning it first-hand just drove home how fortunate we are to have a health-care system such as ours. And we walked out of the hospital with only a parking fee to pay for. Absolutely bonkers.

Three, I am thankful for all the love and support that was thrown around like confetti while I was undergoing treatment. You guys rock! Thank you for taking the time to call, text, snapchat, post on Facebook and visit me and my wife at our weakest. It was a lot easier because all of you were there.

Four, I am happy for the gift of life. In the next few weeks, I have to fight to regain my strength back. Our income would suffer and my wife would have to do all the heavy-lifting. Literally and figuratively. But that’s part of the challenge. Life would not be fun without a little bit of uncertainty. It would stop being interesting if there wasn’t a wall to push against. I think what matters is who we become as we confront these challenges.

I am writing this note with a heart that is full. I feel that I am being guided. And I am constantly reminded that life happens for me and not to me.

I may be less an appendix now. But I am more because all these happened.

Much love, Jason