The Saga of the Appendix...Continued

So, my son was brought upstairs to have surgery. I was still all alone and feeling very much like I might lose it at any moment. I'd been told that he had to have his surgery the old fashioned way because he was too small to have it using laproscopy.

But, as we going upstairs to the OR my friend who is a doctor in the hospital appeared in the hallway. She'd left her family and come to sit with me during the surgery. I couldn't believe it. Seeing her was such a blessing. I wasn't alone. They took my son back to operate on him and shortly after both my Aunt and my brother arrived. I can't tell you how incredible it was to see all of them, to feel like I wasn't alone in the universe.

The surgery took one hour and then the recovery began. To say that he had a bad first night would be an understatement. The poor guy just didn't feel good at all. He screamed that he was in horrific pain even though he was on morphine and slept in between screaming bouts. I, obviously, didn't sleep.

Finally, at six in the morning, he seemed to be pretty alert and the nurse asked him if he'd like to try to an ice pop. He did. But he couldn't keep it down. It was a long morning. But around twelve in the afternoon he finally managed to keep down clear liquids and then eventually solid food. His energy level picked up and by the late afternoon they sent us home.

My husband arrived around two in the afternoon, having crossed the country to get to us. By the time he came, my son was already up and in a good mood. My brother had spent the morning with us, which was a huge help.

I'm so grateful for friends and family today. I'm feeling really lucky. Today, my son is in a pretty good mood. He's walking a little bit tentatively but he's happy and he's here.

Now, if I could just manage to stop feeling so stressed. Best to all of you.

The Appendix or Wow Did That Really Happen?

My almost 4 year son bursts off the bus from camp every day so excited to see me and tell me all of his stories. Except for yesterday. Instead of his usual burst of energy, he seemed tired. He walked kind of hunched over and when he got in the house he complained that his stomach hurt as he burst out in tears. Now, he is apt to complain when he doesn't get what he wants, sometimes he might even throw a tantrum, but once we didn't know his arm was broken for twenty-four hours because he doesn't cry about pain.

And yet he was crying on the couch. So, I took him to the hospital. By the time we arrived in the ER, he seemed fine and I felt crazy. Probably, I was wasting everyone's time bringing him in and it was going to turn out to be a big bunch of nothing. He told the nurse in triage that he had no pain and she sent us back to chairs.

Finally, when a bed opened up, we were seen by a very nice ER doctor. She felt his stomach, he didn't really complain, and she told me she was more concerned about other things than the appendix but she wasn't convinced it was any of them and I was pretty sure she was getting ready to send us home. I asked about doing an ultrasound. She was skeptical that it was needed and told me she debated it in her mind. I got pushy. In a polite way. We were not leaving without the Ultrasound. My insurance would cover it and if, for some reason, it did not I would pay the bill.

We waited in the room for the ultrasound with my son becoming more cranky with every hour that passed. I wasn't sure what was going on. He hadn't had dinner. Maybe he was just hungry. But, I wasn't sure. Finally, we saw the ultrasound technician. She wasn't taking pictures but five minutes when she pointed at the screen. "Do you see that?" She asked me. I wasn't sure what I was looking at. "That doesn't look right to me and look how he's bracing his leg when I touch him there." I looked down. It was subtle but he was doing it. She told me she wanted to pass it along to the radiologist.

Let me back up and tell you that my husband was on a business/pleasure trip in Texas when all of this was going on. The first flight he could get on was the next morning. Whatever happened, I was on my own. I'm used to making decisions for my kids. I do it all the time. But not of that calibre. Whenever something huge like that has happened and had to be decided, my hubby has always been right there to stand next to me. I could call him but he wasn't going to get there no matter how much I wished he could.

After a while, we were sent back to the ER. My little guy fell asleep in his bed, his skin a decisive shade of red that I didn't like. He didn't have fever. Why was he so red? Pain, the nurse whispered to me. The ER doctor still didn't know if the appendix had to come out. She wanted to order a CAT scan. I was so confused and started to get a little bit emotional about it. This was my child, I was all alone, and the radiologist thought it was appendicitis. What was going on here?

Finally, she called my pediatrician. His doctor wasn't on call that evening but I adore the doctor who was (they are in the same practice) and she told the ER doctor to go ahead and call the pediatric surgeon who was on call. They did. He took one look at the information and thought it was clear cut. My son needed his appendix out right away.

More tomorrow....

Wipping my Work in Progress

Dear Work-In-Progress

I intend to get control of you today.

Thank you.

Rebecca Royce

Its A Mom Thing

The above image is a picture my six year old took using my husband's computer. Isn't that cool? I thought it was so I decided to share. Its the top of his head. Anyway, it makes me smile but it might just be a 'Mom' thing. I do tend to think that he's terribly clever.

What amazes me about my children--and this is very basic stuff--you're going to be like 'duh' Rebecca--is that Ralph and I had three children. We are the same people each time and yet our children couldn't be more different from each other. I don't just mean physically. Their personalities are so completely varied.

I know some of this is created by birth order. Some of it is the things happening in life all around them but some of it is just who they were from the moment they were born. My oldest they induced because they decided they didn't like my blood pressure. He was full term. It took the longest time to have him. Why? I am convinced it was because it wasn't his own idea. To this day, he doesn't like to do things until he is good and ready. If he's forced forward before he wants to be, he resists. He pulls back.

My middle child came into this world with eyes wide open looking around and I would swear seeing all of us. He is still the most likely to throw himself over the side of a bench just to see what would happen. As a baby, he never slept. He would be asleep for fifteen minutes and then wake up crying for hours. They said he had colic. I believe he did. Now, however, he still doesn't want to miss out on anything. If we were to let him, he would run to the ground until he collapsed to not have to go to bed just in case anything was happening.

The baby needed to be held more then the other two combined. At almost two, he is still the one most likely to grab my leg, to get nervous about new people. He is the most attached and not just because he happens to be young. It is just his personality and always was.

The characters in my books are like this for me. I can have an idea about how something is supposed to be but if it is not their own idea than I end up having to do it their way. Otherwise the books don't get written.

My children--all created by my husband and me (and some help from the divine)--are their own people. My characters are the same way.

Happy Day everyone!!

Angel's Wolf Has Released

I am so happy to announce that Angel's Wolf: The Westervelt Wolves Book 6 has released!! If you are interested in purchasing the book, if can be found here.

Angel Kane has always known who her family was and why she was hidden away from them in New Orleans. Now on the run, the last thing she wants is anything that could potentially get in the way of the plan she’s made for herself. That is, until she walks into a truck stop in New Jersey and encounters Parker Liberty—the wolf fate has picked out to be her perfect mate.

Parker Liberty hasn’t uttered a word in almost forty years. Not since the horrible day he watched his father murder his mother on the island of Westervelt. He ignores his inner wolf and contents himself with expressing his inner emotions through his tattoos. But when a pair of witches almost kill Angel, he will return to Westervelt to save her.

Meanwhile, Westervelt is under constant attack from Kendrick Kane, the pack's former Alpha, whose evil knows no bounds. His ultimate goal is to see all of his children dead --and that includes his daughter, Angel. It is questionable whether the Westervelt pack can even survive the week. Angel and Parker’s arrival will either turn the tide of the war or end the pack forever.

Six Sentence Sunday

Well, in honor of Angel's Wolf coming out TOMORROW (WOO HOO) I thought I would do one more week of six sentences from it.

It had been two decades since Parker Liberty had given into his wolf’s demand to shift.

Let me do it. Let me do it.

He’d taken two running steps when he agreed. His wolf was right. This was going to require some canine assistance, especially since the two criminals hauling away his so-called mate smelled like wolves to him.

It was a good bet they would shift and if they were going to do it, then he needed to do it too.

Woke Up With A Plot Bunny This Morning

I had very intense dreams last night. Basically, I got to see a whole new story that I want to write. But, I don't have time to write it right now. It's a very good plot bunny. So, I'm going to put it away right now and come back for it another day....