Hello friends! Kindly journey with me as I walk you through my experience. To me, this goes beyond a blog, it is indeed a testimony.
It all started in the month of August, 2022. I woke up around 4:00 AM with pain in my abdomen. The pain was so severe that I could barely move from one spot to another. I felt pressed and I needed to ease myself but I could barely walk. I had to crawl to the bathroom due to how severe the pain was. When I was done easing myself, I decided to drink salted water, seeing it had always worked for me in the past. I then crawled back to my bed. Minutes later, I could no longer endure the pain so I began to express my pain vocally. My parents heard my “cry” and rushed to me to know what was happening to me, and I told them how I felt. Later that day, we called our family doctor to let him know of the situation. He recommended some drugs I could take to relieve me of the pain. When we got the drugs, I took them and the I felt relieved a bit. Throughout that day, I lay down on my bed. I could not do the things I used to do. We were monitoring to see if the situation could be managed.
The next day, which was a Sunday, the pain became intense, so we had to visit the nearest hospital. When we arrived, we saw the doctor, we complained about what had been happening to me since the previous day. Then he told me to get on the bed. After I did, he examined my abdomen by touching and softly pressing several parts of the abdomen and asking if I was feeling pain there, to which I responded, appropriately. After he was done examining, he concluded I had appendicitis (an inflammation of the appendix) and I would need to undergo surgery. At first, I was scared, because that would be my first time undergoing surgery, but I didn’t have a choice. That evening, I underwent the surgery and it seemed successful. You may be wondering why I used the word "seemed". Well, you will get to know the reason as you read😉. Back to the story, I must say it wasn’t a pleasant experience for me. Due to the incompetence of the doctor, it felt like my spirit wanted to leave my body while the surgery was on. I Just could not understand what was going on! But after the surgery, he made my parents understand that in the next three days or thereabout, I would be discharged. I woke up to hear the news and it made me happy 😄.
Shot taken in 2022 (At the hospital)
Unfortunately, on Wednesday of the same week, I began to experience severe pains in my abdomen, even worse than I did initially. Not just that, I began to stool (diarrhea) continuously. I believe it was because the doctor said it was okay for me to eat and drink water. We were ignorant and we followed the doctor’s word. I ate bananas, took pap with sugar in it, and also drank tea with sugar in it as well, not at the same time though. We didn’t have an idea that it wasn’t supposed to be so, same as the doctor (unfortunately🤦♀). We had to go to another hospital to get an abdominal test done. After that, we (the doctor, my dad, and I) returned to the hospital. The situation became worse and never ended until I was transferred to a government hospital at Gbagada, Lagos State in Nigeria.
When we arrived, I was immediately admitted to the emergency ward where I was still receiving treatment.
Shot taken in 2022 (Me at the emergency unit/ward)
Later that evening, a doctor came to check me, and he assessed the incision on my abdomen (obtained from the surgical procedure), and he said I would not have to undergo surgery again. I was glad to hear that, and I became calm immediately. He also added I would be transferred to the male surgical ward for close monitoring. The next day, I was transferred to the ward and given a bed. I was told that during the period I would be monitored, I would not eat or drink anything. I did not see a big deal in it, of course, I just wanted to get better and that sounded like a small price to pay. Days went by, I was receiving all manners of drugs through drips. While I was being monitored, I was still stooling continuously, but the pain become less frequent. A week later, the doctor instructed I went for X-ray and abdominal test to detect the cause of my frequent stooling. We went for the test the following day, but unfortunately, I lacked strength to walk because I had not been taking food and water. So, I had to sit on a wheelchair for me to go for the test. After we had the test done, the results were sent to the doctor, and he confirmed that the frequent stooling was caused by intestinal blockage (intestinal obstruction) and the only way they could remove the obstruction was through another surgery. On hearing this, I became scared, worried and nervous because I knew what I went through the first time and also, I had taken my mind off the fact that I would undergo another surgery (based on what the doctor told me earlier). But I had to encourage myself that nothing would happen to me. I prayed, God heard my prayer and promised me I would overcome. That took away my fears and worries, and I had the "surviving spirit".
Few days to the scheduled day of the surgery, I began to use catheter to pass out urine. The process of insertion was an experience I would not even wish on my enemies (even though I don’t have one 😀). Anyway, on the day of the surgery, I was wheeled using a stretcher to the theatre. I was a bit nervous, but I encouraged myself and reminded myself what God had promised me.
My Experience at The Theatre
At the theatre, I witnessed professionalism among the group of surgeons and how organized they were.
Now, the stretcher was placed close to the surgical bed so I could easily move to lie on the surgical bed. When I was stable, they began to inject me with anesthetic to get me unconscious. When they were done, they told me to close my eyes and count from one (1) to hundred (100). I remember counting to 9 and I become unconscious immediately. The next time I gained consciousness (not fully though), I was already out of the theatre, and I was later wheeled to the male surgical ward, where I had to sleep off due to the anesthetic. When I fully gained consciousness, my dad began to tell me what they discovered and removed from my body. The doctor told him that the appendix wasn’t removed in the first surgery and that they had to remove it and drain the pus that had been in my body for some days from the appendix, which had already ruptured.
You can visit this site to learn about the symptoms of appendicitis, complications that result from a ruptured appendix, and more.
When I saw the pictures, I was a shocked! I remember the lead-surgeon saying it was God that saved me, that I would have passed away. But I thank God for preventing further complications to occur.
Shot taken in 2022 (I had to make it a bit blurry because it may be disturbing)
Shot taken in 2022
After the successful surgery, I still could not eat and drink water until one week later. At this point, I had emaciated. I could not even recognize myself when I looked at myself in a mirror. Also, I was so dehydrated that my tongue was as hard and dry as a rock and my lower lip was peeling. It wasn’t a funny experience!
Shot taken in 2022 (Myself sitting with my catheter beside me)
The nurses kept treating the wound regularly to prevent infection. As for recovery, I started recovering faster when I started eating and drinking water. My food was specially prepared in the hospital according to the directives of the nurses. At some point, I was taking enough eggs, since egg is a very good source of protein (body building food). As days went by, I began to gain strength gradually and I could walk gradually within short distances. When I was better to some extent, I was discharged.
While at home, I experienced another set of pains and discomfort, but I learnt it was because the incision was healing. I was still taking drugs to quicken the healing process and relieve me of the pains. I also engaged in walking exercise every evening.
Shot taken in 2022
It took up to 6 months to 1 year to fully recover and stand strong again. I was now able to do the things I used to do, such as playing the drums, producing beats and music, teaching, doing the house chores, and more. Today, you won’t even know what I have been through when you see me. All glory to God!
Life is indeed a precious thing.
Shot taken in 2024
Shot taken in 2024
Shot taken in 2024
Thanks for taking out time to journey with me 😊