And at her age

I had a surprise on Valentine's Day that I could not have anticipated in a hundred years: I had an emergency appendectomy. But not before the doctor, who may have graduated high school about the same time as my youngest kid, said "Are you sure you even HAVE your appendix? People YOUR AGE usually don't get appendicitis."

We drove to Anchorage over President's Day weekend on our annual trek to watch the granddaughter play hockey and to cheer on the Healy Coal Kings. It was to be a pleasant break from this icky winter. We'd have dinner with a group of friends on Friday night and watch hockey all weekend. Our daughter's Ex was coming to town (don't ask) plus, as always in Anchorage, a little shopping.

Things started as they should and we enjoyed a great dinner with some friends we don't see very often on Friday evening. On Saturday, hockey started at 11:15 a.m and the first game was a thriller. Granddaughter spent her two minutes in the penalty box, but we won, 1-0. The team played again at 6:15 so while they relaxed we went to lunch with "the Ex." We kept asking each other why he was here but Daughter was not forthcoming so like all good parents of adult children we didn't ask her. We returned to the hotel room so I could rest no shopping and I slept all afternoon. Hubby looked at me funny but we chalked it up to the late night before but the day was starting to skew.

My sister and husband showed up from Palmer for the late game which the Coal Kings also won, setting them up for Sunday and the crossover games on the road to the championship on Monday. We went for a late dinner, where I could only eat a couple of spoonsful of soft ice cream. My sister made me go back to the hotel and promise to call her on Sunday before the game. I didn't even argue which I'm sure she found strange.

So on Valentine's Day, instead of enjoying a leisurely Mimosa breakfast and a heart shaped box of chocolates, I went to the emergency room. They were quick and efficient, and except for the "at your age" statement, very compassionate. But because "people my age" don't get appendicitis, the doctor said I needed a CT scan to be sure.

The last, and only time, I was in the hospital was several years (dare I say decades) ago when our kids were born. At that time I expect it wasn't much different than when my mom had me, except I didn't have to stay flat on my back for 10 days. The process was basically the same: take a deep breath and push. Out pops a squirmy little red, wrinkly person. Except for variations on the theme, I'm sure it is the same today. Childbirth doesn't change much but you give up a lot of dignity, having a baby. An abdominal CT scan isn't much different.

First they infuse your entire body with an intravenous iodine flush which is not unpleasant in an odd sort of way. But then they have to instill about a quart of colored water into the lower intestine, and there's only one, very uncomfortable, very undignified way for it to get there. And then the tech says "hold it" while he takes pictures.

Think of a water balloon in flight, rub-a-dubbing through the air, a slight quiver as it descends. You know what is going to happen and hope you're out of the way when it lands. But he got his pictures, and confirmed that even at my age, it was appendicitis.

So Valentine's Day was a blur. My sister and her husband returned from Palmer. She brought me a book, and said "I told you you were sick." I got a big bunch of tulips from one of my son's business associates. The Ex had to be on a noon plane but left a message to get well and he'd see me next time (!!). The Healy Coal Kings won both games on Sunday stepping into the championship game the next day. And I got to practice sleep positions with both arms immobilized with IV tubes.

On Monday I didn't even get a chance to ask if I could put on my own pajamas before the doctor said "You're out of here." One would have thought that "at my age" he'd have kept me at least one more day, but instead said "stay in town and come see me tomorrow." That day, too, is mostly a blur, although I talked to a lot of people on the phone -- remind me again why cell phones are a good thing -- and learned where to find "sympathy" in the dictionary.

We came home between avalanche threats. No chocolates, no shopping, no incision, just a big blue bruise. We're still wondering about the Ex, but the Healy Coal Kings are the Regional Champions for Pee Wee Hockey. It was a successful weekend. Everything came out OK.

Virginia Walters lives in Kenai.