Experiencing Acute Appendicitis

I’ve had quite a few stomach bugs in my life, but none of them compare to the experience of having appendicitis and getting my appendix removed.  Since getting Salmonella in the Dominican Republic back in 2001, my stomach has been weak.  It seemed like every time I had a chemistry exam in college, I would come down with a stomach bug after taking the test.  A few times I landed in the ER first thing in the morning because I couldn’t keep anything down all night.  Each time, I was given medication to calm my stomach and an IV to rehydrate my system.  Sometime after my junior year of college, a friend offered me some ginger tea to calm my stomach and I became a believer!  Ginger tea is now a staple in my house.  At the first sign of any stomach upset, I make myself a cup and feel better almost instantly.  I do sometimes still get “sick” (ie throw up).  Once I start sipping on the ginger tea, my stomach seems to calm and I am able to get over the event much more quickly.

Two weeks ago it seemed my stomach stopped responding to the benefits it has always reaped from ginger tea.  At the first sign of pain in my stomach, I brewed a cup of tea.  This time however, the sharp pain in my stomach lingered.  I didn’t know what to do when my savior remedy did not work.  I figured I just needed to lie down and maybe some gas would work its way through my abdomen.  Unfortunately lying down was not much help either.  The sharp pain remained through a second cup of ginger tea and a few hours of lying down. 

One of the first thoughts that always enters my mind when I feel sick to my stomach is “I hope it’s not appendicitis.”  I frequently check WebMD and conduct other Google searches on appendicitis to compare my symptoms to the references.  In this case, I consulted the web again and thought it could not be appendicitis because my pain was not concentrating on the right side.  One thing that did worry me is that the right side did hurt when I lifted my right leg upon changing clothes and walking.  After 11 hours of pain we decided it was time to go to the emergency room.  I had only gotten “sick” once, but the pain was starting to be unbearable because I could not find a comfortable position.

Since we are new to the Cary, NC area, we had to look up where the closest ER was located.  At 9pm, we made our way to WakeMed in Apex.  The ER staff was extremely hospitable and got me in a bed within 30 minutes.  I would consider that a record!  Unfortunately, I still had pain and found I could lie a little more comfortably on my right side.  After a urine test and an exam by the physician assistant, I was hooked up to an IV and was told I would be in the ER for awhile.  The few horrible experiences in the ER included (1) having to drink a liter of liquid with contrast for my CT-scan, (2) having to get in and out of bed to be transported to WakeMed Cary after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis, (3) feeling the effects of the pain medicine and anti-nausea wear off while my information got transferred between hospital staff.

By 5am, I was at WakeMed Cary, highly sedated and pain free.  I was in and out of consciousness, only waking when the doctor, nurse and several anesthesiologists asked me to tell them what I was having done (a laproscopic appendectomy), when I last ate/drank (food at 7pm, IV contrast at 1:40am), and who my doctor was (Dr. Yerby – I only got that one right once or twice).  When they wheeled me into surgery at 10am, I was still semi-conscious, and only vaguely remember a mask being put over my face. 

Two and a half hours later, I woke up to the nurses getting my discharge papers in order.  I was still semi-conscious, wanting to go back to sleep, but they were ready to get me out of there.  I remember about half of the discharge orders and was glad they gave me written instructions.  By 1pm, I was resting comfortably in my bed at home, still feeling the sedatives from surgery with a prescription for 30 Percocets and a few days worth of antibiotics.

I was later told what was done in each of my incision sites.  The lowest one is the smallest site and the device that held the appendix during surgery went in that site.  The largest site, on the side of abdomen was cut on the left side because I am a “small” person and the doctor needed room to maneuver the probe that cut and pulled the pieces of the appendix out.  This site is stitched on the inside and is the one that experienced the most pain (apparently the procedure affected some muscle tissue).  The incision on the belly button was used for the camera to guide the surgeon’s work.  This scar is also small, but the area around the site is bruised.  Because I have a hernia on my belly button, the itchiness that I feel from healing is bothersome, but in an uncomfortable, and not painful, way.  All of the scars were covered in a glue-like tape substance that will come off on its own.  Since I had covers over the wounds, I was able to bathe and shower at my leisure.

The one good thing about having my appendix removed is that I never have to worry about appendicitis again!

Ending the Summer in Myrtle Beach with Family

After a very busy work week last week and expecting another busy one, I'm reminiscing of our last beach trip...

Labor Day marks the end of the summer for most, but I think we have quite a few weeks of beach weather left here in North Carolina.  To celebrate the "official" end of summer, we decided to join our brother and sister-in-law, nephew and niece in Myrtle Beach.

The weather and location could not be beat!

 

The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves in the sand and water.  Our nephew acted as I used to at the beach - drop whatever you are carrying the minute a spot is selected and run for the ocean!  There were many times I got myself into some trouble taking off like that.  Thankfully there were enough of us adults and we were close enough to the water to keep a watchful eye on the kiddos.  The water temperature was perfect and we spent our fair share of time enjoying the surf.

At low tide shallow pools of water form, making it perfect for little ones - like our 9 month old niece.  We had a great time "walking" among the pools of water.

Too bad we only got to enjoy the beach for one night.  But we made the most of it, checking out the arcades and ice cream shop down the street!  It was awesome to be so close to the ocean, hearing the waves from the living room!

 

How did you celebrate the end of the beach season?
Are you ready for this fall weather?

Hosting Friends and Family in Good Weather and Bad

Shortly after traveling to the northeast to visit friends and family, we were able to host some at our house.  I always expected to have more visitors in NYC, since it is such a touristy place, but I guess when you have a 1 bedroom apartment, people shy away from visiting you.  Now that we have a 4 bedroom house and live in the suburbs, there is more space for people to stay comfortably, but there is not as much to see here in the 'burbs.

When my best friend from home expressed interest in finishing up her summer vacation with me in North Carolina, I was ecstatic.  We've been good friends since high school and have remained friends even though distance has kept us mostly apart for the past 12 years (has it really been that long!!??).  During her visit, we enjoyed lounging by the pool, hitting up some local restaurants, and a day trip to the beach.  The weather wanted her to have a great time, so it cooperated with warm sunny days and cool nights.  It was great to catch up and reminisce about the days of old.  We even had someone ask us if we were sisters - just like they did in high school!!  I can't believe we didn't get any photos together while she was here!  We don't think we look much alike, but perhaps it's just that we have a similar build, dark hair, and olive complexions (thanks to our Portuguese heritage).

The most recent picture we have - taken 5 years ago.

Not long after spending a few days with my BFF, we were hosting my brother and sister-in-law, niece and nephew.  They were able to get to North Carolina before Hurricane Irene reached their path and we were able to spend the stormy day with them, watching movies on our big screen at home.  The best quote of the weekend came when our nephew said, "I thought your house would be lame without a TV, but the projector is pretty cool."  We probably watched more on the projector that weekend, than we had the entire month of August.  In hindsight, we should have better prepared for indoor kid's activities with some puzzles or board games to change things up.

Speaking of the projector - I agree wholeheartedly with Colin's perspective on "taming the tube" as we say in the nutrition world.  It only allows us to watch programs for a short amount of time before either it, or the computer, gets too hot.  And it's harder to see on the wall when it's daylight out.  So if the projector or computer turn off because it's too hot, it means we've been sitting around watching too much.  And if it's bright and sunny out, we should be enjoying the day, not in front of the screen.

I must admit that watching TV, movies, sports, etc. on the huge screen is pretty awesome.  We stream TV shows on hulu, can watch live TV through an adapter that hooks up to the computer, and can hook the DVD player up to watch movies.  Couple the projector with an amplified sound system and you've got a pretty kicking system.  With cooler weather, shorter days, and football season, we've gotten into a habit of using the projector more.  But with a dog that needs to be walked daily, we always remember that the projector must be balanced with daily outdoor activity.

 

 Our home theater meets our basic needs

Visiting Friends and Family in the Northeast

After a wonderful day in New York City and a very enjoyable time with our hosts in Bayside, Queens, we drove the hour and a half east to the North Fork of Long Island.  Colin's law school friend, Keith, rented a house near the vineyards for his wife's surprise 30th birthday party and to show off their 2 month old daughter Mackenzie.

As we all contemplated how Keith was able to keep the party a surprise, their caterer served delicious appetizers and we mingled with family and friends.  Unfortunately, none of the other friends in the group from law school were in attendance, but we had fun getting to meet new people and trying to socialize Darwin. I should emphasize the word "trying" because Darwin literally laid down behind Colin's legs for a majority of the day.  We did make some progress when he finally opened up to Keith's mom when she fed him his food from her hand.

The women of the hour appeared shortly after we arrived and their arrival brought with it a heightened sense of excitement to an already boisterous crowd.  Elicia and Keith were both beaming with pride, and Mackenzie looked absolutely precious in her little dress.

Mackenzie looking like a doll

It was wonderful to celebrate such joy with Keith, Elicia and their friends and family.  The weather could have cooperated a little better so that we could have enjoyed the beautiful and spacious yard and gazebo, but you can never control Mother Nature when she wants the rain to fall.

The adorable family

As the party came to an end, we said our goodbyes, knowing that the next time we would see them, Mackenzie would look very different.  In a bit of a rush to catch the ferry (goodbyes always take longer than you expect), we made it to the farthest point in northeastern Long Island, Orient Point, with just moments before the ferry departed.  With a sigh of relief, we (minus Darwin) enjoyed the 1.5 hour ferry across Long Island Sound to New London, CT before driving another 45 minutes to my parent's house in RI.

I do believe we have to experience bad weather so that we can appreciate the good weather, and Mother Nature decided we needed 3 days of rain.  Our time in RI wasn't plagued with as much rain as we received in Long Island, but it definitely put a damper on the two days we were there.  We managed to take Darwin on a wonderful 5 mile walk along the bike path near my parent's house during a break in the rain and spent most of the trip indoors hosting lots of family members.  Colin's sister Karen, sister-in-law Carla, and our niece and nephew visited with us on Monday and Colin's parents visited on Tuesday.  It certainly made spending quality time with family easier to have everyone come to us.

Sisters-in-law and cousins (Darwin counts as our child)!

The Clemente's enjoyed having a house full of guests!

Darwin got to meet both sets of grandparents

We hadn't seen our niece, Isabella, and nephew, Brian, since they visited North Carolina last spring and seeing how quickly they change is always amazing.  Isabella, at 9 months, is now crawling everywhere, and trying to stand up and walk.  She is a precious little girl!

And Brian, at almost 7 years, is such a fan of his Uncle Colin.  They have the greatest time hanging out together!

There was lots to catch up on over the course of two days since we had gone all summer without seeing almost everyone.  And in my mom's kitchen, there is usually lots of food to be eaten!  My mom always has a stocked fridge and makes the most delicious meals!!  On Monday we had a salmon dinner with seafood rice and a salad, and Tuesday we had an assortment of entrees.  For many of our visits, my mom makes traditional Portuguese dishes, but my parents love to grill during the summer (even if it's raining).

Overall, we had a great few days catching up with friends and family.  I would have loved to take the whole week off and meet up with my friends and see the all the little girls I haven't met in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Delaware and celebrate weddings and engagements, but we had to get back for work.  The problem with having friends in all parts of the country is that it is difficult to see them for all the exciting life-changing events.  We made it to most of the weddings, but it has been extremely difficult to meet the babies.

How do you make the best of a rainy day when traveling?

A Quick Road Trip North - Starting With NYC

The Millers were back "on the road" in August for a trip north to visit some family and friends.  The last time we were in NYC was New Year's Day and we hadn't been to Rhode Island since Christmas.  It was about time to introduce Darwin to our favorite people and places!

Leaving Raleigh after work on Friday has worked out for me in the past, because you get to DC after rush hour and into NYC at a somewhat reasonable time.  To our dismay however, we encountered some issues in Raleigh that had to be dealt with before we left and then hit traffic in Richmond, VA!  

 This is not what you want to experience 2 hours into an 8 hour drive!

Instead of burdening friends with a 3am arrival in NYC, we decided to find a dog-friendly hotel along the way. Our options were either the Red Roof Inn or La Quinta Inn.  We opted for a Red Roof Inn in Delaware, resulting in a poor first hotel experience with Darwin.  Not only was he clearly uncomfortable (even in his crate), but the hotel was pretty gross.  After talking with family who has stayed in a La Quinta Inn in northern Maryland, we will likely try that next time we are in a pinch.

Needless to say, we were back on the road as soon as possible Saturday morning.  With the terrible night's sleep behind us and a lovely morning, we were optimistic about the day.  We started the awesomeness 30 minutes into our drive with a stop at the awesome Amish Market in Mullica Hill, NJ for some breakfast.  They have the best breads!!

 The Amish Market breads are amazing!

Getting from Delaware into NYC on Saturday morning was a breeze.  I have never gotten into the city nor have I found a parking spot in Battery Park (lower Manhattan) so quickly! 

No traffic going into the Holland Tunnel

We got into the city by 9am and had the whole day to enjoy our favorite spots.  The first half of the day was spent in lower Manhattan.

Showing Darwin where we would take our lunchtime walk 

along the Hudson River and Battery Park

 

On our way to the World Trade Center site 

(in the distance behind Colin) 

We were amazed at how much has changed in and around the World Trade Center site since we left just  8 months ago!

 Picking up some delicious donut peaches 

from a Farmers' Market near Whole Foods 

Looking south but walking north along the Hudson River 

Taking a break from walking to enjoy the Hudson River on the newly renovated Pier 25.

While living in Jersey City, we sometimes played sand volleyball on pier 25. It had been under construction for the past 3-4 years, and now boasts mini-golf, sand volleyball courts, a small turf lawn, viewing stations to Jersey City and Hoboken, and the permanent seats you see in the photo.

Enjoying the best sustainable burgers and custard shakes from 

Shake Shack's newest location in Battery Park!

After lunch, we headed north along the West Side Highway to meet up with my friend Christina!  It was great to catch up with her and see the changes in her 2 year old daughter Layla.  Darwin also found a buddy in Christina's dog Reilly.

 Here you can see that Darwin's features are not completely that of a true Labrador.  

Darwin's eyes are much rounder.  Aren't they adorable!?

All morning we had stopped at several dog parks in lower Manhattan to allow Darwin to make friends, but he was not interested in any of them until he met Reilly.  When we let the two of them play in the dog park on the Upper West Side, he finally had some fun!

It was also Darwin's first time in elevator!

 Poor Darwin is freaking out in the elevator!

To end a wonderful day in NYC, we ate dinner at the vegetarian restaurant, Quantum Leap, in Greenwich Village with our friend Wei and our hosts for the evening, Colin's cousin Jon and his lovely girlfriend Temple.  Unfortunately, there was no outdoor seating, so dining with Darwin posed a problem.  Ordering food and eating in nearby Washington Square Park was an option, but when we noticed a table at the window we decided Darwin would be okay sitting outside if we watched him.  

The staff at the restaurant was enchanted with our little guy and accommodated his every need.  They even took this photo of him trying to get away from the open sidewalk by sitting on the flower pot.  We were able to make him comfortable by moving the pot away from the building so that he could fit in the space between the wall and the flower pot.  From that spot, he could watch people passing, but not be too close.  So many people stopped to check out his cuteness, take his photo, or even pet him.  What a guy!

Darwin trying to escape the open sidewalk 

at Quantum Leap in Greenwich Village.

The stars aligned for us on this day, allowing us to enjoy every bit of the best NYC has to offer.  We couldn't have asked for better weather, uncrowded streets, great people and delicious food.  Thanks to Veronica and Aldo for offering us a place Friday night and Temple and Jon for being great hosts on Saturday night!

What is your favorite thing to do or place to eat in NYC?

Check back soon to read about our adventures on the Islands of Long and Rhode - even though Rhode Island is not actually an island.

Preparing for Hurricane Irene!

We've been traveling a fair amount the past few weeks so I haven't had time to update ya'll on our travels.  Check back soon to read about our road trip to NYC and RI, a weekend getaway to visit family on the North Carolina coast, and more beach adventures experienced in August!

As we prepare for Hurricane Irene, I want to share with you how ready we are.

1. We aren't candle users, but we do have a bunch of votive candles if necessary.
2. A few years ago we lost our headlamps and bought new ones. While unpacking a box that had been in storage, we found our old ones.  So now we have 4 headlamps in addition to 2 energy powered flashlights.  You shake the light to give it energy to work. If we lose power, we'll have plenty of lights available.
3. We also received a hand-crank flashlight/radio combo.  It takes a lot of cranking to keep the radio and/or light going, so it might not get a lot of use, but is helpful if our other means of achieving news fails.
4. Our laptops are fully charged and will give us about 12 hours of use (between 2 laptops) while not plugged in.  We can listen to music, watch programs on the internet, and keep up with the news on the world wide web, even if we lose power.
5. If we cannot use the stove (ours is electric), we've got a propane tank hooked up to the grill and a mini-propane tank for the camping stove ready to go.  We'll have to cook up our fresh food before it goes bad in the refrigerator.
6. In preparation for our trip to the Outer Banks in June, we bought quite a few canned beans and other non-perishables that can be used if our fresh food goes bad during a prolonged power outage, or if we eat it all before the power comes back on.
7.  We just bought Darwin a new 30lb bag of dog food.  So he should be good to go.
8. Another awesome backpacking item we purchased was a water purifier.  I have never experienced contaminated water after a storm, but if that happens, we can remove all bacteria with our water filter.

The threats for us in the interior of North Carolina are for high winds and rain.  Power outages are possible.  Since this will be the first major storm in our new house, I'm hoping we don't experience flooding, a downed tree, or other major catastrophe.  We've prepared the best we can and hope the storm reduces in intensity before it can wreck havoc on us or any of our friends and family.  I wish all my friends and family in the path of the storm stay safe in the upcoming days.

How do you prepare for a major storm?
Are you worried about Hurricane Irene?

Anniversary/Birthday Escape to the Mountains (July 22-24)

Do you know what happens when your dog is teething?  He chews anything he can find, including SD cards if they happen to be in reach.  I am sorry to report that our 5 year anniversary weekend get-away photos have been destroyed by the developing teeth of Sir Charles Darwin.  There were a few photos taken with our phones, but they do not highlight the best parts of our trip.  I therefore apologize for the lack of beautiful photos to share.

To celebrate our anniversary and escape the 100 degree temperatures in Raleigh, we spent the weekend in the mountains of North Carolina.  My work travels had taken me to the Pisgah National Forest last year, around the same time of year.  If you read that post, you can see photos of the mountains that were similar to what we experienced on this trip.

Each day started beautifully, with sun and temperatures in the low 70s.  By lunchtime, temperatures in the 80s brought thunderstorms that lasted most of the afternoon.  It was nice to get away from the heat, and we did a lot of hiking. But, the thunderstorms halted our attempts at climbing higher or going further on the trails we explored.

On our way into the Pisgah National Forest, we refueled our bodies at the sustainable restaurant Vidalia. With rain showers already in full effect, we semi-successfully sat outside under the awning with Darwin tucked under our table.  He is still such a shy pup!  It's nice that he sits so quietly under the table when we go out to eat, but he is so scared when anyone tries to pet him.  We definitely need to keep working on that!

Above, Colin's BLT with fried green tomatoes (the day's special)

Below, my local farm burger with fried vidalia onions and swiss cheese

For the record, I haven't had tater tots in ages! They are so good but definitely a once in awhile treat.

I could not pass through Blowing Rock without showing it off to Colin.  It's such a cute town.  Photos of the "downtown area" are available on the blog post of last year's trip.  Any trip through Blowing Rock merits a stop at Kilwin's for ice cream, especially when you can enjoy it in a very secluded seating area behind the ice cream shop.

Indulging in Kilwin's ice cream (Blowing Rock, NC)

Since the rain prevented us from hiking Saturday afternoon, we made our way down the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, NC.  With the rain showers pouring down I would not say it was my "favorite drive" as the Parkway slogan boasts.

Asheville is becoming one of my favorite towns.  They have so many delicious eateries and the culture is so laid-back and relaxed - in a good way!  The last time I was in Asheville for work, my coworker and I really wanted to try the tapas bar Zambra.  I managed to convince Colin we should eat there, which was not the best idea for us.  The small plates were not as filling as we had hoped, especially after a morning of hiking.  Once again, Darwin laid under the table as close to Colin or I as he could.

From Zambra, we made our way through downtown Asheville to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge where I waited in the 20 minute line to get a chocolate truffle torte and a nibby brownie.  The brownie was delicious and I think next time we'll try the quintessential chocolate cake since the torte was not our favorite.  The free chocolate samples and live music in the lounge made for a pleasant waiting experience.

The best part of our trip to Asheville was hanging out in Pack Square Park, meeting the locals and their dogs, and listening to live bluegrass.  We came across two great danes, one of which looks like a huge version of our little Darwin.  The owners of that great dane also had a full grown black lab mix.  I wish we had a better photo of our little 40lb lab making friends with his 70lb and 150lb "twins."  We also quickly became friends with their owners and even had invitations to come to the river to play with them on Sunday!  It's too bad the Asheville culture does not yet exist in Raleigh.

Though not a great photo, you can see how small Darwin looks compared to a 150 pound Great Dane

Since it was going to be rainy much of the weekend, I didn't want to deal with camping. With expensive hotel prices, I instead opted for the vacation rental option and found us a quaint 2 bedroom cabin-like place near Newland, NC - right in the middle of the mountains.  If you are lucky enough to find a last-minute place that is not yet reserved, you can typically get a better deal.  The unit owner knocked $10 off per night, making our "home" much cheaper than any hotel in the area.  Camping would have been the cheapest option, but it is much nicer to have a bedroom, living room, and kitchen.

Speaking of kitchen, each morning we prepared a delicious and healthy vegetable omelet, served with a side of farmer's market fruit.  For our hikes, we packed peanut butter sandwiches, granola bars, and fruit.  One day we even made our own veggie pizza!

I prefer to balance my meals by preparing 2 of the 3 meals of the day.  At home, I know what goes into my food.  The choices I make are to limit salt and fat and add as many vegetables as I can.  While the sustainable restaurants we typically choose use fresh ingredients, restaurants are known to use lots of butter and salt to make their food taste delicious and keep people coming back.  Choosing a sustainable restaurant, or a restaurant that offers sustainable foods is usually more expensive, but I also balance the cost by making meals at my vacation home.

Where do you go to find lodging when preparing to travel?
What choices do you make about where to eat?

Look for my next post about the hiking we did over the weekend!!