My 2001 Terror Attack

Until Katrina, there has been no terror struck in the hearts of Americans like 9/11/01. Obviously, one was an act of nature the other was an act of idiots, a glaring difference. So, though Americans experienced terror with both of these tragic events, we processed them differently. I believe with Katrina America probably felt violated or attacked or vulnerable, just like we did with the events of 9/11, but different because because 9/11 was man-made.

Toward late August/early September in 2001, I got this strange feeling in my gut. Not an emotional feeling, but a physical one. It seemed familiar, yet not. One evening, I awoke to what felt like the worst gas pains one could ever have. I got up I rolled on the floor because it was all I could think to do to try to stop the pain. Finally relief came and I was able to go to sleep. But before I went to sleep I remember thinking about Conway Tweety. For some reason, I remembered how he died and I wondered if I was experiencing what he had experienced in the early 90's that had claimed his life in a hospital Springfield, MO; a ruptured appendix. I knew that my body still didn't feel right. In the following week I noticed I was sweating a lot(even started carrying a towel), had the chills, didn't feel like doing anything, walked bent over and had no appetite, looked bad in . I went to the doctor, he saw blood in my urine and said it was probably a kidney stone. I asked if it could be my appendix. He didn't answer. The next week I made another appointment because I was no better. Again, he had me pee in a cup. And told me to hang in there, ordered a CT scan. Two weeks from that date was as soon as I could get on the schedule. I spoke candidly with a physician I was recruiting for the health system for which I work and he told me to demand an anti-biotic from my physician because it sounded like I had some kind of infection going on. I got my perscription that day and took it that evening and then next day went for a morning CT scan of my gut. The technician made me drink three big cups of this nasty white stuff and I only gagged once. She asked me if I was allergic to shellfish and I asked if that was what we were having for lunch(I didn't see, but I'm sure she rolled her eyes and thought hardee har har, the world's full of unoriginal comedians). I usually am quesy with needles, but was not this day. After that, I headed to Love Field to pick up a doc and his spouse who were interviewing with one of my hospital administrators(he was the same guy who got me to demand an antibiotic) I drove he and his wife to their appointment outside of Fort Worth, and waited on them. I really felt good that day. I remember thinking that maybe I had turned a corner, namely because I had an appetite again. I ate lunch at a local eatery in this small town and as I was paying, got a call on my cell phone from my doctor telling me to go to the emergency room that someone would be there to meet me. That my appendix was rupturing. In fact, it had ruptured,...three weeks prior to that call. God saved my life. I can't think or write about this without crying. At first I thought why did this happen to me,...then I thought why didn't I die like people who normally experience this,...why did God cause a membrane to wall off the infection so it would not spread to the rest of my body. That same evening, on September 18, Doctor Lance Smith removed my appendix and a few feet of my intestine that was gangrenous. He also took off three moles I had the presence of mind to ask about before I went under. He clicked his bic and circled them. Post surgery was no cake walk(it hurt to walk but when I walked I looked like a 90 year old man). I then thought of all the things I had done while carrying this time bomb within me,....cut the yard a few times, drove to Austin and back to attend a conference, worked every day, wore a Clifford the Dog costume for a book fair at our son's school. In the Clifford suite, I sweated profusely. Later I found out it was because of the infection, but then, I just thought it was the costume. I often thought what I would have looked like being wheeled into the ER dressed like a big red dog. "Get that dog outa here! The vet's two blocks east!" Thank you God for getting me through this time of terror. I felt Your peace and I don't know why. And thank you that I didn't have to endure wearing the Clifford suit into the ER.