After a nice conversation with Daniel on Mother's Day we were going out to celebrate at a Sushi restaurant in Pismo Beach, CA. When we got there Diana felt a pain in her lower left abdomen. She gets these and sometimes they mean nothing and sometimes they mean the onset of diverticulitis. She has had a few episode of diverticulitis so we know the routine. We ate and she felt progressively worse. We got home and she laid down. About an hour later it was time to seek medical help. The area we were in does not have 24 hour clinics such as a Patient First or a Urgent Care type facility. So I took her to the local hospital ER. They were great. Gave her medication for pain, took history and agreed with the diverticulitis idea, gave us medication and we went home.
Monday morning Diana was doing better but by afternoon she was in distress. Big time distress! Back to the ER. Several tests and lengthy consultation later they were not sure if she had diverticulitis or if it might be a ovary issue. They do not have any gyno Dr.s at that hospital but their sister hospital in Santa Maria does. They are 15 miles south. So we got traded to the other hospital. Apparently it was no small feat for the first hospital to pull this off. They have done it before but there is a ton of paperwork and coordination involved. And it was Sunday night about 9 PM when they started. But they pulled it off. We got to the next hospital about midnight. Initially they could not determine if this was diverticulitis or ovarian or something else. So discussions between the general surgeon,who would take the case if it was diverticulitis, and the ob-gyn Dr who would take it if it was ovarian, were held. In the mean time the Dr.s and staff did a great job of trying to manage her pain and keep her as comfortable as possible. After an MRI it was determined that it was ovarian. There was a large cyst on her left ovary that had become twisted, thus causing her pain. With in a few hours Diana was in surgery having both ovaries removed along with tubes. She was given a choice to keep some or remove it all. It all went. The surgery began about 6 PM on Tuesday and by noon on Wednesday she was released and we were back home to continue her recovery.
As I write this it is Thursday, and while tired, she is feeling much better and recovering nicely. We do have some pictures but I am not going to post them as a matter of self preservation!
So thanks to all the medical staff from both hospitals for a great and caring job. Also thanks be to God for providing us with the resources we need at the time. God is amazing.
UPDATE: A week later we went in for a follow up exam. Not only was Diana released from Dr. care but all pathology reports show healthy tissue and no cancer! Praise be to God.