Finally... Some Rest for the Weary

Not rest for me... my life is still swirling around like the slowly melting snow in Minnesota between life and work and life (x2) and a roadshow I'm directing and substituting yet again in seminary and teaching relief society. However, my nephew Gigantor (ok, really his name is Aidan but I call him Gigantor because he's 12 and bigger than me and he loves it) finally has some rest from being sick. Leave it to my family to have something odd happen to them. That's just the way we roll. Just as a side note, I'm not trying to gross you out with the picture. I just happen to love science so if it bothers you, just don't look.

So, short story... Gigantor was sick (acute stomach pain) before Tom & Maria's wedding but they still drove up to Oregon to be there. Still sick after they got back to Reno but after multiple trips to the doctor's office and ER, they still couldn't tell what he had. Then more trips and a barium test to check stuff... nothing. Finally they found he had an obstructed bowel but unfortunately the barium had been setting in his digestive tract for about a week. Nearly 2 days in the Peds ICU and 3 gallons of go-litely (they usually give only 1/2 gallon to adults) later, they finally were able to clear him out. We thought he was fixed. Apparently not. Still had acute stomach pain. More trips to the ER and doctor. Finally a smart radiologist found something odd on his first scan before he ordered the second one to confirm.

Diagnosis: Meckel's Diverticulum

Kind of like a second appendix but on the left side. Vestiges of the umbilical cord inside that should dissolve and usually do but for him didn't. Only ~2% of the population have it and of that 2%, only ~2% actually have symptoms, which may include obstructed bowel and pain like acute appendicitis.

So, now with a war wound later (surgery on Saturday) and two appendages shorter (they removed both his diverticulum and appendix) , he should now be pain free. At least he will have a cool scar to show people!