The narrator recounts their experience with a medical emergency when they were in college. They attended a seminar with free food, but soon started feeling unwell, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Their roommate suspected it might be appendicitis and took them to the hospital, where they were diagnosed with the condition. The narrator underwent emergency surgery, which was a harrowing experience, especially when they had to have a tube inserted down their throat to pump their stomach. They were successfully treated and recovered, grateful for the support of their friends and roommate, who likely saved their life by recognizing the symptoms and seeking medical help.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The appendix is a thin, useless tube in the lower right abdomen.
2. The appendix serves no function in the human body.
3. Failing to treat appendicitis can result in rupturing and infecting the entire body, which is usually fatal.
4. Appendicitis is the infection and inflammation of the appendix.
5. The writer was in college when they experienced their first medical emergency.
6. The writer's roommate took them to the hospital after they started showing symptoms of appendicitis.
7. The doctor at the hospital suspected the writer had appendicitis and moved them to urgent care.
8. The writer was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery.
9. The anesthesiologist inserted a tube down the writer's throat to pump their stomach for safety before surgery.
10. The writer had to continuously swallow the tube until it reached their stomach.
11. The writer threw up everywhere while trying to insert the tube.
12. The writer was rolled off to surgery and moved to the operating table.
13. The writer was cured of appendicitis after surgery.
14. The writer spent the next day healing and watching cartoons on TV.
15. The writer's friends collected their stuff from the seminar so it wouldn't get stolen.
16. The writer is grateful for the people in their life who look out for them.