“This guy wanted to see you.” David said as he patted Ted’s shoulder. 

“What’s your status, Ted?” I asked as I sat back in the chair, folded my arms and had a look at him.

“Still feel pretty bad.”

“What were you able to do during the all camp?”

“Not much.” He shrugged. He looked pathetic.

“Are you still nauseated?”

“Yup.”

“Did you eat anything at snack time or dinner?”

“Nope.”

“Did you drink?”

“I sipped on my water bottle through the day.” He held up a half full Nalgene bottle. “But I still feel nauseated.”

“Do you want to try some dramamine?”

“I don’t think it would stay down.”

“Welllll….the other option is rectally….I do have some suppositories….” I gently suggested as I motioned toward the medication cupboard. Ted looked at me quizzically, while David’s eyes widened to the point that they looked like they might pop out of his head.

Shock & awe

“What does that mean?” Ted asked.

“Ummm…well….up your bum.” I nodded slowly trying to gauge his understanding.

“My bum?” Ted tilted his head to the side and knit his eyebrows. No compute.

“Your rectum to be exact, Ted. You insert the bullet shaped suppository into your rectum with your finger. There is a rich blood supply there and the medication will be absorbed to settle your stomach.” I said as I tried to make it clear using various hand motions. Ted’s eyebrows shot up.

“I’m feel so sick that I am willing to do that. Just please don’t tell the guys in the hut.”

“Dude! This is all totally private. David is sworn to secrecy too. This is nobody’s business but yours. But before I have you do that would you mind having a seat on the examination table please Ted? I wanna take a closer look at you.”

He slowly got up onto the table. I grabbed the thermometer. I had had a bad feeling about him this morning when I felt he was minimizing his symptoms. I tucked the thermometer in under his tongue and took his pulse while we waited for the beep. His heart rate was 98 beats per minute, so that was technically OK…but pretty close to tachycardia. I would expect a young fit guy to be less then that. The thermometer beeped and his temp was 37.9 Celsius, so that mildly elevated but not a fever…yet. 

“Your heart rate and your temperature are OK, Ted. Now, can I get you to lie down on the table?” It took some effort for Ted to lie down. He looked pretty uncomfortable. He pulled his shirt up to expose his abdomen. It didn’t look distended. Next, I needed to palpate it.

“OK buddy, I just want to feel your belly if I can.” I said as I reached to palpate his abdomen.

AHA!

Ted quickly pulled up his left arm to ward me off. 

“Oh please don’t!” Ted cringed.

And that’s when the light bulb went off in my head. Ted was guarding his belly. A classic sign of appendicitis. Crap.

It just got real!