We had a wonderful beach vacation this summer at Fripp Island, SC. The island is close to Beaufort and Hilton Head. We had never been before, but would definitely go again, hopefully next year! It is a beautiful, gated island. The beaches were gorgeous and very private. At the busiest time of day, there were maybe 4 or 5 other families in sight on the entire beach. It was a West Family Vacation! We went with my in-laws, Ryan's brother Richard and his family of 6 and Ryan's brother Morgan and his wife Andrea. The house we rented was perfect for our family, right on the beach. Walk outside the backdoor and you heard the waves crashing and saw the sun shining!
The trip down was pretty good. It took about 10 hours total, including stops and breaks. The kids did really well, thanks to movies and electronic game devices! The only setback of the entire trip was that first night.
I was feeling fine all day, until the evening. We went to bed around midnight, and I had an upset stomach. I was up all night in the bathroom, shaking with chills and just feeling really poorly. Around 2:30, I called Ryan in to the bathroom. I felt like I was on the verge of passing out. Luckily I did call him, because a few minutes later, I was out cold on the floor! I was only out a few seconds, and when I woke up, there were lots of people around me. Luckily, there were 3 doctors in the house and 1 nurse! I felt like I was in good hands. If the story stopped here, it would've been pretty eventful. But, oh no, it continues. I then started to feel the worst abdominal pain that I have ever felt, the worst pain I've ever felt period! Worse than labor and delivery pain! There was no relief from the pain, and it continued for well over an hour. My father-in-law decided we needed to go to the ER. They all suspected it was my gall bladder. While in the car, it seemed that my pain started to diminish. By the time we got there, I was pretty much pain-free. They evaluated me, did blood work and an ultrasound. I ended up with a diagnosis of gall bladder stones. The ultrasound showed gall bladder wall thickening, which is a strong indicator of a diseased gall bladder. So, I am going to probably get it removed now that we are back. I could wait to see if I get another attack, but I prefer to NEVER experience that pain again.
Gosh....sounds so dramatic! After we returned from the ER, it was about 8am. My sister-in-law watched the kids, and they were awake, of course, and ready to hit the beach! So Ryan and I went out with them, even though we could barely keep our eyes open! I was pain-free, just exhausted. After a nap in the afternoon, I felt like a new person. The rest of the week was wonderful! The kids had a great time at the pools and beach! The island is filled with families and the main mode of transportation is via golf cart. That was a huge hit amongst the kids! My nephews Logan and Garrett loved to drive around. Brody and Raegan enjoyed being passengers. There were deer all over the island, and they were so comfortable with people. They would come right up to you and allowed you to pet them and feed them. Brody loved that. Raegan did as long as she had some distance. We made day trips to Beaufort and Charleston. They were beautiful towns, the homes were gorgeous. Breakfasts and lunches were eaten at the house, and we went out to dinner most nights.
Aside from the first night, we had the best family vacation! Everyone got along and enjoyed each other's company. The kids were well-behaved and had a great time. We all can't wait to get back to Fripp Island next summer. Enjoy some of our pictures below!
