Craig Boguta

His bride Jeannie researched his symptoms: severe pain that got worse when he ate, nausea, constipation, fever. It was a troubling combination. They headed for Northfield Hospital.

“We weren’t thinking that it was his appendix because that was removed 11 years ago,” Jeannie says.

Except it was.

A CT scan showed that a portion of Craig’s appendix was still there; it was severely infected, and an abscess filled Craig’s abdomen, jeopardizing his organs. Surgeon Jose Fulco, MD removed the appendix and cecum (a pouch between the large intestine and appendix), taking care to protect Craig’s small and large intestines.

“Dr. Fulco said it looked like a grenade went off inside him because of the infection,” Jeannie recalls.

It’s very rare for appendicitis to strike twice, and infection can be deadly. Craig had a tough recovery ahead.

“Everyone was just so helpful and terrific,” Jeannie recalls. “They were really good about getting his pain under control – he’s a tough guy and wanted to tough it out, and they worked with him to manage his pain.”

Dr. Fulco told Craig he’d be in the hospital for his wedding. “Then I thought, ‘Hospitals have chapels,’” Jeannie says. Nurses and staff helped arrange for the chapel – and 20 family members and friends watched Jeannie and Craig get married, in a wedding dress and a bathrobe.

“My daughter kept asking, ‘Is this even legal? He’s a little loopy from pain medication right now,’” Jeannie laughs. “But it worked out very nicely. We definitely won’t forget it.”

Then Jeannie went to reception . . . and Craig went back to bed.

Their advice for medical care? “Choose Northfield. It’s the only hospital we’d go to now,” Jeannie says. “There are other good hospitals around, but given time and distance, Northfield Hospital is our choice.”