Category: Health and Wellness
One day, I came home early from school not feeling well, and looking very green. We've all had those days when we just can't function on an upset stomach. By three, I was begging my dad to take me to a doctor. One nauseating car trip, seemingly never-ending questions, some tests, and an hour of waiting later, the doctors told me that I might have appendicitis. Several hours later, a cat scan confirmed her diagnosis, and I was wheeled back to theater after midnight. Has anyone else had this happen to them?
hmm, here goes then.
I went home from work early one day about 12 years or so ago, and got into see the doctor with severe stomach pains. because of other problems i have with my digestive system, it was considered to be refered pain. Well, I had 3 weeks like this, gradually getting worse, eating nothing much of anything, and suffering. I eventually saw a different doctor, this would be about the sixth visit in 3 weeks, and this one said, I think you may have apendacitis. He asked how long i needed to find a place for my guide dog and to pack a bag, as I was off to hospital. I was given 2 hours.
I called my mother who said don't worry, tomorrow you'll be in much les pain and have a 2 inch scar. Well, it was 24 hours in hospital before I went to theatre in which time they'd scanned me, and couldn't find my appendix let alone if it was inflamed. They decided to take me in anyway. I came out with a 6 inch scar, with 20 staples. The appendix was found at the rear of my bowel instead of the front, and that it had burst.
I spent a week with about 5 lines connected to me. ordinary drip, antibiotic drip, PCA (morphine drip where you press the button) oxygen, and a tube out of me for peeing, because I was still in so much pain i couldn't push anything.
I'd lost about 40 pounds in weight during that month because i was in so much pain, oh, and gave up smoking. lol not forever at that point sadly, but it was hell, and I hope it sounds like the most grusome account we'll get, because I don't want to think of even worse.
That's not nearly as scary as this one story I saw on telly about this lady who needed her entire digestive system transplanted. Appendicitis can kill if not taken care of. Glad you're feeling better.
Damn, Kev, that really sucks! Sometimes doctors can be dense when it comes to diagnosing the real problem, especially in a crisis situation like that. I still have my appendix, thankfully. I wonder what an appendix is for. People say we don't need it, but it must be there for some reason, or we wouldn't have been created with one.
Since we had to learn about evolution in my biology class, I asked my teacher about this subject and he told me that the appendix may have been used at one time to boost the immune system and help it fight against certain bacteria. something like that.
oh, I forgot that the doctors told me and my family, if I'd have been a day later, I would have been dead, so well lucky, I guess.
Yeah, as much of a trouble maker as you are, Kev, we don't want you dead. The Zone would be boring without you. Grin. But on the serious side, it is very lucky they caught it in time.
Yes, we're all glad you pulled through. I think any trip in to hospital, no matter how minor the situation, is unforgetable. A friend of mine had to go in to have her appendix removed, and the doctors had said if she was brought in a few hours later it would have ruptured. Thank goodness she's okay.
I had my appendix removed when I was 8. I went to school that day. My mom was substituting for our class. In class, I started feeling sick. After school, mom rushed me to the emergency room. We found out my appendix needed removed.
nothing interesting about it its painful and anoying!
Well, I was about 14. I'd had stomach pain on and off for a couple of years because of digestive problems, but this felt different, horrible.
I asked to be taken to A and E, who tole me that I was Ok, but, if it was sore in a few days,to go and see my GP. Well, I went, and he referred me back to the hospital. I went again, and they said they still thought there was nothing wrong but, because I wasn't eating, and I was still classed as a child, they brought me in for observation. I was in there for a week, during which I was drip fed, given very little pain relief, and subjected to some of the most painful scans I can ever remember. The one which is still most vivid was a barium scan. I had to drink Barium (it's horrible, tastes absolutely terrible), then lie on a bed whilst a camera in a plastic jar lowered over me and pressed on my belly. If you can remember your apendicitis pain, you'll know that this, far from being a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, had tears rolling down my face, and nail marks in the palms of my hands.
They concluded that there was nothing wrong, and asked me if I was making it up because I wanted the attention. My grandmother, who I lived with, was ill at the time, and the intelligent Doctors thought that a child would make up this pain to get the attention she couldn't get from a sick guardian.
I was discharged, still in pain, still not eating.
8 days later, after seeing the GP again, I was sent to another, better hospital. It took them a week of investigations, in which they determined that I had an offshoot of bowel which shouldn't be there (in the scans, the Barium had lodged there, indicating infection or a problem). They decided to operate to remove it, and perform exploratory surgery at the same time to eliminate any other problems.
So, they took me into theatre and, because of my body's natural high tolerance, had to give me twice as much anasthesia as they would usually, meaning that it took me much longer to wake up, and that I had much more post op sickness. When they'd done, I had 3 scars, 1 of which had penitrated muscle and one of which was sewn wrong because a student was performing the op, and was told that my appendix had been the problem, not a mysterious bowel growth, and that I would now be fine.
So, 4 weeks after it all started, I was pain free!
Carly
Well this will be a long storie, so bare with me. I woke up one morning in tarable bane. I tell my mom who takes me to my GP. He say s that I'm making things, and to go home. I start having lots of dieria and my lower bellie is getting really hard. I didn't tel my mom this time because I was so upset at being called a faker. So 2 days later the pane got so bad I had to tel my mom. She takes me to the hospital. Mind you, i was 11 years old at this time, and there asking me if I'm pregnant. Aparentley becaus of ware my bellie was hard is ware the uderis is. I tel them that I'm 11 years old and haven't ben having sex, dugh! They take an exray and guess that my apendix has burst, not so much. They went in and discovered that I had a ruptured Ovarien sist that was the size of a charie. There was nothing rong with my apendix. I think the Dr.s that delt with me need to go back to medical school and retake the class of dumbolagy. Lol
Have a great day,
Tracey
lupins girl, you forgot the best part of that story. the first time we went to the er on a sunday night and this nimrod from a nursing agency stuck you five times before she got a vein. blood was squirting all over the room. talk about disgusting and disturbing for you.
Well, as for what the appendix is for, someone told me it used to be used in evolusion as kind of like a second stomach, but that we don't need it any more. Well if that's the case, what the hell are we doing still with them existing!