tybeegb Posted July 17, 2015 Share #1 Posted July 17, 2015 Monday. Bad pain lower abdomen. I do what men do, I suffered through it thinking a good fart would solve it. Nope. Monday night, no relief. 2:00AM I take a laxative. Six hours later, nothing. Off to the pharmacy for an enema pack. Got home, the laxative worked a little bit. The enema worked a little bit. Still painful. Called my doctor. "Sorry, she has no openings today, but I could try and squeeze you in with another doctor." "Nope". Off I go to the emergency room at one of the hospitals in Savannah. I sign in at 14:07 on Tuesday afternoon. Abdominal pain. An hour later I get called to triage. Lower right abdomen. Constant pain. Laxitive/enema no help. Really starting to hurt. Two and a half hours later I get called back to see a doctor. "Have you ever heard of diverticulitis?" "Yes, I say. Not that." An hour later a nurse comes to get me for a CAT/CT scan, whatever. Doctor comes back an hour later. "You have appendicitis". Let's see. I 've been there 4.5 hours and now I think good, an end in sight."You realize this means surgery?", Duh! "When?" "I'm checking on a surgeon." Another hour passes. Nurse comes back and takes me to X-ray. Then blood work. Checking with my cardiologist. Another hour passes. The nurse comes by a with a gurney. "We're going to move you up to a room so you will be here when a surgeon is available." "When might that be?" "In the morning sometime. Have you had anything to eat or drink in the last 12 hours?" I had managed eat an ice cream sandwich (I was ready for some emergency) at 11:00AM, and it was now close to midnight. So Wednesday morning, I'm awake as I haven't slept in two days, and they say surgery is scheduled for 9:00AM. I call WofTy to tell her. She says she'll get there as soon as she can. She talks to the surgeon. I want to see the appendix, she says. He says he'll take a picture. Laproscopic surgery. So almost 24 hours after I get to the emergency room I'm in surgery. Two days after the symptoms started. Appendix was infected, and had started turning gangrenous and leaking into the pelvis. That's nice. Heavy anti-biotics. Saline drip since I haven't eaten or had anything to drink for 24 hours. Urine looks like syrup. All of my years of not using pain meds, I told them to load me up, as I couldn't move without feeling like I was being ripped in two.Oh, we forgot to tell you, they say, having this type of surgery makes your abs think they've done 1,000 pushups. Yep. I can attest to that. So Friday, today, at 2:30PM, I'm discharged. Still have my little drain bag taped to my side for the next 10 days, and it has been draining very well. WofTy went to get my Percocet(?) prescription filled and my antibiotics. I just don't remember the other people I know who had their appendix flair up go through this much trouble. I'm just a wuss I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtermite Posted July 17, 2015 Share #2 Posted July 17, 2015 Wow...sounds rough and it sounds like maybe they got it just in time. I guess there's that to look on the bright side. They almost took out my appendix when I was a kid thinking I had appendicitis (they even alcohol washed my abdomen/stomach and everything). After a while they decided it was just a bad tummy ache and sent me on my way. Feel better quickly, Tybeegb. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted July 17, 2015 Share #3 Posted July 17, 2015 Good thing you got your ass to the hospital! Glad your ok. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted July 17, 2015 Share #4 Posted July 17, 2015 How is the deck coming along? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airehead Posted July 17, 2015 Share #5 Posted July 17, 2015 Feel better. Sending positive vibes. Was the delay because they needed a permit? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zealot Posted July 17, 2015 Share #6 Posted July 17, 2015 Wow! Glad you went to the emergency room, even if it did have a bit of lunacy. Heal well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrapr ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #7 Posted July 18, 2015 Have you heard of diverticulitis? It's not thatStrange set up to a joke.Gut stuff is not fun. Get well. Oh, I will attest that you will want to be loaded up on the Dilulad when they pull that drain out. It hurts like a Motha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted July 18, 2015 Share #8 Posted July 18, 2015 Appendix was infected, and had started turning gangrenous and leaking into the pelvis. That's nice. Heavy anti-biotics. Saline drip since I haven't eaten or had anything to drink for 24 hours. Urine looks like syrup. All of my years of not using pain meds, I told them to load me up, as I couldn't move without feeling like I was being ripped in two. ... I just don't remember the other people I know who had their appendix flair up go through this much trouble. I'm just a wuss I guess. ...there are many versions of appendicitis, and so long as the thing remains intact, it's usually minimally invasive, thus a simpler surgery. Once they figured out yours was/had been leaking nastily into your internals, that simple surgery went away, and they poked around in there a good bit, rummaging around looking for crap and stuff to clean out, since they were already in there anyway. Had you been more symptomatic, or experiencing rigidity, you'd have been in a surgical suite pretty quickly, with god only knows who slicing you open. But yeah, when some guy has been in there running stuff through his fingers, there is most def some residual pain. Good think you weren't out on the Appalachian trail somewhere, or you woulda had to take it out yourself with a Swiss army knife. I hate taking antibiotics, they fuck me up for months afterward. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petitepedal ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #9 Posted July 18, 2015 Rest...and do your drugs...heal quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted July 18, 2015 Share #10 Posted July 18, 2015 I'd say you're the forum badass right now, but Airehead already claimed the title. I'm just glad you had ice cream sandwiches to help you deal with this emergency. Preparedness is key!!! Now hurry up and feel better. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted July 18, 2015 Share #11 Posted July 18, 2015 Really glad you are okay, and that they didn't catch it any later than that. Peritonitis is some seriously bad s#%! and not to be trifled with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted July 18, 2015 Share #12 Posted July 18, 2015 Had you been more symptomatic, or experiencing rigidity, Especially for more than four hours.Good thing you sought medical attention.(Heal quickly!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #13 Posted July 18, 2015 Hang in there Tybee. Sounds horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #14 Posted July 18, 2015 Very nasty Tybee. Get well! This probably put a damper on the pub crawl for a week or two. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuzieQ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #15 Posted July 18, 2015 Sounds like an awful experience - hope you continue to feel better every day! I think we can have two forum badasses - I hear Aire is all about sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parr8hed Posted July 18, 2015 Share #16 Posted July 18, 2015 If you are on big gun antibiotics consider eating a lot of yogurt. It will help your gut not to get rid of too many of the "good" stomach bugs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted July 18, 2015 Share #17 Posted July 18, 2015 If you are on big gun antibiotics consider eating a lot of yogurt. I learn something new every day! I'd heard that yogurt makes you tired, stressed, and angry. I would say listen to Parr8 because he's a nurse. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #18 Posted July 18, 2015 Yowzers!! I live a story with a gruesome middle and a happy ending! Heal well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parr8hed Posted July 18, 2015 Share #19 Posted July 18, 2015 Yowzers!! I live a story with a gruesome middle and a happy ending! Heal well.How do you know if you live a story with a happy ending yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #20 Posted July 18, 2015 I learn something new every day! I'd heard that yogurt makes you tired, stressed, and angry. I would say listen to Parr8 because he's a nurse. Careful. He is a nurse who wants organs! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #21 Posted July 18, 2015 How do you know if you live a story with a happy ending yet?I would think she would know if she had a happy ending. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted July 18, 2015 Share #22 Posted July 18, 2015 Get better soon.I know what you are going through. When the doc. took out my gallbladder it was gangrene. I got to spend a few days in ICU where I got all the popsicles and morphine for breakfast I wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsnip Totin Jack ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #23 Posted July 18, 2015 If you are on big gun antibiotics consider eating a lot of yogurt. It will help your gut not to get rid of too many of the "good" stomach bugs.I'm not a murse and that is good advice.Sorry you had to go thru that process but you're in healing mode now. Rest and heal up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted July 18, 2015 Share #24 Posted July 18, 2015 I learn something new every day! I'd heard that yogurt makes you tired, stressed, and angry. I would say listen to Parr8 because he's a nurse. He said yogurt not yoga you slack jawed dolt. Turn up your understanding aid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge ★ Posted July 19, 2015 Share #25 Posted July 19, 2015 How do you know if you live a story with a happy ending yet?Damnit! Stupid phone keyboard. T knows I'm happy he's on his way to recovery. sigh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted July 19, 2015 Share #26 Posted July 19, 2015 Damnit! Stupid phone keyboard. T knows I'm happy he's on his way to recovery. sigh... ...the guy just had to undergo an invasive abdominal surgery and bad things come in threes. Were I in his shoes, I'd not be overconfident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge ★ Posted July 19, 2015 Share #27 Posted July 19, 2015 ...the guy just had to undergo an invasive abdominal surgery and bad things come in threes. Were I in his shoes, I'd not be overconfident. I need an "unlike" button for this. The guy just had a nasty appendix removed from his body. I am confident he is going much better. And he's only at number one; why push bad luck onto a person all the way up to three???? I am confident TyB will be just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted July 19, 2015 Share #28 Posted July 19, 2015 Hopefully the surgeon had a permit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted July 19, 2015 Share #29 Posted July 19, 2015 I need an "unlike" button for this. The guy just had a nasty appendix removed from his body. I am confident he is going much better. And he's only at number one; why push bad luck onto a person all the way up to three???? I am confident TyB will be just fine. ...sez the girl with the punctured knee avatar. Not to worry, this is not my first experience with a poor reception on a dark humor comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted July 19, 2015 Share #30 Posted July 19, 2015 Hopefully the surgeon had a permit. ...he was lucky they did not do an emergency surgery. July is the month when all the new interns and residents start their rotation. One of the surgical residents I knew back in college told me that you should avoid medical emergencies in July and August. Apparently, things start to settle down a little by September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tybeegb Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share #31 Posted July 19, 2015 (edited) Thanks for all the comments. I just want this tube pulled OUT. I just went through the hospital's pile of instructions and it says I'm supposed to change the dressing around the tube daily. No WAY I'm pulling anything away from where the thing goes into the belly. I need someone with a tricorder or something, but I'm not even letting WofTy touch me. Edited July 19, 2015 by tybeegb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page Turner Posted July 19, 2015 Share #32 Posted July 19, 2015 Thanks for all the comments. I just want this tube pulled OUT. I just went through the hospital's pile of instructions and it says I'm supposed to change the dressing around the tube daily. No WAY I'm pulling anything away from where the thing goes into the belly. I need someone with a tricorder or something, but I'm not even letting WofTy touch me. ...it's doing you some good, but those surgical drainage tubes are very upsetting on an intimate and very personal level. On a positive note, they usually come out pretty easily when the time is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now