Jump to content

I kinda thought it was appendicitis, but what do I know?


tybeegb

Recommended Posts

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

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.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  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.:(

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

  • Heart 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

...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

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.  :P  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

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.:mellow:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.  :angry:

Edited by tybeegb
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.  :angry:

...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

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...