That appendix thing is not nearly so simple as I had imagined.
The only involvement with my HMO I planned to have a week ago Friday was the flu shot I received at the medical offices early that morning.
How little I knew.
By early evening, I had a pain my lower abdomen and a suspicious, tender bulge there. I called my doctor’s office around 7pm, got the answering service and was told someone would call back. No one did and I was halfway pleased, knowing that a strange doctor filling in on the night shift with no real information about me was almost surely going to say “go to the emergency room.” I talked myself into believe that what I had was a groin pull (though there was no reason in the world how I could have managed same) and went to bed.
BY morning, there was little argument about that emergency room trip. My daughter drove me in to Phoenixville Hospital around 10:30 and in less that three hours I was on the operating table. When I awakened, I was told that I had a perforated appendix.
In my mind, I thought it was going to be a simple matter. I had always thought that an appendectomy was a simple procedure (mine was done via laparoscope), one where you stayed in bed for a day and then you went home. That’s not true, of course, especially in the case where the appendix has burst.
Even as I felt worse and worse for nearly four days straight and nurses would tell me they were worried about me, I just kept thinking “it’s only my appendix, what’s the big deal?” I kept assuring callers that it was no big thing and I’d be home soon; I wasn’t trying to mislead anybody; I just didn’t grasp the situation.
That damned thing, that organ nobody quite understands, can kill you. And while I don’t think it ever got all that close, it definitely took a shot at me. I didn’t have a thing to eat for nearly eight days and several of those days included no fluids as well. My lower body was basically shut down.
I got home yesterday and will be out of the loop a bit, both for recovery time and to try and catch up on a lost week. As of this evening, I figure I’m somewhere around last Tuesday morning in “real time.”
I deeply appreciate all your calls and emails and other kindnesses and will post further about that as I find the time.
Best of luck.
I had my appendix removed a couple years ago. It did not actually burst, but I had appendicitis pretty bad - everything was painful but I kept telling everyone “oh I’m fine” until someone forced me to goto the doctor. I think they took that stupid thing out within a half day. Such a stupid stupid organ. I figured I’d be home quickly but I lingered in that stupid hospital bed for days and days, getting no real food. That was less than pleasant. Lost a good amount of weight too.
Glad to see you are back on teh interwebs
Get well soon.
Jack: Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
This scene is all too familiar to me. My Dad was in the same time as you for kidney related stuff. The whole shut down thing is a pain in the butt. (no pun intended) Laparoscopic surgery is the way to go though. Recovery time is much much better.
Happy to hear you’re on your way to recovering.
Damned glad you’re home and feeling better, Jack. You had us worried. Best wishes for recovery.
Best wishes for your recovery. Give yourself plenty of time to rest. What’s happened can take many months to fully recover from. Its not unusual to still have days when you are really washed out–3 months later. Your body has been through a war of sorts.
My aunt had the same thing happen about 10 years ago. She was otherwise healthy. Her recovery took nearly 6 months mostly because she would not allow herself enough time to rest. Thankfully you were in a great hospital that is staffed with very good doctors and nurses. Its a scary thing to have happen. Take care and rest well.
Thanks, Heather. And, aside from the food which was worse than my worst imagination and a bed that never quite got comfortable, Phoenixville was indeed a very good hospital. One thing that was very comforting was the policy of trying to give me, all patients, a “familial” nursing experience, the same team of nurses every day. Also, at the end of each shift, the team on duty would walk the duo coming on duty to each patient’s beside and update them while the guy in the bed familiarized himself with the faces he would see for the next eight hours. There was a sense of involvement and concern there that just plain felt good.
Jack,
Glad to hear your on the mend. Missed the daily snark.
[...] - Get well, Uncle Jack. Fortunately, Jack Curtin “only” lost an appendix, a lot of time to the hospital and some weight. Send him your best. [...]
[...] - Get well, Uncle Jack. Fortunately, Jack Curtin “only” lost an appendix, a lot of time to the hospital and some weight. Send him your best. [...]
[...] who control the universe conspired to make my Union Jack’s promise null and void with an appendix attack. They be spiteful [...]