Appendectomy

[livingwith]

A few times during the last couple of months, I noticed I wasn’t feeling up to par, and my energy level wasn’t usual. I also noticed increase gas and bloating, and also a change in bowel movements. I remember also a couple of times feeling a tender spot on the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. Didn’t put it together with the other symptoms, and never thought of appendix.

Three weeks ago in Palm Springs on vacation with my children and their spouses, I began to feel worse ...Read the full article

[papabush]

Hi...Just went through the same thing , but had to do 6 days in hospital. I'm out five days now and still feeling weak , no stamina. Take it easy , especially after a ruptured appendix. You don't need a relapse because the same anti-biotics won't do much for you.
I'm expecting to be 'back to normal' by all accounts , 4 to 6 weeks.
Good luck.

[DSD]

I suffered two days of killer abdominal pain ( starting the last day of the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend ) & then through sheer force of will I wrestled the cramping to the ground! So there I am, walking around upright with ease for the first time in two days, thinking I'm on the mend, when I felt something "give" in my right lower quadrant! Woo-Hoo! Brand new pain! And it's worse!

And off to the emerg. I went!

The surgeon did regular x-rays, but wasn't convinced I'd perfed from them, so the nurse had me drink a litre & a half of peach juice in prep. for a CT scan ( no problem drinking as I was SO Dehydrated!! ). Yup - she'd perforated alright!

Post-op. I'm feeling much better ( WONDERFUL drugs! ).

The next 5 days were not too pleasant. The peach juice would not move! After 2 days my gastric distension was unbearable so Yipee - in goes the Naso-Gastric tube! Ouch! But man-O-man, I filled that sucker for :15 without the pump on!

My bowels were slow & ornery in their return to life. Had one awful night of cramping & then explosive diarreah! How pleasant!

Out in 5 days. My only complaint about discharge was NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION ON HOW TO CARE FOR MYSELF AT HOME! From diet, to hygeine, to wound care. The drop-in nurse & a surgeon buddy of mine filled in the gaps, thankfully. As to diet, the best thing I did was drink "Ensure" - a varitable meal in a bottle. That settled my cranky stomach RIGHT DOWN. Soon after I returned to eating my usual breakfast of high-fiber cereal with blueberries & Joila! The gas returned & bowel movements began to normalize ( I had almost NO GAS in hospital ).

3 weeks on, my only complaints are night sweating & a sharp pain in my right upper quadrant upon deep breathing. Saw my Dr. yesterday - he thinks I'm doing great. Wants me to hold tight for 2 weeks to see if the sweating & breathing pain subside. To the best of my knowledge, I haven't had a fever or chilling as I know it, but I am concerned I may have a pocket of puss in my R.U.Q.

We shall see.

Rest easy all, stay hydrated & drink Ensure - especially for the first week at home. It really helps!

Regards,
DSD