Appendix coming out

Marguerite

Active Member
At last! easy child 2/difficult child 2 is getting her appendix out on Wednesday morning. We saw the surgeon this afternoon. He was the first doctor completely comfortable with the likelihood that she has a grumbling appendix and it can't stay there. He commented that the ultrasound report seemed too cautious. because I had been there too, I told him how the radiologist had said, "She's not in enough pain for this to be appendicitis; she's not jumping off the table or screaming." The radiologist hadn't seemed to believe that appendicitis could be anything but acute.

I remember how my grumbling appendix felt; looking at her, I think easy child 2/difficult child 2 is feeling worse. I was apprehensive about my surgery; a bit ambivalent, I think. She, on the other hand, would have held the scalpel for the doctor if he had suggested doing it in his rooms, right then and there.

She had the choice of Wednesday in a city hospital, a long and difficult drive from home, or in ten days' time at the local private hospital (very luxurious). She made it clear that she wants it out, NOW. Doesn't care about scars (there shouldn't be much, if any - he's going in through her navel, with only two other very tiny incisions below the bikini line). She just wants to begin to feel well again.

Looking at the ultrasound pics again, I'm more sure than ever that there's a foreign body in the appendix. The radiologist said it was probably a bubble, since she wasn't reacting as if in pain (yes, she was!) so according to him it probably wasn't a faecolith (a common finding in a grumbling appendix, and also an acute one I believe). I'm curious as to what pathology will find. I don't think it's a bubble. It was a bright white dot in the centre of the appendix on the scan, and it was there in several images so it wasn't an artefact. My bet - faecolith.

Wednesday is going to be busy - difficult child 3 is booked for a science excursion to Darling Harbour's new "Australian Wildlife Park". I wanted to go too, but now I'll have to get difficult child 1 to take his little brother. I'll call the school tomorrow to square it with them. Tomorrow is going to be my usual busy Tuesday, and somehow I've got to organise how we're going to manage the various trips to the city on Wednesday, and when. I'm not looking forward to Wednesday's running around, but I will be very glad when it's all over and we can bring easy child 2/difficult child 2 home.

Marg
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
Marg- I'll be keeping easy child 2/difficult child 2 is my prayers. I hope the surgery goes well & her recovery is speedy.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
I'm glad that they finally decided to take it out and get it over with. Why make her go through all that needless pain! I don't necessarily trust what they say about appendixes - they don't always know as much as they think they know. I had two different friends who were both told that they had a "grumbling" appendix, doctors not in any hurry to do surgery. Both of them ended up deathly ill and hospitalized with a ruptured appendix! Nothing to fool around with. Glad she's getting it taken care of.

:doctor:
 

Stella Johnson

Active Member
It could be bad and she just has a high pain tolerance. My doctor couldn't believe I was still walking when I finally did go to the ER.

Steph
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Marg,

I'm relieved for you & easy child/difficult child 2 that this is finally being dealt with...it's gone on far too long.

Will be keeping her in my thoughts for a quick recovery.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
I've posted elsewhere but I thought an update was in order.
She stayed in hospital last night because she really was taking her time to come good. She's been nauseous and vomiting from the anaesthetic and still had the drip up today at lunchtime. They said they'd take it out if she was able to eat and keep it down.
She's not expecting us to visit, it will be a surprise for her. And maybe if she's improving fast??...

Although I'm not holding out too much hope, I would like to bring her home tonight. At the very least, it would save another long drive tomorrow. But if she's not well enough, she's just not well enough...

She took her teddy in with her and I tucked it beside her when she got back from surgery. She roused a little and pulled teddy in close. That bear will still be there, I'm betting. It saw her through tonsils removal when she was 6, years ago.

I'll let you guys know how she's getting on.

Marg
 

Marguerite

Active Member
OK, we brought her home this morning (Friday). The city was much busier than usual (I don't know why) and I was almost falling asleep at the wheel coming home. She slept most of today, still isn't eating much. I'm about to go out to the kitchen and get some grapes for her; the fibre in them should help counteract the morphine she's been on.

She's still in pain but when awake she's much brighter. She still hasn't showered and was planning to tonight. I'll have to nag there, too. In hospital she could have used a shower chair and the nurses to help her. Here, she hopes to get BF2 to help her in the shower. I think she's in for a shock as to how weak she is.

We've got our state election tomorrow. Voting is compulsory, although we could probably argue her out of a fine if we needed to. If she were still in hospital there would be no problem - she'd still get a "please explain" letter but the hospital paperwork would get her off.
Our polling booth is nearby and I can drive her right to the door. If we go early we'll avoid any queues.

From here on, it has to get better.

I'm off to feed her and nag about the shower.

Marg
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Update again.

Last night she was vomiting again, brought up everything she'd eaten. I rang the hospital and they rang the surgeon, who said that she would need to go back to the hospital if she wasn't keeping fluids down either. But she's still passing fluids so she's not dehydrated, so we were spared a long drive.

No more vomiting today. She's not drinking as much but she ate a bowl of rice for lunch, as well as some tinned peaches. So far so good.

She's been sitting in a chair all morning watching DVDs. As of a couple of hours ago she's been asleep in husband's bed.

We went down to the polling booth this morning. I was able to park right out front so she didn't have to walk far. I made sure there was a chair handy so she wouldn't have to stand for long. Afterwards she sat in the car while I wandered around the book stalls and other fundraising stuff.
I left her for a while later on to take difficult child 3 to the beach before this afternoon's forecast storm. I just checked the radar map - I estimate the storm will hit (with high winds) in an hour or two. It's moving very slowly. But it will cool things down for easy child 2/difficult child 2, who often gets nauseous in hot weather.

I think she's finally on the mend. Now if we can just persuade her to have a shower...

Marg
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
Hi KC

This is a really old thread, from 2007. I don't think you will get a response.

Have you talked to your Family Doctor about your daughter? You should be able to get a referral from them.

If your daughter is in pain and you think it is serious, take her immediately to the emergency room!
 
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