I'm back, not that anyone missed me :-)
bob
Starting last Tuesday afternoon, I had abdominal pain that was pretty
much spread evenly from side to side. It felt like really bad
constipation, only worse.
I didn't eat any dinner and things got worse during the night. I tried a
laxative and a stool softener, but nothing helped. Around 03:00 on
Wednesday, I realized that I couldn't urinate even though my bladder was
very full and I could feel pain in my urethra. Around 05:00 Marina
called the Dr. thinking blocked bowel. The Dr. said to go to the ER and
ask to be seen immediately due to suspected blocked bowel.
We arrived at the ER around 06:00 and I was admitted. A Foley cath was
inserted due to my inability to urinate. Now that was fun, NOT! After it
was inserted, I did my best imitation of Niagara Falls which brought
some relief. I was scheduled for a CT scan of my abdomen as the ER doc
was thinking kidney stone. After the CT scan was done, I was given
morphine for the pain.
Both Marina and the ER Doc were both wrong. I had a badly inflamed
appendix. My internal medicine doc was called and he recommended a
surgeon and surgery was scheduled for around 18:00 due to the surgeon's
schedule.
After I was moved out of the ER into a regular room, I met the surgeon
and he informed me that God has blessed me with the large economy sized
appendix. Instead of being slightly smaller than my small finger, mine
was slightly larger than my middle finger. He still thought that he
could remove it laproscopically.
I went into surgery a little after 19:00 and by 20:00 was out of
recovery and back in my room with three small incisions in my abdomen.
I came home Thursday afternoon. I have pain pills which I'm only taking
at night. Ibuprofen takes care of the pain during the day, but I'm still
not sleeping all the way through the night. I have a follow up
appointment with the surgeon tomorrow morning.
I'm recovering well and received very good care from everyone at the
hospital. The surgeon had a quiet confidence about him which helped
Marina tremendously. This was in contrast to the arrogance we've
encountered in some of Marina's previous surgeries.
This was my first surgery in over 30 years and I hope it's my last:-)
Bob/Texas
Anne V
news:MPG.256397d6d...@news.eternal-september.org...
Geez, Bob, what an awful experience! I hope your recovery is quick!
Anne
bob
@NOSPAMyahoo.com says...
Thanks, Anne.
The most painful part was the insertion of the Foley cath while I was
awake and already in pain.
I got the OK from the surgeon to go back to work on Monday.
Bob/Texas
Ed Chait
Glad you're doing OK now bob.
weird presentation for appendicitis, that's fer sure.
having had bilateral kidney stones requiring surgery this year, I am all too
familiar with painful and intrusive procedures involving the nether regions.
Phyllis
illness, he absolutely hated the Foley! I'm glad you're doing well.
Hopefully this will be the last surgery you have to have for another 30
years.
bob
edchait...@earthlink.net says...
Ed,
Thanks!
Yes it was weird. Since the pain wasn't mainly or only on the right
side, no one thought appendix.
Bob/Texas
bob
phyllis...@buckeye-express.com says...
Phyllis,
And most people have the Foley inserted while they're anesthetized. I
was one of those lucky ones that got to experience it fully conscious
and with a full bladder :-(
If I can make it another 30 years without surgery, I'll probably never
have to worry about it as that would require me to live longer than any
of the past 2 generations of my known biological relatives.
Bob/Texas
Carol
recovery.
Carol V.
bob
says...
Carol,
Thank you. Yes, the surgeon definately had one of the best bedside and
office manners that we've seen in a long time.
Bob/Texas