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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: S-99 on September 24, 2013, 04:16:00 am

Title: Appendix is out, job health insurance helps.
Post by: S-99 on September 24, 2013, 04:16:00 am
Well, since last thursday, i had a minor stomach ache. Friday was the same and was working a double shift for more money. Saturday i also chose to work a double shift. 22 hours in two days was pretty good. But, on saturday my stomach ache got worse. Instead of leaving work early, i somehow worked through it until the end. Went home, ate some food, readily puked it up. No biggie. Thought i had some kind of a gas bubble, but in lack of farting as i was unable to do so. I was thinking perhaps ulcer. Me and my dad tried to diagnose what it could possibly be, but i wasn't showing a lo of symptoms for it to be anything.

Since the local clinic sucks and is closed most of the time we called an ambulance to take me to a hospital while i was in agonizing pain. I didn't get sleep for 23 hours that day until a shot of morphine was administered. Hopped in the cat scan machine, and found my appendix was enflamed. They promptly removed it 5 hours later when the doctor was done in the ICU. Apparently, going to the hospital was a great idea, since the doctor said it was right at the stage where it was going to bloat and burst (so i didn't end up in the ICU for being septic). It was removed and debilitating pain was replaced with pain that could be managed.

The next part sort of sucks. After surgery they asked if i wanted the pneumonia and flu vaccines. Now i have more pain from the vaccines with a lovely sore throat and arms from the vaccines while my abdomen of course still hurts. Don't go for vaccines the day after surgery, go for them when you are healthier. But, they said my insurance was great i guess. I have yet to find out about the deductibles later, but oh well. I'm alive.

As the appendix is a vestigial organ, i was told a theory about how it got enflamed, but also how that theory usually was easily disproven most of the time.  In the mean time, pain.
Title: Re: Appendix is out, job health insurance helps.
Post by: Lorric on September 24, 2013, 07:23:47 am
I've always been scared of this happening to me.

But for you, look on the bright side, near death experiences are great for your outlook on life. Be happy! You're alive! :D
Title: Re: Appendix is out, job health insurance helps.
Post by: The E on September 24, 2013, 07:33:51 am
Apparently, going to the hospital was a great idea, since the doctor said it was right at the stage where it was going to bloat and burst (so i didn't end up in the ICU for being septic). It was removed and debilitating pain was replaced with pain that could be managed.

Had this happen to me about 14 years ago. Worst pain imaginable, would not wish it on my greatest enemy. The scary thing about it is that it goes from "Oh well, must have eaten something bad" to "OH GOD STOP THE PAIN" in a span of hours. Trying to tough it out is strongly advised against.
Title: Re: Appendix is out, job health insurance helps.
Post by: Beskargam on September 24, 2013, 07:51:41 am
Had this happen to my roommate two years ago. Watching him wake up screaming/moaning incoherently in pain was probably one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen. Apparently my roommate would have died if he'd waited much longer to get to the hospital.

My sympathy on having this happen, glad you made it.  It sucks.
Title: Re: Appendix is out, job health insurance helps.
Post by: TwentyPercentCooler on September 24, 2013, 08:32:02 am
Glad to hear you're alright (in a relative sense).

Thank the stars for morphine.
Title: Re: Appendix is out, job health insurance helps.
Post by: S-99 on September 24, 2013, 04:44:46 pm
The pain most definitely surprised me before and after; yes it was indeed the worst pain i ever had. I was moaning incoherently for several hours before i woke my dad. Before it was agonizing and couldn't do anything about it. I really just wanted to go to sleep. I already have a hard enough time falling asleep every night, that i nearly broke into tears finding out that i wasn't  going to get any sleep on that one night.

The surgery helped a lot. But, in reality, it's a manageable pain as opposed to a rampant out of control one now. I can hardly move around without pain. I walk as slow as yoda currently, hurts to burp, fart, ****, piss, can't lay down on my back, can't stand up straight (a cane would help, but there's not a single one around here). I've decided to double my dose of pain killers since one pill of hydracodone doesn't do anything. One pill is 325mg; i like to be pain free, not get loopy and high, but i popped two, so i'm getting loopy and high to see if that helps. The upside is if i forgot to pop some pain meds, i can go to sleep comfortably in a lazy boy at least. The lazy boy is the closest thing to a hospital bed where i live where you can control how far you lean back and similar to a hospital bed.

All my toughing out the pain was wasted at work, i had no more gusto after i got home before the ambulance. Very glad i decided not to tough it out any more that night. And it is wierd to think about appendicitus as being deadly, but it quite easily is.