Anyone here who had an appendectomy?

My wife had an inflamed appendix with a elevated white blood cell count. They operated the next day , laparoscopy. One or Two nights in the hospital then recovery at home, painful for a few days but only missed one week at work.

Classic appendicitis symptoms. I went to my GP's a few times but they weren't particularly interested at first but eventually took it a bit more seriously.

Wasn't there a time when it was suggested to routinely remove the appendix at birth and get the thing out before it could cause any trouble?

One would think they'd take such symptoms seriously.

I remember reading about a couple who were taking their kids on a long 6 months or so sailing trip. They decided to have their appendixes taken out as a precaution.

I'm not sure what the purpose of the appendix is if any...

I remember reading about a couple who were taking their kids on a long 6 months or so sailing trip. They decided to have their appendixes taken out as a precaution.

Right. I read that too. Don't know how long ago it was.

When I was still living in the US as a kid, I remember reading in Ripley's Believe It or Not about escaped POW's in the jungle removing an infected appendix from one of them with only a sharpened spoon - or something unbelievable like that, or maybe it was on a WWII submarine or something as unlikely.

Funny how stuff like that stays with you.

My mother used to tell us if we bit our nails and swallowed or if we ate peanut shells we’d get appendicitis

We were told as kids that swallowing cherry stones would give us appendicitis! Probably an old wives tale.

Right. I read that too. Don't know how long ago it was.

When I was still living in the US as a kid, I remember reading in Ripley's Believe It or Not about escaped POW's in the jungle removing an infected appendix from one of them with only a sharpened spoon - or something unbelievable like that, or maybe it was on a WWII submarine or something as unlikely.

Funny how stuff like that stays with you.

Yes I remember hearing about that too.

In 1985 I awoke to an excruciating pain in my lower abdomen. It felt as if I had to do a BM, but nothing would come out. I went to the emergency room at the hospital and the Doctor determined I had appendicitis, but my symptoms were atypical. He determined that my appendix was actually located below my bladder, not on the right side of my abdomen. I was shaved from my umbilicus to pubic region. The incision ran from right below my umbilicus to just above my pubic bone. By the time they got in there the appendix had just ruptured and they had a bit of a mess to cleanup. I had a bit of a longer recovery period than usual.

Earlier today Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix just 16 days after having his appendix out. I could just about stagger round the house at that point let alone drive a F1 car!

Earlier today Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix just 16 days after having his appendix out. I could just about stagger round the house at that point let alone drive a F1 car!

@Dr_Philip With enough pain meds I bet one could drive with no pain. I quit taking my pain killers, after my left arm plate placement, because everything quit hurting, including my broken humorous ball.

@Dr_Philip

Earlier today Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix just 16 days after having his appendix out. I could just about stagger round the house at that point let alone drive a F1 car!

With all due respect surgical technology has made leaps and bounds in the past several years (assuming of course you had an old timey appendectomy back in the day when going to the doc for a good leeching was a cure all). I was out of the hospital 72 hours after my appendectomy. My dad had his appendix removed when he was a teenager without complications and he was hospitalized for a week.

I was out of the hospital 72 hours after my appendectomy. My dad has appendix removed when he was a teenager without complications and he was hospitalized for a week.

I was out after less than 24 hours (during a Covid surge - they needed beds and the nurse asked if I could manage at home - I could not say 'no' of course ... ha ha), but my wife, who had hers removed in 1970, just after we met, was also in the hospital for around a week. And moreover, when she woke up after the operation (I was there) she was as sick as a dog from the anesthesia, puking all over the place. .

When I woke up, I was fit as a fiddle (aside from a bit of a sore/dry throat), my headache was gone I felt like I had awoken from a deep night's sleep. Not one bit of after effects at all.

When I was 14 I woke up one morning with sharp stomach pain and nausea. I immediately knew something was seriously wrong. My mom rushed me to the pediatrician and after an ultrasound and some exams they sent me to the hospital for further tests including a gynecological exam and a small enema. I felt so scared, embarrassed and overwhelmed by the whole process, especially the invasive nature of the exams. The doctor said appendicitis was likely and everything started moving really quickly from there.

I was terrified, nervous and in constant pain, especially since the pain meds didn’t seem to work well for me. When I was wheeled into the operating room, I felt completely exposed. There were so many people, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The surgery was laparoscopic, but it turned out my appendix had already perforated, so they had to insert a drainage tube to deal with complications.

Waking up from surgery I was confused and exhausted. The catheter and drainage tube left me feeling sore and drained but at least the worst was over. I ended up with three scars: one near my belly button, another deeper in the lower abdomen, and one on my right side. Over the time they’ve healed but the experience definitely left its mark on me both physically and emotionally ;-)

@SanfteSpur is very right to point out that appendicitis, perhaps even more as a child or teen, is not only painful but also emotionally hard. "Scared, embarrassed and overwhelmed by the whole process" describes exactly what I experienced as well. I recall that I could feel that my mother was scared and, as a child, you know that if even your parents seem at their wits' end, then there is a serious problem, because adults are supposed to be able to solve everything. I recall that, despite the painful and invasive nature of the examination (she gave me a digital rectal exam), I felt at least better seeing our doctor because she seemed to know what she was doing.