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), 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.