The appendix is on the lower, right side of the abdomen. Not the lower left side like I thought. So yeah. I was in the hospital overnight after my appendix ruptured. I'm okay now, just thought I'd let everyone in on this little bit of trivia, since it's not going to be a problem for me any more Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Good to hear you're doing better. Maybe I'll get a tattoo with an arrow, so I know if the need arises.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Glad you're better, and they caught it in time to, you know, have you not die.
And yeah, it's on the right. Didn't you learn that when your tummy hurt as a kid? Or was I the only one? (My mom is a nurse, my dad is a doctor, when I had severe abdominal pains, which was frequently as I have IBS, they'd make me lie down and palpate my abdomen to make sure I didn't have appendicitis-- but only if the RIGHT lower part hurt.)
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
Yeah. But for some reason it had stuck in my head that it was on the left side. I have no idea why. Maybe it was a TV show that convinced me of this. I'm not sure. But yeah. I was actually planning on waiting another day before visiting the doctor, but some friends convinced me to err on the side of caution. Good thing too Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
I had pain on my lower left side right before I had my appendix out. Course, that might just have been the pain from a cyst overriding the pain signals from my appendix. Though it was covered in scar tissue which meant chronic infections that had gone unnoticed and without any pain in that area.
Glad you're okay! Are you already out of the hospital? I guess they don't do surgery is the darn thing explodes itself. Atleast its something that can only happen once!
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Boris!
Heavens, I'm glad you are okay.
The appendix is usually on the lower right, but the guts are a weird and marvelous thing, and you can get the appendix on the left or even in back behind the colon. (What a pain in the butt.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
My appendix is behind my colon (but on my right.) How do I know? Loooong story...
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
quote:Originally posted by Shanna: I had pain on my lower left side right before I had my appendix out. Course, that might just have been the pain from a cyst overriding the pain signals from my appendix. Though it was covered in scar tissue which meant chronic infections that had gone unnoticed and without any pain in that area.
Glad you're okay! Are you already out of the hospital? I guess they don't do surgery is the darn thing explodes itself. Atleast its something that can only happen once!
They did laproscopic surgery to take out what was left of it. I got out of the hospital friday morning and have been getting steadily better since.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Just be glad they do laparoscopic surgery now. 11 years ago, they mostly didn't.
Shanna, surgery is MORE important when the appendix ruptures, not less.
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
That's what I thought but when I first read the post I noticed the "overnight" part and thought like that seemed like an awfully short time in the hospital following surgery (I was in for atleast three nights and even then, left earlier than my doctors had wanted.)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
The wonders of laparoscopic surgery, I guess. I spent a week in the hospital, plus another two weeks mostly in bed at home when I had my appendix out. Not to mention the huge scar.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Heh. The scar from my appendix removal is about 2" long. The operation was 5 years ago (I was 21 at the time). Although the scar was pretty nasty at first, it has healed to where it's only a small thin white line on the surface.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
If you don't have surgery when it bursts, usually you die.
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
Ouch, that would stink!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kwea: If you don't have surgery when it bursts, usually you die.
Yep. Can we all say Harry Houdini?
Surgery and antibiotics are necessary with a burst (or highly inflamed) appendix.
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Yay for getting your exploding appendix removed quickly and fairly easily!
quote:I guess they don't do surgery is the darn thing explodes itself. At least its something that can only happen once!
quote: If you don't have surgery when it bursts, usually you die.
Unless you're really weird and have an undersized appendix that when infected looks to be normal sized so doctors only discover you've had a constantly infected and exploding appendix (over the course of like a year) when it blows up in their face during surgery. That will do all kinds of nasty things to your body.
And no, this did not happen to me, but to my mother.
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
Why can't people be made backwards? Would it really make a difference?
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Burst appendices can also (rarely) get walled off by the body, and the person survives. Don't count on it, though.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
11 years ago, they mostly didn't.![[Smile]](smile.gif)