Category: Appendicitis

Pt 3 of 3–How Is the Home Recovery From a Ruptured Appendix?

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How long is recovery from surgery for a ruptured appendix?

Emergency Room

In two of my previous posts, I discuss the symptoms I had with appendicitis and my ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery.

Unfortunately, my symptoms were not only somewhat atypical, but also, I didn’t know how to recognize even the normal symptoms. These reasons caused me to wait too long to go to the ER for abdominal pain.

Further complicating matters, I was on a beach trip when my symptoms occurred, and I didn’t want to be inconvenienced.

On the day that we left the beach for home, I had to stop at the ER an hour and a half away from my hometown. By the time I got to the ER, my scans revealed that it was probably more than just “appendicitis.”

We left the ER in Hattiesburg and drove straight to St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, my hometown, an hour and a half away, to have the surgery. After the surgery, the doctor diagnosed me with Gangrenous Appendicitis and confirmed that I had a ruptured appendix.

I spent four nights in the hospital due to the rupture. This is much longer than it would have been had I caught it earlier.

Also, my risk of secondary infection was extremely high. This article discusses my recovery at home after a ruptured appendix. Was I going to be another statistic and have a secondary infection and need surgery again?

Home at last, but am I going to ever be ok?

It was time to leave the hospital. I had not washed my hair or had a formal shower in almost a week. My husband drove me to my friend’s hair salon, and they washed and dried my hair before I began my recovery at home.

We went home, and I saw my dogs for the first time in 10 days. Due to several reasons, I’m sure they thought I was dead.

First of all, we left them with my 19-year-old son for a week while we were at the beach. Second of all, the rest of my family arrived back home from the beach without me. I stayed in the hospital for four nights, after being on a week-long beach trip.

It was good to see my dogs. I had been worried about their jumping up on me in the abdomen area, but it all worked out fine.

My weight~~skinny or swollen? 

When I got home and finished greeting the dogs, I immediately went to my bathroom and shed the clothes I wore home, in order to put on my own pajamas. I had worn a hospital gown for four days. I looked at my body for the first time since my appendicitis.

I had expected to be tiny since I had eaten virtually nothing for four or five days.

That wasn’t the case. I wasn’t tiny.

Gaining eight pounds of water weight in four days manifests itself in an unattractive way. This weight gain had to be caused by all of the IV fluids I received.

There was a puffy part in the small of my back, and there was a straight line from my back to the back of my thigh. I had no defined butt. It took several days for my butt to reappear and for me to lose my water weight.

In summary:

  • I gained eight pounds of water weight in four days, from surgery day to hospital release day.
  • The lowest that I weighed during this process was ten days post surgery. (16 pounds less than my highest weight, and eight pounds less than I did on surgery day)
  • By the next week, around 17 days post surgery, I had gained two pounds back from my lowest weight.
  • I netted a weight loss of six pounds in three weeks, yet the numbers wildly fluctuated.

Lots of rest during the recovery for a ruptured appendix

The master bedroom was my cave for the next two weeks. My surgeon had said to “give him two weeks.” I’m a rule follower and didn’t want any complications. So I gave him two weeks. I stayed horizontal way more than I would have chosen. When I did do a few tasks that first week of the two-week recovery after a ruptured appendix, I got very tired. I napped often.

Since I never really felt bad, I did feel guilty for just lying around. However, I also liked having an excuse to watch Amazon Prime and Netflix as much as I wanted and not to have to drive my younger daughter to cheer practice at 6 a.m. every morning that first week I was home.

Meals

Food for me

The first two nights that I was home, I couldn’t and didn’t want to eat what everyone else could. My surgeon had always said eat what you feel like eating.

My mother-in-law made me some homeade cauliflower soup and chicken noodle soup to eat during the first two days and nights. Also, one of my great friends brought me chicken and dumplings and chicken spaghetti. My friend’s daughter had just had her wisdom teeth out, yet she still brought me some food.

Food for my family

My friends and neighbors cooked the best meals for us for two weeks. They were over-the-top, amazing meals.

By Friday night around 48 hours after coming home, I was able to eat normal food. A friend whom I’ve known since elementary school and was in my wedding brought us breakfast casserole and fruit. It was a brilliant choice, a nice change-up from the other meals. She is a breast cancer survivor, Juice Plus representative, and knows what people need during these times.

My close friends fed us the first week, and the neighbors on my street fed us the second week. Other friends brought happies by the house during that time.

Sweet tooth

My taste buds somehow changed, and I acquired a sweet tooth. My husband got a kick out of my new-found sweet tooth and told lots of people about it.

We received homemade pies, pies from a local bakery called Olivia’s Emporium and pies from Buttermilk Sky. Lemon Iced Boxed or Key Lime Pie became my obsession.

He told people that I had eaten more sweets during these two weeks than I had since we had been married.

It was the truth. In fact, my first time to drive was to the bakery about a week later to get another pie.

Thursday (day one of home recovery after a ruptured appendix)

Just keeping it real, I had started my period the day of my release from the hospital which was the day before. Those who know me know that “Day Two” of my cycle is my day of doom and gloom.

Because my body was “messed up,” my period wasn’t as heavy as usual. So, I somewhat forgot to credit my cycle for the mood I was in that day. It rained all day which added to my doom and gloom.

My 21st wedding anniversary was also this day.

In addition, I was bummed because I was supposed to be returning that day from a trip to the Dominican Republic with a friend of mine who is a travel agent. She sent me the above pics from her trip. 

We were supposed to have gone Monday-Thursday. Ironically, the bad publicity about traveling to the Dominican had just come out the night before my surgery. Then, during my hospital stay, more stories kept surfacing about dangers in the Dominican. I tried to make myself feel better by telling myself I wasn’t supposed to be there because of these bad reports.

As I lay there feeling sorry for myself that day, I couldn’t help but chuckle that the name of the hospital that I had stayed in was St. Dominic.

Although a far cry from my Dominican trip that never was, the similarity in the spelling was something worth noting.

Thursday night

My mood got worse that night. The only time I had cried during the ruptured appendix experience was the day I was heading back from the beach. Due to pain, I had to exit and take a break from driving. I found myself in a random store’s parking lot, talking to my husband on the phone about four hours away from home. I had only cried briefly. My surgery would be later that night unbeknownst to us at the time.

However, when my mother-in-law walked into my bedroom on this night with a bowl of cauliflower soup for me, I burst into tears. I now attribute that to being on day two of my cycle, but at the time I just felt overwhelmed.

She was kind and tried to help me not be as overwhelmed. She understood when I told her that I just felt bitchy, bossing my family around. Since I was supposed to be resting and still couldn’t do much, I needed their help. However, I felt guilty for asking for help and especially when I thought about my needing their help for two more weeks!

I also told her I had some real estate work to do, and I wasn’t in the mood to do it. I’m mad at Eve for eating the apple in the garden of Eden; I despise being on my menstrual cycle.

No guilt Amazon Prime and Netflix

My mother-in-law’s advice was to not worry about any of that and to watch a series that she really liked and thought I would like. It was The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime.  I took her advice and loved it. I finished the two-season series in three days. That was one perk of the home recovery after a ruptured appendix–guilt-free binge watching. My college friends had also recommended the series to me months ago.

Also, one of my college friends on a group text recommended The Crown. I watched and loved it, too. I also watched The Kominsky Method which my tennis partner had recommended to me a while back. It was funny and is only a total of four hours. Those two shows are on Netflix. 

The weekend

I had great friends continuing to bring meals. I got up some to do some tasks for myself, but I still tired easily. My surgeon was right. I needed to listen to my body and only do what I felt like doing. After this experience, I’m learning to listen to my body.

One strange phenomenon had to do with my sense of smell. My husband met some friends each day that weekend to watch Ole Miss baseball. Ole Miss played in a Super Regional, and the winner advanced to the College World Series. When he would come home after drinking a few beers, I could smell the alcohol and whatever he had eaten while he was still standing several feet away from me. It was very distinct. I felt bad bringing it to his attention each day, but it was the weirdest thing. We have been married for 21 years, and this had never happened before! This hasn’t happened again thank goodness!

Progress during my recovery for a ruptured appendix

General updates 

Checklist Recovery for Ruptured Appendix

I was counting down my two-week recovery while the possibility of infection was always in the back of my mind. With each day that passed, I was thankful for no sign of infection. I took Augmentin and Diflucan (Fluconazole) for seven days. They had prescribed a very weak opioid for me called Tramadol for pain. This is not the same as Toradol, the NSAID, that I had received through IV at the hospital. I took Tramadol at night simply because I could.

The first week, I took Dulcolax stool softeners and occasionally Mylanta. The nurses and my friends warned me about the possibility of constipation.

I wasn’t allowed to take a bath or get in a swimming pool until after my post-op appointment for risk of infection, but I could shower. The surgeon had glued my incisions, not stitched them, which is why I could shower.

After my round of antibiotics, I began taking a Probiotic from Pure to introduce good bacteria into my system.  I also had a couple of glasses of wine that second weekend I was home.

I walked every day for 20-45 minutes, sometimes a couple of times a day.

First work outing

Friday at noon, about nine days after coming home from the hospital and almost two weeks post surgery, I had a real estate closing. There was one problem. I was scared to wear anything that buttoned or zipped at the waist. My wardrobe had serious limitations. I did find some pants I could wear, and I drove myself to the closing. After that, I went by a house which I would be listing soon. Then, I went home and napped.

I worked again on Tuesday, and by then, I was able to fit into my jeans. It’s the little things that you normally take for granted that you become thankful for during the recovery for a ruptured appendix.

First dinner outing

The same Friday night as my real estate closing (almost two weeks post-op) was the first time I considered going to dinner anywhere. But, I ended up getting tired, and we didn’t go.

The next day, on Saturday (two weeks post-op), I felt like a new person. I even floated on a raft in our pool, careful not to get my incisions wet. My husband and I went to a very early dinner, came home around 7 p.m., walked the dogs, and watched Netflix in bed. I was getting closer to being myself again.

Missed events due to my recovery after a ruptured appendix

In addition to missing a trip to the Dominican Republic with a friend who is a travel agent, I missed other events due to recovery after a ruptured appendix. I missed a wedding at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday night. I cancelled my room and thought, “well, that money can go towards a hospital bill.”

The following weekend, my older daughter’s Varsity cheer squad went to Ole Miss Cheer Camp, and some friends had invited us to stay with them and go to dinner in Oxford Saturday night. The cheerleaders performed Sunday, so we would already be there to watch. Since I couldn’t go, my husband ended up just riding with a family bright and early Sunday morning to watch her.

Yes, by Saturday and Sunday, I felt way better. I could now see that I would be normal again soon. I was looking forward to my post-op appointment on Wednesday and to have all of this behind me.

Post-op appointment with the surgeon

Bar Chart Recovery from a Ruptured Appendix by Sherko Molah karim

My appointment was exactly two weeks from the day I got home from the hospital and 18 days after surgery. I was excited about the appointment. My surgeon didn’t require any blood work because he said he could tell by the way I looked, that I was fine.

He said that any secondary infections or complications would have already occurred, that the signs would have already been there. I would have had fever and pain. He said there is a main line in our bodies, and I would have known about the infections soon after finishing my week of antibiotics.

Also, he said I was very lucky and one of the few without issues post-surgery. He said I had been a prime candidate for secondary infection and complications due to mine being the worst case he had seen this year.

He emphasized that although he was able to do the surgery laparoscopically, it took four times the usual amount of IV fluids to clean me out after removing my appendix. It took him longer to clean me out than to remove the appendix. If he had made any nicks to my colon, the risks for complications would have increased.

He’s a dang good surgeon. As good as laparoscopic surgery can be, it’s scary to think that surgeons are performing it by looking at a screen and remotely moving a robot. Some surgeons are better with their hands than others, and I had one of the best in town operate on me.

He said my appendix, which normally looks like a worm, looked like a sausage link with the tip missing. Disgusting! All of the nastiness that had backed up inside there had leaked into my otherwise sterile abdomen and had formed pus and gangrene in my abdomen.

The future

One person who is a friend and a doctor told me that I may not feel 100 percent for six months to one year. Although this surprises me, I will keep this in the back of my mind.

The surgeon at the first hospital I stopped at had said that he would attempt the surgery laparoscopically, but was almost positive by the looks of the scan, that he would have to “cut me open.” Thank goodness the Jackson surgeon was able to do laparoscopic with no complications. Whew.

Several people have told me that I really don’t understand how serious my condition was. They are probably right.

I do know, however, that I’m one of the lucky ones.

**Update–It has been two months since my surgery. I ran a couple of times three weeks post-surgery. I went back to Orange Theory Fitness a month post-surgery. I took the Probiotic from Pure for 30 days. I’m back to my pre-surgery life and feel great. Unfortunately, I do still crave lemon iced box or key lime pies…**

Previous Posts 

To read about my symptoms, go to How Do You Recognize the Beginning Signs of Appendicitis.  Additionally, to read about my surgery and hospital stay, go to Ruptured Appendix Surgery and Hospital Recovery. To read information written by some top experts, go to Appendicitis–What is it and why is it so dangerous by Appledore Medical Group.

Go to the top of this article.

What types of complications with a ruptured appendix have you heard about? Please comment below.

Read Laurie’s story of how her recent life experiences led to the birth of this site, White Cotton. Feel free to send her a message. 



 

Pt 2 of 3–Ruptured Appendix Surgery and Hospital Recovery

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Background information–my ruptured appendix

Having ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery is expected to be terrible. My symptoms had landed me in the ER at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, an hour and a half from my hometown while driving home from a beach trip. I could not drive another minute. (To read about that experience, click on Recognizing the Symptoms of a Ruptured Appendix.)

The ride to Jackson for surgery 

Infograph Diagram of Appendix osmosis.com

 

After getting the results of my scans, I decided to have surgery in my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. The nurse wheeled me out of the Forrest General Hattiesburg ER around 6:45 p.m. I had been there since 1:15 p.m.

I totally thought it would be dark outside. Your mind does weird things when life takes you by surprise. I was truly perplexed by the phenomenon that it was still light outside. My husband brought his GMC Silver Sierra truck around to the front of the ER to pick me up, and with help, I carefully and slowly climbed in.

We began our hour and a half drive to Jackson for ruptured appendix surgery. We just felt it best to be in Jackson logistically speaking.

As I rode down the highway, I remember looking at all of the cars and people, and thinking, “How are they healthy and going about their day, and I am not?” Again, your mind does weird things when life takes you by surprise. 

The ride was pleasant. We listened to Ole Miss baseball on the radio. I had had an IV of antibiotics before we left Hattiesburg and an adequate amount of Tordol and Morphine. I felt good but not loopy.

Unfortunately, the ride became unpleasant as we approached the town of Florence, where there is an eight-mile stretch of road work. Bumpy, uneven roads do not mix well with Gangrenous appendicitis and a possibly ruptured appendix. It was excruciating. My husband’s hands gripped the steering wheel with intense concentration as he desperately tried to find the smoothest terrain.

St. Dominic ER in Jackson, Mississippi

Emergency Room for Ruptured Appendix Surgery and Hospital Recovery

We arrived at St. D around 8:30 p.m., and I was in a room by 9:00 p.m. My Jackson surgeon reviewed my scans from Forrest General in Hattiesburg and agreed that it looked bad. He said he was almost positive, though, that he could perform the surgery laparoscopically.

That was a contrast to what the Hattiesburg surgeon had said. He had said he would begin laparoscopically but would more than likely have to “cut me open” if it had ruptured. Yes, I was thankful to be in Jackson for my ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery.

Desert mouth

The hospital was busy that night, and we had to wait a couple of hours for an operating room (O.R.) to open up. They gave me an IV of antibiotics, the same one I had been given in Hattiesburg.

By this point, I was thirsty, like on the brink of death thirsty. My last sip of water was around 12:45 p.m. before walking into the ER in Hattiesburg. Earlier in the day, they told me not to drink anything in case of surgery. Once in Jackson, they let me take a sip of water and swoosh it around my mouth as long as I didn’t swallow it. That was fine with me as I could barely form words with such a dry tongue.

I certainly didn’t want to jeopardize my appendix surgery and hospital recovery from getting started. So, I was thankful for the opportunity to swoosh water around my mouth and spit it out. It was better than nothing.

Big little white lie

I’m generally a huge rule follower, but I was so proud of myself telling a big little white lie to the surgeon. He said that an O.R. had opened up, and if I could get even just a little bit of tee-tee to come out, I would not have to have a catheter. I tried to get a little to come out. Maybe a drop came out. Maybe not. I told him I did get “a little bit” out when he asked. So, no catheter for me! My husband so was proud of me for being a rebel. There was no need to have additional annoying pain during recovery caused by a catheter.

Surgery for a ruptured appendix

operating room ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery

 

It was almost midnight, and I said my goodbyes to my husband, older daughter, and aunt. It was time for the ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery to begin! Away I went. I was wheeled down the hallway lying in my bed. When I got to the O.R., I could not move from my hospital bed to the operating table without the intense fear of inflicting pain upon myself.

No problem! Four people picked up the bed sheet at each corner and transferred me onto the operating table in about one second. This clearly wasn’t their first rodeo. They asked me if I was wearing contact lenses. Oops, yes I was. No problem. They handed me two containers to put them in. Again, this wasn’t their first rodeo.

Next, they put a mask on me much like the one you get at the dentist office for laughing gas, but I believe this one covered my mouth as well. I didn’t like it and moved it around twice, asking permission each time, of course.

They asked me to breathe in and out, that it was oxygen coming into the mask. I remember thinking, “Yeah, right.” Maybe it was. No clue. The last words I remember hearing were, “Pregnancy test?” Then, “It was negative.” Then, “CBC?” A reply, “Yes.”

Then, poof, I was out.

Recovery room

I remember waking up with a female nurse beside me. What a weird job. You sit and wait on people to wake up from surgery to potentially act crazy. No thanks. I remember seeing a man way across the room parallel to where my head was. He seemed waaayyyy across the room, like football field length. I would love to see that room now.

Apparently, I asked the nurse if that was my husband over there reading a book. Umm, no.

I had successfully endured ruptured appendix surgery, and my hospital recovery began.

A good night’s sleep

doctors juggling pinecones during ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery

Back in my hospital room, I have no recollection of this but apparently, I told my husband and the recovery nurse that the doctors in the O.R. were juggling pinecones. Hmm. By this point, it was around 1:15 a.m., and I felt fine. My husband said I acted normal except for the comment about the juggled pinecones.

My recovery nurse left to go deal with more potential crazies, and my third-floor nurse put some massaging compression socks on me to prevent blood clots. I’m sure they loaded me up with Tordol, and I went to bed.

Sunday morning (day one of hospital recovery)

The next morning, I felt fine. I was sore when I moved, of course, but overall, fine.

I received help getting in and out of bed most of this day. My preferred method of help was under the armpit as opposed to grabbing my hand or arm. Fewer ab muscles are used with the armpit method.

The drain

Drain Ruptured Appendix Hospital Recovery

I looked at my stomach and saw a small cut in my belly button that had been glued shut and another cut that had been glued on my lower left abdomen below my bikini line.

To the right, a gauze bandage taped to my lower right side covered the third cut. Out of the gauze bandage, an IV-looking tube snaked around and connected a rubber contraption to my body that looked like a miniature version of the hot water bottles that we used to use when I was little. But it was clear and the size of my fist. It was the drain.

The whole time it was attached to me, there was the paranoia that it would fall out. The nurse attached it to my gown with a safety pin to alleviate some of my apprehension.

It was attached to me until I left the hospital on Wednesday. I was blessed because some people have to go home with it. I was not a fan of the drain.

When the nurse came in and performed a process called “stripping the drain,” she tugged on it. I said, “*%it”. We had a chat about that, and I explained that I needed a heads up for anything that might cause pain. Oddly, this process never hurt again. I’m still not even sure why it hurt that time. I guess new experiences are all part of the process of having ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery.

The purpose of the drain

The drain was basically a suction device with a tube that sucked any remaining harmful juices out of my sterile abdomen and housed them in a rubber container.

Random tidbits

I was still on an ice chip diet at this point which meant I had not had a normal meal since Thursday night dinner. This would be the case until Friday or so of this upcoming week. I can’t imagine now eating only two normal meals in over a week. The mind and body do and can handle weird things in distress.

Another weird thing is I didn’t bathe for a week, but because I had little activity or food intake, I had no body odor, and my hair looked fine. WEIRD!

I was never nauseous, and I stayed on the non-narcotic Tordol at 6 and 12, a.m. and p.m. during my hospital stay.

Sunday afternoon 

Walking for the First Time After Ruptured Appendix Surgery and Hospital Recovery

My children came to see me. My girls helped me on my maiden voyage of walking laps around the third floor. I made sure I walked two to four times a day each day. Oddly, there was only one other man that I ever saw walking, the whole time I was there.

I had some more visitors and worked some crossword puzzles.

Sunday night

Strips and shots

Syringe Ruptured Appendix Hospital Recovery

Around 5:45 p.m. my nurse said she needed to strip the drain again and give me a shot in my stomach. Huh? The shot contained a blood thinner, and I would it receive daily.

I asked her if they had prescribed any stronger meds that I could have prior to these procedures. She said they prescribed one mg of Dilaudid as needed. Dilaudid is seven times stronger than Morphine. I knew the dosage of Morphine that I had in Hattiesburg worked well for me, which was four mg, so I asked the nurse if I could have a half dose of Dilaudid. I wanted to be relaxed but not loopy. She said yes.

The shot in the stomach ended up being nothing. The needle was a couple of centimeters long. But if you have never had a shot in your stomach, you will flinch the first time. I relaxed more and more each time I received the shot.

Walks and workouts

My husband wasn’t back to the hospital yet for the night, so I asked the nurse to walk my laps with me. On our walk, she asked me if I worked out a lot. I said yes and quickly went into a selfish explanation about my workout routines and focused weight loss the past five months. Then, she said she could tell I worked out because of my mobility after surgery.

She said it makes a huge difference in recovery and mobility to already have strong ab muscles. It helps with getting in and out of bed, on and off the toilet, and generally recovering faster. You forget how important having ab muscles are until you have to depend on them.

We finished our walk, and my husband arrived. We watched some Ole Miss baseball, then went to bed.

Monday morning (day two of hospital recovery)

Free advice: Arrange for a friend to make sure your husband brings himself an egg crate mattress, fitted sheet, flat sheet, several blankets, and several pillows to the hospital for optimum sleep. 

People are stubborn. They will complain nicely about no sleep or not complain. But when you have lived with someone for over 20 years, you recognize their sleep patterns. You know when they don’t sleep well.

I begged my husband to bring the right bedding supplies for the rest of the stay. (Unfortunately, he didn’t bring a fitted sheet until the last night and never brought an egg crate mattress or a good blanket. I tried to help…)

My husband’s friend who randomly had the umbrella and chair set up at the beach beside us the week before came to see me. He has one of the Vice-President positions in the finance department at the hospital. Who knew last week on the beach that I would be a patient at his hospital just a few days later.

The new day nurse arrived, and I explained to her that I didn’t do pain very well and asked when we would be stripping the drain and getting the shot. I would need the 1/2 mg of Dilaudid.

Real estate

My mid-morning consisted of catching up on some real estate. Being a realtor, time is of the essence and I can’t pause deals or tasks based on my schedule. So, I delegated two sets of home inspection repairs to my husband who has his real estate license and to my contractor. I basically said to make it work so my sellers’ homes could close. The repair quotes came back high, and I didn’t feel up to breaking the bad news to my clients. So, I begged the contractor to reduce the quotes, and he did. My husband handled the rest.

Monday afternoon

Visit from the surgeon

Around 4 pm, my surgeon came by. I was actually relieved to hear that I would be staying in the hospital until at least Wednesday. Your mind does weird things in these situations, and for me to have no desire to go home was weird. I’ve learned through this to trust your body. If it wants a nap, nap. If it tells you that you are very sick, you may be. This is only if you are generally a positive person. I’m not talking about people who love drama and being ill.

Gangrenous Appendicitis

However, I quickly became nervous after we discussed my diagnosis, possible complications, and risks of secondary infections. I had Acute Appendicitis with Extensive Necrosis (necrosis-death of body tissue according to MedlinePlus) or Gangrenous Appendicitis. (Do they really have to use the word gangrene?) (gangrene-large areas of tissue die to a lack of blood supply, according to MedlinePlus)

He further explained that he was able to operate laparoscopically, but that it took him four times the normal amount of fluid to clean me out. The cleansing process took longer than removing my appendix. Also, there was an extensive amount of infection in my normally sterile abdomen. The drain would help to continue to rid me of the nastiness.

It’s embarrassing that something so gross was in me. He said there was pus “all over” my abdomen. That is truly mortifying! He said they would pump antibiotics through my IV for an extra day to try to prevent any complications. He said my insides were “mad at me.”

The text I sent my adult extended family members

I sent a text to my adult extended family members. It said,

Dr just came in and my counts aren’t getting good as quickly as he wants, my drain is cloudier that he hoped. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t antsy to get out of here. I still don’t feel terrible or anything but my gut feeling no pun intended has been that this is serious. He’s telling me it’s serious and was a terrible rupture for sure. He said there is a risk of secondary infection and especially if I leave the hospital. Also a risk for a more evasive surgery, etc. I’ve been on lots of antibiotics so that’s good. He wants me to walk around as much as I can.

Monday Night

Dilaudid and Pink Martini Radio

IV Pic of Antibiotics Used for Ruptured Appendix Surgery and Hospital Recovery

My husband wasn’t back yet from dealing with the normal world of jobs, kids, and dogs. I was the only other person in the room for the doctor report.

I decided to utilize my half dose of the opioid Dilaudid in order to take my mind off of the doctor report. After receiving my meds, I listened to Pink Martini Radio on Pandora and worked crossword puzzles. I was happy again.

My husband arrived. Later, my nurse put my massagers (compression socks to prevent blot clots) on my legs, and I went to bed.

Tuesday morning (day three of hospital recovery)

The next morning, my surgeon’s physician’s assistant said my goal today was to have a bowel movement. She said coffee and walking would help. She was right! I was successful, and it went fine.

I was still getting myself in and out of bed but was still really sore.

Next, I had my half dose of Dilaudid prior to the stripping of the drain, which didn’t hurt, and the stomach shot, which I was getting used to and not flinching as much.

My older daughter came to visit and mentioned that it was strange having me in town but knowing I couldn’t come home. It was unsettling to her. Immediately, I was thankful that my stay was temporary, and this gave me extreme empathy for those with chronic illnesses.

Then, my son and mom came by and went walking with me.

Tuesday afternoon

I played Pink Martini Radio on Pandora pretty much all day while in the hospital. My mother-in-law had introduced me to it during Spring Break, and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. The nurses probably thought I was strange.

A student nurse was shadowing another nurse this day. She was spunky, cute and should be a great nurse one day. After my noon dose of Tordol, she came in for something else and said,  “You are the only one on this floor who doesn’t sleep after pain meds. Everyone sleeps all the time but you.”

I took that as a compliment.

Another doctor report

Later, my sister-in-law and husband were in the room when the doctor came by this time. He said they would draw my blood tomorrow morning, study my white counts, and make a decision about my release. Also, he said my drainage looked much better. He looked at my sister-in-law and husband and said, “This is one tough lady.” (I’m sure my husband thought “mm-hmm”.) It was the worst case of appendicitis he had seen this year.

Tuesday night

That night, I didn’t sleep in the compression socks because they made my legs hot. The nurse said that was fine since I walked often. She didn’t think I was in danger of a blood clot at this point.

Almost asleep, I remember having some deep thoughts: I had only consumed water, Pure energy drink, coffee, Ensure, broth once, and Jello since being in the hospital. I still had no appetite, and I decided hospital food was gross and a waste of money.

Wednesday morning (day four of hospital recovery; final day)

A nurse came in to draw blood early the next morning so that the doctor could read my white counts and possibly release me.

My main nurse for the day was a male, and he had a student nurse shadowing him. By 11:45 a.m., he told me that my white counts were in the normal range, and I would be going home around mid-afternoon. More good news was that I didn’t have to wear the drain home.

However, I did have to have it removed. More Dilaudid would be needed.

I got the full one mg dose this time and hated it. I was loopy for the first time during this whole ordeal. My thought was, “No wonder those people sleep all the time.” Actually, I liked it for the first hour, then hated it.

Wednesday afternoon

Drain removal

Before the nurse removed the drain, he said, “what is that?” He was referring to my music. I laughed and told him my kids ask me the same thing when they hear me listening to Pink Martini Radio on Pandora.

He then explained that I had one stitch holding the drain in. He would clip the stitch, then quickly pull the drain line out. I had thought the drain line inside my abdomen was the same diameter as the IV line that I could see outside my body. It wasn’t. It was thicker and stiffer, like a straw but it isn’t completely hollow.

When he quickly removed the drain line, it felt strange but wasn’t awful.  When the hole healed, there was a two-centimeter line that shouldn’t leave a scar. I was thankful to be leaving the hospital after ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery.

The salon

I said my good-byes to everyone at St. D Hospital. They had been good to me. Unfortunately, I was still loopy from the full dose of Dilaudid, and I was glad that was the only full dose I had taken all week.

My husband drove me straight to my friend’s hair salon, and they washed and dried my hair.  It had been a week since I had washed my hair.

I had also not had a formal shower in almost a week. I had used washcloths to clean several areas a couple of times while in the hospital.

Further reading

According to the Appledore Medical Group in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a ruptured appendix can be a life-threatening condition. Intestinal bacteria multiply in the appendix when there is a blockage. Pressure builds and the wall can break open, spilling the toxins into the otherwise sterile abdominal cavity. This peritonitis can be fatal. The risk of complications increases with a rupture. A drainage tube is worn for several days to drain any excess fluid. There is nothing that prevents appendicitis, but the key is early detection and quick surgery prior to the appendix rupturing.

This post was about my ruptured appendix surgery and hospital recovery. The symptoms I had leading up to this can be found in the article Recognizing the Symptoms of a Ruptured Appendix. Additionally, my recovery at home can be found in another article Recovering at Home After Surviving a Ruptured Appendix.

Go to the top of this article.

How was your appendix surgery and hospital recovery? Please comment below.

Read Laurie’s story of how her recent life experiences led to the birth of this site, White Cotton. Feel free to send her a message. 



 

Pt 1 of 3–How Do You Recognize the Beginning Signs of Appendicitis?

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(If you are having stomach pain, you may have the beginning signs of Appendicitis and this may eventually lead to a ruptured appendix. Click here to go directly to the Symptoms section of this article. Do not waste time.)

Why is any of this important?

According to the Appledore Medical Group in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a ruptured appendix can be a life-threatening condition. Intestinal bacteria multiply in the appendix when there is a blockage. Pressure builds and the wall can break open, spilling the toxins into the otherwise sterile abdominal cavity. This peritonitis can be fatal. The risk of complications increases with a rupture. A drainage tube is worn for several days to drain any excess fluid. There is nothing that prevents appendicitis, but the key is early detection and quick surgery.

The traditional South

Before I get to the beginning signs of Appendicitis that I had, which led to a ruptured appendix, due to the crazy events of that week, I feel I should give some background information.

I live in Jackson, Mississippi. As you might have heard, the South is full of traditions. For those attending a couple of the area schools, an end of the school year family beach trip is one of these traditions. What does a beach trip have to do with the signs of Appendicitis or a ruptured appendix?

Unfortunately, I know.

After taking a year off, we were headed back on the infamous “First Week” trip as it has been dubbed for years. A friend of mine, who graduated 30 years ago from one of these schools, just moved back to town and laughed when I told her we were heading to the beach this particular week. She said, “Please tell me it is not still called ‘First Week.'” Sorry…it still is.

Because of my son’s senior trip to Mexico and my daughter’s Young Life camp trip the year before (another Jackson tradition for the two schools after sophomore year), we didn’t go on the “First Week” beach trip last year. (My youngest child went with another family that year because you CAN’T miss the traditional “First Week” beach trip.)

“First Week”

Jacksonians (whose kids attend a couple of the area schools in particular and aren’t going on a Senior trip or Young Life trip) pack their bags each year and head to the Watercolor and Seaside area of the Florida Panhandle on Hwy 30A. Ironically, it’s a trip meant as a get-away, to celebrate the beginning of summer. A trip to be enjoyed amidst hundreds of people you see all year at school events, work, and church. Sound like a true get-away yet?

On the beach, the parents relax at their reserved umbrella and chairs, walk on the beach saying hello to familiar faces, and stop at friends’ umbrellas to swap stories from the week and year. The kids, in packs of 10, 20, or more, strategically hang out far away from their parents. At night, the parents either eat dinner with friends or cook in and relax. By nightfall, the kids desperately look for somewhere to congregate.

I have never liked the “First Week” trip….(there are lots of judgment calls to be made on curfews, stresses of whether the kids are behaving or not with little supervision, and punishments to be implemented for lack of compliance, etc) I repeat, I have never liked the “First Week” Trip….EVER…until this year.

The perfect beach trip

This year was different. I attribute this to several factors. First, we didn’t have any teenage boys with us. Second, my girls brought two very low maintenance friends (we had threatened Greyhound bus rides home for any rule breakers). Third, there was a good group of parents there. We missed some that didn’t make the trip this year due to Senior trips and the Young Life trip, but overall it was a very laid back, fun group of parents.

Oh, and the weather was perfect every day.

Because of my usual dislike for the trip, my husband and I had decided we were going to make this year a good trip by focusing on ourselves and what we wanted to do. And that is exactly what we did.

The night before the trip

Grits and the red dress

We had packed lots of food, beverages, and paper products, thinking groceries would be cheaper in Jackson than at Publix in Watercolor. As I was packing up in Jackson, the night before the trip, I took one last look in the pantry. I spied a few packets of instant grits. None of us had eaten instant grits in months. I packed them anyway.

While packing my clothes, a casual red dress hanging in my closet caught my eye. It was Lole brand from Buffalo Peak, a locally-owned outdoor store. I had not been able to fit into it for several years but tried it on since I had been counting calories, cutting my alcohol intake in half, and exercising four to five days a week for five months. I had shed 15 pounds and had never felt better.

The dress is nothing special: it’s old and faded, but comfortable. I was just excited to be able to fit into it again. I thought to myself, “Maybe I will throw it on to go the grocery store or something.” Truthfully, I knew it was doubtful that I would wear it.  I packed it anyway.

The drive

The next morning, it was time to leave for the beach trip. My husband drove my older daughter and her friend, and I drove my younger daughter and her friend. We left at different times, and after six hours, I was the first to arrive at the beach house we had rented for the week in Watercolor.

Daytime at Watercolor

Mornings

On the trip, my mornings consisted of exercising which took the form of either running, run/walking, and/or doing a youtube exercise video.  The youtube video workouts included Kickboxing, Zumba, Barre or whatever I was in the mood for that day.

My husband usually did the Publix grocery errand. Good man.

After exercising, we would eat lunch at the beach house. My husband would eat a sandwich, and I made my usual Pure Genesis 360 Protein Shake with frozen fruit, Mila, and Greens.

We then packed our Yeti cooler for the beach each day with alcoholic beverages, water, and healthy snacks. My drinks of choice since the “dieting” have been vodka soda, tequila soda, and red wine. So, I packed vodka soda, tequila soda, and Le Croix sparkling water in the cooler. My husband packed a few beers for himself, and some Trulys and Rose all Day cans to share with others.

Afternoons

We would then head to the beach for the day. You have to call and reserve the umbrellas and chairs prior to arrival, the earlier the better for the best spots. There are two rows of umbrellas and chairs during this busy holiday week. That said, the lifeguards happened to have set up our beach umbrellas and chairs beside my husband’s good friend and his extended family. Ironically, he is a Vice-President on the finance side of the same hospital that I would soon be spending four nights in.

We relaxed on the beach every afternoon by either visiting with ourselves, visiting with friends or catching up on some reading.

Night Life 

Last supper before the ruptured appendix

Dinners with friends or cooking in

The first night of our trip, we had dinner with good friends at a restaurant in Watercolor called Fish Out of Water. The next two nights, we cooked a shrimp pasta and watched Netflix (We cooked it one night and ate the leftovers the second night). My husband was trying to catch up on Game of Thrones, and I had started the series Dead To Me. Then, I talked him into watching Dead To Me with me (it’s great, and there’s only one season so far).

The following two nights, some friends invited us over to eat.  The husband caught fresh fish from the Gulf of Mexico each day. You can’t beat fresh fish.  He is a great cook, and we had a blast eating his creations and visiting and laughing with their family.

The second night that we ate there, I asked my friend if she had any tweezers that I could borrow. I had left mine at home in Jackson. Being without tweezers for several days is terrible, and Publix had been out of them all week.

She gave me a pair to keep, and you would have thought I had won the lottery. I made a shrine for the tweezers on the chandelier. If you look closely in the above picture, you can see the tweezers hanging on the chandelier. It’s the little things in life that can bring so much happiness.

More tradition; “The White Picture”

One night, we took “The White Picture.” This is another tradition. This year was my older daughter’s turn to participate in “The White Picture.” The upcoming seniors who are at the beach that week gather at 6:30 p.m. on a pre-determined night, dressed in white. They take a group pic, pics with friends, and a couple of family pics. The girls line up in the train pose a few times (seriously, when did this start and how can it end?), and we parents snap away. This year a mom hired a company to build a bonfire in conjunction with “The White Picture” night, and a good time was had by all.

Thursday; Beginning signs of Appendicitis

Morning

Thursday began like any other day.

We had gone for a walk that morning, and I ended my workout with a random upper body video on youtube. An African Zumba video came up in the feed, and I decided I would try that next. I minimized it on my computer and couldn’t wait to do it “tomorrow.” Little did I know, it would be weeks before I could try the African Zumba video.

We ate lunch, loaded up our cooler, and off we went for our second-to-last beach day.

Afternoon

It continued to be a great day. My tennis partner and another good friend of mine walked down the beach and stopped to say hello. We were supposed to have hung out with them at neighboring Seaside the day before. But, our day got away from us, and we had stayed put in Watercolor.

I made my rounds visiting with another group of moms that were set up near us all week. They had some college kids with them. I love visiting with that age. It’s a breath of fresh air as you can see so much potential and excitement for life in each of them.

The beach day was winding down, and we hung out with our fish chef friends and several others. We shared Trulys and Rose All Days with the group because we were all out of our favorite beverages. These beverages would have to do. Also, we were getting hungry.

In conjunction with my theme of being healthy and focusing on consuming more protein than carbs, I whipped out my late afternoon snack, which was a hard-boiled egg. I was so proud of myself because any other year, I would have snacked on Funyuns, Flaming Hot Funyuns, Munchos, or Flaming Hot Cheetos.

However, I thought my fish chef wife friend was going to gag on the spot. She was so disturbed, that she photographed it, and I think she sent it to a friend of hers who also hates hard-boiled eggs. She is still not over it.  (To this day jokingly texts me that it was the egg that contributed to the beginning signs of Appendicitis.)

Night

My husband and I had decided to reel it in some that night by making the teenagers some poppyseed chicken and staying in to finish the Dead to Me season on Netflix. We saw some friends at the boardwalk as we were heading up for the day. When we told them what we were doing that night, one of them said, “Why? You can do that in Jackson.” I thought our night sounded glorious. Sticking to our plan to focus on us, that’s exactly what we did.

I was fairly tired, and we got in bed around 10:30 p.m. My husband watched a Game of Thrones episode on the computer in the bed, and I was asleep by 11 p.m.

I woke up at 2:15 a.m. to use the restroom.

I always use my phone as a flashlight in the middle of the night, and there was a text from my older daughter stating that they were staying at a friend’s house. The mom had also texted, confirming. So, I turned off some lights in the house and went back to bed.

2:45 a.m.; The beginning signs of Appendicitis 

Onset of Symptoms of Gangrenous Appendicitis

A band of pain near my belly button which spanned across my abdomen woke me up at precisely 2:45 a.m. I lay there for a little while but could not get comfortable AT ALL. Normally, I’m a sound sleeper unless I have a headache. That is the only time I EVER have trouble sleeping. (My husband is jealous of this quality.)

I kept wanting to get up and go to the toilet hoping to throw up or worse. However, I could create zero by-products. As the night progressed, I took my pillow in the w.c. with me for comfort. Back and forth from the bed to the w.c. is what my night consisted of but with zero activity once in the w.c.

My mouth watered only once (you know, that nauseated mouthwatering), and I threw up a tiny amount. There were a few poppyseeds present, but not much else. I wasn’t nauseous ever again besides that one tiny incident.

Certainly, having the beginning signs of Appendicitis was not in my thoughts.

In a dilemma

I sweated off and on for 10 hours. The pain was nothing I had felt before but wasn’t terrible. It was bad, but not terrible. It did not cross my mind at this point that it was anything ER worthy, especially not the beginning signs of Appendicitis or a ruptured appendix. I knew it wasn’t a stomach bug or due to any type of hangover. But, I didn’t know what it was.

I just knew what it wasn’t.

Trying to stay quiet all night as not to wake my husband since he is a light sleeper was no easy task. I’m surprised he didn’t wake up simply from my being in and out of the bed all night. A comfortable position did not exist; therefore, I did not sleep.

It’s important to note that information about other people’s common symptoms can be found at Symptoms Mayo Clinic.

Friday

Morning

The next morning, I asked my husband to bring me some Advil. I was able to sleep for several hours after taking the Advil even though I still had pain. And I was still sweating like a fiend. I began to think about getting up around 11:45 a.m. My phone was blowing up from people in a normal world, but a normal world was not my current reality. I began answering texts.

One text I sent a friend said, “I slept in this morning had a stomach ache. Wasn’t hung cuz we didn’t do anything last night but stomach started hurting in middle of night.”

Then after her response, I continued, “I’m bummed about my tummy issue. Hope it’s not the start of diverticulitis or something. It’s like a perpetual ache that came on at 2:45 and only let up around 10 a.m. or so, so I was able to get some sleep finally. Have never had anything like it. Praying it’s just a fluke from drinking too regularly this week. Sweated profusely for 10 hours. Body rebelling for sure.”

My friend who is often a voice of reason said, “Alcohol does not do that…if symptoms flare up again, call TBD.” (TBD are the initials for the nickname of her husband who is a doctor. )

I should have called him. He may have been able to convince me that I had the beginning signs of Appendicitis.

The grits

Because I’m generally healthy, my husband honestly did not take me seriously. I mean, he felt sorry for me and all, but he truly thought it was just gas or indigestion, certainly not the beginning signs of Appendicitis. My usually good health actually should have been the very reason to take this more seriously…BUT, it was our last beach day.

I skipped my exercise. No African Zumba for me. My husband ate and packed the cooler. By this time, I had zero appetite. And the thought of an alcoholic beverage made my skin crawl. I knew this wasn’t a hangover stomach because just keeping it real, on the last day at the beach, most people would have opted for a hair of the dog. And also, we had had a low-key night. This wasn’t a hangover. Again, the thought of alcohol made my skin crawl.

Onset of Symptoms of Gangrenous Appendicitis

STRANGE is the only way to describe how I felt. The pain was still across my abdomen, and I had to walk slowly. I had still ruled out a stomach virus because I never had a headache. The stomach pain was the only symptom.

Upon packing myself a few plain bagel chips in a Ziploc bag for the beach, I spotted the packets of grits. I made a bowl of grits, added a tiny amount of cheese, and ate half of them. I thought to myself, “thank goodness I brought these packets of grits.”

Afternoon 

Beach

I had announced to my husband that I couldn’t lift anything heavy and had to walk slowly to the beach. Thankfully, I did make it to my beach chair. I never left my chair, except for lying on my stomach on my towel for the first time all week. I carved out a little hole in the sand for my now bloated belly and sunned like a teen. It was the weirdest day…ever.

I told my husband to please go hang with the fish chef friends and to tell them I just wanted to be alone. (The hospital administrator friend with the umbrella and chairs next to us had left Wednesday.)

I was able to read my novel. But, I wanted to socialize with no one. I did tell a Jackson family near us, whom I didn’t know very well before the trip, about my symptoms. The husband came over to check on me later, and we also visited about real estate. He’s a developer and builder, and I’m a realtor. Talking about my well-being or my real estate business was fine; I just didn’t want to socialize.

 

Grid of Abdominal Pain Possible Gangrenous Appendicitis
Infographic by Dr. Aneesh possible causes of stomach pain

Fears

Then, I began googling. My stomach was growing. (Did I already have Appendicitis? Were these the beginning signs of Appendicitis or worse? Could I be on my way to having a ruptured appendix?) The information scared me. I had narrowed it to four things it could be.

My aesthetician had died a couple of years ago at the beach from an aortic aneurysm that ruptured, and I became convinced that could be what I had. My abdomen was pulsating, and that is a symptom. The other three possibilities were appendicitis, gall bladder, or diverticulitis. My pain was still completely east and west across my abdomen, so the appendicitis pain that is mainly supposed to be to the right didn’t add up.

Text Messages

My husband, on the other hand, was having a normal beach day with our fish chef friends. After all, it was our last beach day. I texted my husband at 5 p.m., “Hey I’m going to dr. I’m very worried. Don’t tell anyone but I’m going. Abdomen is pulsating and that is a symptom of the thing that my aesthetician died from at the beach. It’s just all too weird. About to research who takes our insurance. I can come back to get you at the beach in a minute.”

(Since this incident, I now know that any ER would have taken our ER co-pay, but if you have to have surgery or a hospital stay, make sure it’s in your network or obviously the bills will be in addition to the ER co-pay.)

I then received a text from my friend, the wife of the fish chef. I’m in a group text with her and my husband. She wrote, “When Bach (her nickname for him) goes to get Kambucha, (sp?) tell him to get gas pills. Like gas-x. I swear it will help. It relieves the painful pressure.”

She meant well.

In my mind, I replied with the orange faced cursing emoji. (I’m pretty sure those meds do not help someone with the beginning signs of Appendicitis.) That was at 5:04 p.m.

Night

I left the beach. I researched which Urgent Care Clinic was open until 8 p.m. and even packed an overnight bag for the hospital. Note: Go directly to the ER with these symptoms, do not go to Urgent Care Clinic first.

My husband responded for me to come pick him up from the beach. When he got in the car, he talked me out of going to get it checked out. I knew he would do that. He said several things like, “This will cost thousands of dollars, I’m getting you Gas-X, you will be fine, you are never sick, etc.”

So, we went back to our beach house. I put my packed bag near my bed and climbed in it, thinking he was probably right. It was probably nothing. (Certainly not what was now past the beginning signs of Appendicitis and an eventually ruptured appendix.)

sick in bed from symptoms of gangrenous appendicitis

No dinner for me; thanks anyway

I had implemented a successful sleep plan by that point. If I lay on my left side or my back, I could get comfortable enough to sleep. I took a nap around 6 p.m.

My husband came in to check on me and asked if I wanted to go to a new pizza place in Rosemary Beach with friends. (About 30 minutes away) (He clearly wasn’t understanding how I felt.) Umm, no thanks. He came in later and said they were going to The Wine Bar in Watercolor instead and asked if I wanted any take-out. Again, umm, no thanks.

This was so outside my normal mode of operation. I’m usually up for anything.

He left, and I slept. I got up around 9 pm and read some more of my novel. Then I took a bath. I thought about washing my hair but felt like lifting my arms to dry my hair would hurt my stomach, so I didn’t.

I packed a few items since we were leaving the next day and wondered how I would get the house packed up and get home via the six-hour drive.

Middle of the night

I slept pretty well with my new way to sleep. I got up to go to the bathroom at 12:45 a.m. and checked my phone. My extended family was texting about the College Regionals baseball game they had just attended. Ole Miss had just won, so they were still up and excited. I responded, “Congrats,” and then told them the only reason I was up was “bc I think I have appendicitis or some crazy something. Started hurting 2:45 am last night. Can’t get comfortable to sleep. Hopefully it’s nothing. I’m trying to get back to Jackson before I have ruptured appendix. Who knows. Good night.”

The Nurse Practitioner and the Roach

Infographic With Causes of Abdominal Pain findatopdoc.comInfograph Diagram of Possible Gangrenous Appendicitis osmosis.org

While I was still looking at my phone, it began to ring immediately. It was on silent, so I’m thankful I was still looking at it.  One of my sister and brother-in-law’s best friends was at their house in the Mississippi Delta watching the baseball game. She is a nurse practitioner, and I had become friends with her too, over the years, through their friendship with her.

I quietly snuck into the bathroom to talk, as not to wake my husband. She asked me lots of questions about my issues.

I screamed.

It wasn’t from the abdominal pain, but due to a large roach running across the bathroom counter. I woke up my husband and begged him to kill the roach.

He did.

What else could go wrong at the end of this perfect beach trip?

So, the nurse practitioner and I continued to talk. She said I certainly could be having the beginning signs of Appendicitis and warned me of the dangers of a ruptured appendix. She had me jump up and down, poke in, let off, does that hurt? Lots of questions. She absolutely encouraged me to go to ER if I got any worse during the night as to avoid the possibility of a ruptured appendix.

I stayed the same or got a little better. I slept pretty well as long as I didn’t try to sleep on the right side. My pain at that point was hard to describe or pinpoint exactly where. I felt stupid for not being able to adequately describe the pain. I still had zero nausea.

Saturday

Morning

Time to drive home despite having the signs of Appendicitis

on the road while having symptoms of gangrenous appendicitis

I awoke early Saturday morning because instinctually, I knew I was on borrowed time. I needed to get in the car and get on the phone to devise a medical plan for when I got back to Jackson.

Grits and the red dress

Only Dress I Could Wear with a Ruptured Appendix

The pain was still there, and it was still weird. I’m never sick. This was unacceptable. I packed as much as I could, but my husband did most of it. Of course, I reminded him that I couldn’t lift anything very heavy, in case these were the signs of Appendicitis or an aortic aneurysm.

I ate another half a bowl of grits (yay for bringing the grits), and then it hit me.

What was I going to wear home? My stomach was very bloated by this point. And very painful to the touch. The pain had somewhat migrated to the right side; again, I knew I was on borrowed time. But it still wasn’t excruciating. Certainly still not the pain that I read about that associated with Appendicitis or a ruptured appendix. The migration to the right side did speak more to Appendicitis, but I expected more excruciating pain. (I was past the beginning signs of Appendicitis.)

What was I going to wear home? The only thing I brought which didn’t button or have elastic around the waist was the old and faded, but comfortable red dress. Even though I looked pregnant in it due to the bloating, I was thrilled that I had brought the red dress as it was my only option for the six-hour car ride home.

The Hiding Place

I was reminded of a part in the novel The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom when she is thankful for the fleas. She and her sister had been imprisoned by the Nazis for hiding Jews in their home. They were placed in a room infested with fleas, and she became thankful for the fleas because she could conduct Bible studies in there without being bothered by the supervisors. The fleas kept the supervisors out. It was the little things that she was thankful for in a bad situation.

The grits weren’t appetizing, and the old, faded red dress wasn’t pretty. But, they were my fleas. I was oddly thankful for both of them in a way that no one else would understand.

The first hour of the drive home

My husband offered for my daughter to drive me, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax. Plus, she and her friend needed to get to a 3 p.m. lifeguarding shift, and I was moving a little more slowly than he because of my symptoms of Appendicitis.  So, he drove the two older girls, and I was feeling “better” and drove the two 14-year-olds. I felt good enough not to insist that we follow each other.

That was stupid.

They left about 30-45 minutes before we did. I called my mom when I got on the road and updated her about my health. I felt pretty good, certainly not bad enough to have Appendicitis or a ruptured appendix. Next, I called a friend of mine to get a plan for what to do about this stomach issue.

I am medically illiterate and have high deductible insurance since my husband and I are both self-employed, so I had no idea how to tackle it on a Saturday. My friend talked to her source, and we decided I would go to the ER in Jackson at 3:30 p.m. as soon as I got into town.

I thought it was a little overkill, but yes, I had been hurting for a while.

Pensacola, Florida

Woman Worried She Has a Ruptured Appendix

Signs of Appendicitis worsen

My friend’s source, a doctor friend of mine, called me while I had been on the road for about an hour and a half, almost to Pensacola. I began feeling awful and told him I was going to have to exit and take a break driving. Pulling into a not-so-great establishment was my only option, and immediately I felt trapped.

Looking back, I think this is when my appendix ruptured. I was officially wayyy past the beginning signs of Appendicitis.

I stepped out of the car to continue our conversation away from the girls. I then told him I would have to call him back because my pain was worse. The pain had also radiated to my pubic bone.

I got back in the car and called my husband. I asked the girls to step outside the car, so I could talk to him without scaring them. By this point, I was crying some and explaining that I might have to stop at a hospital in one of the upcoming towns. Could this be the signs of Appendicitis? Or worse, a ruptured appendix? We hung up, I pulled myself together, and the girls got back in the car.

Desperate thoughts

I put a pillow between my car door and my left side, hoping to feel some comfort.

Thoughts flooded my mind. I was responsible for two teens in my car and myself. Do I go to the hospital here, four hours from home? I almost called my tennis partner whom I had seen on the beach since she is originally from Pensacola. Another option that entered my mind was to stop at a hotel and ask if I could hang out on the couch for a bit.

But I knew I was on borrowed time. I decided to keep driving.

Mobile, Alabama

The girls in my car were still fairly clueless at this point. They had their headphones in their ears, oblivious. Almost to Mobile, I talked with my husband again. Could this be the signs of Appendicitis or a ruptured appendix? I then called a friend from college who lives about 20 minutes from Mobile in Daphne, Alabama, and asked her for the name of a good hospital in Mobile. I was whispering some by this point. It hurt to talk. She was getting on a boat in Orange Beach, Alabama, about an hour away but offered to come to me if I did stop. She was worried.

It was a weird phenomenon that everyone I talked to throughout the day seemed more worried about me than I was about myself. Your body and mind do weird things in these situations. I had to get off the phone with her in order to follow Google Maps. Feeling bloated and helpless but wanting to be closer to home, I decided to keep driving.

Afternoon

Decisions, Decisions

It was becoming increasingly clear, that I was not going to make it all the way to Jackson. As much as I wanted to be home, my will power and body were both giving out.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

At some point between Mobile and 40 miles outside of Hattiesburg, I decided I would stop at the ER at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. It was an hour and a half from Jackson, and I knew that I shouldn’t be driving at this point.

Stopping at hotel lobbies still entered my mind, but my gut feeling of being on borrowed time trumped that desire.

By this point, I had another new symptom. I was extremely fidgety. I kept rubbing my face, arms, and legs. I kept moving around in my seat. Did I have a ruptured appendix? The radio had been silent for hours. I began the trip with soothing jazz on low volume but changed it to silence as the pain progressed.

The next phone call was to my mom; I told her I was stopping in Hattiesburg. Pretty much only whispering by now, I had asked her to call my husband and tell him that I was going to stop. Then, I changed my mind and told her that I would call him.

I forgot to call him.

My phone was positioned sideways in my radio console with Google Maps counting down the miles. I began watching it count down the miles to Forrest General Hospital starting with 40, then 39, 38, 37 and so on. I was obsessed with counting down the miles. Now, fidgeting constantly, my brain was foggy.

Once in Hattiesburg, I told the girls that we were stopping at the ER, that I couldn’t drive any further. They seemed unfazed.

Forrest General ER

emergency room with symptoms of gangrenous appendicitis

We pulled into Forrest General Hospital at 1:15 p.m. I had to rest on the side of the car before walking into the hospital. I took a few steps and then asked the girls to help me walk. A security guard saw us and got me a wheelchair.

At check-in, I couldn’t help but notice a mom bringing in her toddler, who had a “fever”. She was nonchalant as if they were checking into a pediatric clinic, and I was thinking, “Omg, please tell me I will get to go first.” I thought, “Lady, I may have a ruptured appendix.” I had forgotten that some people use the ER like a doctor’s office.

I was immediately taken to a room. The girls were in the room with me. I told the ER doctor my symptoms, and they immediately put me on an IV of Tordol, a non-narcotic. It was great, and I felt better.

A nice surprise

The door to my room opened, and to my surprise, a college sorority pledge sister of mine from Hattiesburg came in. I hadn’t seen her in years, like maybe even since we graduated 25  years ago. She had heard that I was at Forrest General through a friend of a friend. She was an angel and a life saver. It was a surreal moment, and she stayed for hours thank goodness.

Remember, there were two 14-year-olds stuck in Hattiesburg with me. She not only helped with the girls but helped me communicate with the doctors and nurses until my husband could drop the older girls off in Jackson and get back to Hattiesburg.

Later, I would find out that several years ago, my pledge sister’s father died five days after surgery from complications due to Appendicitis and a ruptured appendix. She had a vested interest in making sure I was ok.

“Dad, I think Mom is in the hospital”

Meanwhile, my daughter who was with me had sent my older daughter, who was riding with my husband, a random snap chat. My older daughter said, “Dad, I think Mom is in the hospital.” He said, “What?” She said, “Yeah, the snap chat looks like it’s from a hospital.”

He immediately called my phone, but it was in my purse on silent. He did get in touch with my daughter, and she confirmed that we were in the hospital.

Remember, I forgot to call him.

Blessing

the girls in the room while I had symptoms of gangrenous appendicitis

Besides having my pledge sister show up, another blessing was that behind the scenes, several friends were trying to get the girls a ride home. One friend knew that another family had left the beach much later than we did and arranged for them to stop by Forrest General to give the 14-year-olds a ride and have their teenage driver drive my car to Jackson. They arrived around 5 p.m.

After the 14-year-olds had stayed in the hospital for four hours with me and had ridden in the car for four and a half hours prior to that, they were finally on their way home to Jackson. My pledge sister helped coordinate all of that once the family arrived, and I needed some items out of my car as well.

CT Scan

ct scan which diagnosed gangrenous appendicitis

Around 3:15 p.m., I went in for a CT scan prior to getting any Morphine. I only knew I was getting Morphine because an hour earlier, the nurse had said she would be right back with some.

Let’s just say the ER was busy that day. I didn’t get my Morphine prior to my scan. Considering it hurt to move at all, getting onto the scanner wasn’t fun. I had to lie flat with my arms straight, up by my ears, past my head.

The scan didn’t take long, though.

I was finally given 4 mg of Morphine when I got back to my room. It was not a strong dose. It was just perfect. I wasn’t loopy. Around 4:25 p.m., I sent a text to my extended family saying I had had scans but no results.

Results

IV pic of antibiotics

Remember I’m medically clueless. My pledge sister noticed on my IV screen that an antibiotic had been ordered for me. I thought that meant that I had not had symptoms of Appendicitis, and they had called in something to CVS Pharmacy. I thought I would be well on my way out the door in a few minutes. Looking back, I could tell my friend knew otherwise.

She and I then met with the doctors.

At 4:41 p.m. I sent a text to my husband and my extended family saying, “appendix out tonight in Jackson” and another at 4:50 p.m., “on an IV of antibiotics in case it ruptures or has somewhat.” That was the antibiotic that had been ordered for me. There would be no trip to CVS Pharmacy.

My husband was almost back to Hattiesburg by this point.  He had dropped the older girls at the lifeguarding shift and headed back to Hattiesburg.

The doctors agreed that the scan looked bad and that in their professional opinion, I had appendicitis which would later be called Gangrenous Appendicitis, and that my appendix had already either perforated or ruptured.

There was also “thickening in the bowels” which is another tell-tale sign of a bad case. They said they wouldn’t know for sure how bad, until surgery.

I guess I truly had tried to ignore my symptoms of Appendicitis for 35 hours.

I mentioned having the surgery in Jackson and said, “so like when do I need to do this if I have it in Jackson.” They said, “in a couple of hours.”

Options

My husband arrived. The general surgeon said if I stayed and had the surgery there, he would try it laparoscopically but was almost positive that he would have to then cut me open because of the possible ruptured appendix. That would be a 5-7 day hospital stay.

I really wanted to have the surgery in Jackson for logistical reasons. The general surgeon and ER doctor differed in their opinions as to whether it was safe for my husband to drive me to Jackson to have the surgery. It’s an hour and a half drive.

The general surgeon was fine with our leaving. The ER doctor was against my leaving, and if I left, he wanted to transport me in an ambulance. I said, “I don’t have 70 thousand dollars for that; my husband can drive me.” He laughed and told me that it wouldn’t cost 70 thousand dollars but if I insisted on being driven, I could at my own risk.

We went back and forth and back and forth with the decision of where to have the surgery. We decided on Jackson and were discharged from Forrest General around 6:45 p.m. after being there five and a half hours.

My symptoms of Gangrenous Appendicitis summarized

My symptoms, some of which are different than most people’s:

  • Pain that came out of nowhere and spanned across the abdomen
  • The pain, although I had never had it before, wasn’t excruciating
  • Pain that later moved toward the right lower quadrant of the abdomen (For me, this occurred about 20+ hours later.
  • Pulsating abdomen (on and off the whole time)
  • Pain that moved to the pubic bone. It wasn’t constant. (For me, this occurred about 32+ hours later. My opinion is that by this point, it had ruptured or perforated.)
  • Profuse sweating the first 10 hours
  • Painful to walk or talk. (For me this occurred about 32+ hours later.)
  • No nausea. (Most have nausea.)
  • No bowel issues. (Most have some by-product although constipation can be a symptom.)
  • No appetite (From onset to well after surgery)
  • Fidgeting (For me, this occurred during hours 33-35 and before any Tordol or Morphine at the ER)

Go to the top of this article

To read about common symptoms (some of which I never had)  of Gangrenous Appendicitis and a ruptured appendix, go to Symptoms Mayo Clinic.

Surgery and Hospital Recovery

This article is about recognizing the beginning signs of Gangrenous Appendicitis in order to prevent a ruptured appendix. You can read about My Surgery and Hospital Recovery After a Ruptured Appendix in another post. My home recovery can be found by reading Recovery at Home for a Ruptured Appendix.

 

 

Read Laurie’s story of how her recent life experiences led to the birth of this site, White Cotton. Feel free to send her a message.