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Odd and Troubling Day
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ghporter
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Mar 19, 2010, 11:03 PM
 
Our son stayed overnight at our place last night because he was ill. Couldn't keep stuff down, the other end wasn't much better, etc. Last night he started complaining about abdominal cramping. This morning, the discomfort settled into the right lower quadrant of his abdomen. My wife took him to our nearest ER and sure enough, it was his appendix.

He got to the hospital at 9am local and was settled into his room after surgery at about 8pm. My wife was there the whole time, while I left work at 11 and waited with her from then on.

It's amazing how tiring and uncomfortable it can be to just sit around and wait, even for what is now a very simple and routine surgical procedure. We're drained.

Anyway, that's not a cool way to spend your Friday, take my word for it.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
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Mar 19, 2010, 11:15 PM
 
Sorry to hear that Glen. It sounds like he will be fine though, right?
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James L
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Mar 20, 2010, 12:48 AM
 
I'm glad to hear he's doing well Glen. Appendicitis and subsequent rupture can occur so fast, and the resulting peritonitis / sepsis can be devastating (as you no doubt know). It sounds like his presentation was fairly textbook, and your family did all the right things.

My best wishes on a speedy recovery.
     
downinflames68
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Mar 20, 2010, 04:31 AM
 
Just trust in thy Lord's plan.
     
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Mar 20, 2010, 05:15 AM
 
Originally Posted by downinflames68 View Post
Just trust in thy Lord's plan.
WTF???? Way to be a dick.
I like my water with hops, malt, hops, yeast, and hops.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Mar 20, 2010, 07:02 AM
 
Indeed.
     
Phileas
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Mar 20, 2010, 08:18 AM
 
Stop being an ass just once in your life, Rob. Just once.

Glen, hope he recovers quickly.
     
mdc
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Mar 20, 2010, 08:32 AM
 
Glen, was your son okay on Thursday and early Friday? I've never had appendicitis; did it just all of a sudden come up on Friday evening?

Hope he'll be okay soon.
     
OreoCookie
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Mar 20, 2010, 09:37 AM
 
Glenn, I hope your son is fine. How long will he have to stay hospitalized?
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ghporter  (op)
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Mar 20, 2010, 09:41 AM
 
It looks like my son will be coming home today (we don't have a clue when). It was a very simple procedure, all done laparoscopically. Two little incisions, very little surgical recovery needed. But it's really unsettling and startling when you go from "Matt's hitting the gym" to "Matt needs emergency surgery."

Rob, I think Matt would take comfort in your post. I'm not sure what you mean by it though...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Dork.
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Mar 20, 2010, 10:00 AM
 
Isn't it amazing what they can do nowadays? Just the notion that removing an organ through two little incisions is now considered "routine" and "textbook" blows my mind.

I hope he has a speedy recovery, and that he's not out of the gym for too long!
     
Oisín
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Mar 20, 2010, 11:20 AM
 
Originally Posted by Dork. View Post
Isn't it amazing what they can do nowadays? Just the notion that removing an organ through two little incisions is now considered "routine" and "textbook" blows my mind.
Same here.

Though it’s a bit sad, too, ’cause Matt will have to grow up without that cool scar across his abdomen which signifies, “I’ve done surgery; I’m badass”.
     
Doofy
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Mar 20, 2010, 01:35 PM
 
Originally Posted by Oisín View Post
Though it’s a bit sad, too, ’cause Matt will have to grow up without that cool scar across his abdomen which signifies, “I’ve done surgery; I’m badass”.
He could go emo for a few years. When modern technology closes one door, modern culture opens another.
     
Oisín
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Mar 20, 2010, 03:23 PM
 
Very true.

But aren’t emo scars more properly placed on the wrists and/or lower arms?
     
downinflames68
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Mar 20, 2010, 03:36 PM
 
I just thought I'd say something religious because if you were religious you'd take comfort in it. To say it non religiously, "the universe tends to unfold as it should", - Harold and Kumar. I don't worry about anything anymore.
     
Doofy
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Mar 20, 2010, 04:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by Oisín View Post
Very true.

But aren’t emo scars more properly placed on the wrists and/or lower arms?
True. But he could be inventive and start a new faction of emo. Caesarian Sympathy Emo? ("Think of the children! It's soooooo unfair!"). Maybe?
     
James L
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Mar 20, 2010, 04:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by mdc View Post
Glen, was your son okay on Thursday and early Friday? I've never had appendicitis; did it just all of a sudden come up on Friday evening?
It's been a long time since I studied this in school (like 13 years ago), but if I recall correctly in most patients (upwards of 80%) the duration of symptoms is 24-48 hours before it becomes acute and the patient is at risk of rupture.

It tends to have a fairly stereotypical presentation. The hallmark sign is the sudden onset of an abdominal pain that tends to start around the epigastrium or the navel, and moves to the lower right quadrant of the abdomen as it becomes acute. About half of the people who experience appendicitis also have other symptoms, such as a low grade fever, nausea, vomiting, etc.

If the appendix ruptures it spills bacteria out into the abdomen, with the potential for sepsis to occur... which can be very much life threatening. There is also risk of bowel obstruction.
     
ghporter  (op)
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Mar 20, 2010, 05:24 PM
 
Matt is almost 23, and he's only a little sad he didn't get cool scars out of the experience. He is, however, very glad that the traitorous organ has been expunged and executed. And he's never been emo-I can't quote what he thinks of the whiny little twits here without invoking the filters, and I would rather not do that. Anyway, thanks for all the well wishing.

He was having some problems that looked like he'd eaten something a bit "off" earlier in the week-probably Tuesday night. But by Wednesday evening he felt a lot better. And started eating again. Once he'd had breakfast and lunch on Thursday, things went downhill pretty rapidly, which is apparently par for the course.

Fortunately everyone at the ER was on the ball and took his symptoms seriously. They did the basic workup, with blood work to check for signs of an infection (quite positive this time), the doctor did the classic "rebound tenderness" test which was REALLY positive (Matt "levitated" off the bed according to his mom), and then did a CT scan to assess size, condition, etc. Very definitively diagnosed, he was taken into surgery as soon as an OR suite was available. Less than an hour after being wheeled in, he was wheeled out to recovery, where he stayed for about another hour. He has nothing but good to say about the staff, the nursing team, all the doctors and anesthesiologists, and even the techs that did the mundane little tasks for him.

Rob, thanks for the clarification; while my wife and I aren't particularly religious, Matt is, and he will most definitely take comfort in your sentiment.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Oisín
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Mar 20, 2010, 10:31 PM
 
Matt is almost 23
Oh. Well, in that case, just wish him well and let him be happy it went so well. I’d assumed he was eight or something, at which age surgery without scars is like getting the hugest six-scoop ice cream cone available on the beach and then having some stupid sea gull swoop in and knock it out of your hand.


And of course, the benefits of the laparoscopic method far outweigh the downside of being scarless. Being done with the whole thing in about two hours is amazing. When I had mine taken, I was out for a good ten hours after the surgery from the general anaesthesia, and then I spent the next four (perhaps five?) days in recovery, before I could even walk unaided again.

And I didn’t even have appendicitis.
     
lexapro
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Mar 20, 2010, 11:10 PM
 
I had the same happen when I was 11. Woke up in the morning with the worst belly pain of my life. Mom took me to the pediatrician who was waiting in the hallway for me. After a very quick exam he said, "You need to go to the hospital for surgery." This was before laproscopy so I have about a 3" horizontal scar on my lower right belly. I stayed in the hospital about 4 days and then home for a few weeks before I was back to school.
     
imitchellg5
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Mar 20, 2010, 11:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by Oisín View Post
Though it’s a bit sad, too, ’cause Matt will have to grow up without that cool scar across his abdomen which signifies, “I’ve done surgery; I’m badass”.
He can have a couple of mine if he wants.

Glad that he's okay Glenn and that it was a relatively simple procedure.
     
ghporter  (op)
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Mar 21, 2010, 09:08 AM
 
Matt is now in the transition from "it hurts to move" to "I'm sorry I'm inconveniencing you." He's moving around quite well and doing just about everything for himself without much fuss. He likens his discomfort now to what doing "a bazillion crunches" would feel like. It doesn't help his potential whininess that his mom is an RN and I'm an occupational therapist-we're making his recovery quick, but not "easy."

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
   
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