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Definitely not well!
Jul. 15th, 2010 11:23 amIf you don't want the details, I've had a nasty appendix removed with complications but am now recovering nicely. Gory details below as I'm too lazy at the moment to remember how to put it behind a cut.
Sitting on a chair in Westmead Hospital, recovering from very nasty appendix removal with complications. Times like this I'm very glad of private health cover. For those who want details, I had S take me to Westmead emergency on Monday night just before midnight as abdominal pain was becoming rather nasty. Long wait in emergency of course with things not getting any better. Dry heaves and blood - yucky stuff. They took bloods, waited soem more. Eventually had an abdominal xray and a doctor. Everyones best bet seemed to be gallstones or a kidney infection though the symptoms of none of those we typical either.
Eventually a senior consultant came along and ordered ultrasound which showed perfectly healthy kidneys and gall bladder. Consultant then insisted on a CT scan (I heard him on the phone to the CT people getting them to fit me in - turns out I was lucky as I had a senior and well-respected consultant). By this time it was about 4 pm on Tuesday afternoon)
After the CT scan, he came back with a very serious face. My first thought was that they hadn't found anything, but no - turns out they had found a very nasty appendix so then it was a matter of organising surgery. This finally happened sometime around midnight on Tuesday. By this time I'm losing track of time.
Woke up in recovery, I guess, but don't really remember it. But got wheeled around to my room - at times like this, I appreciate my private health cover - but really woozy all night. The next morning the surgeon comes and chats to me about it. Evidently stupid appendix was almost gangrenous and hiding behind and below the bowel and was only ever going to be visible on something like a CT scan. It had needed a lot of washing out with saline, so they'd left a surgical drain in.
I was doing quite well by this time until the nurse started to remove the drain as the surgeon had said could be done. After only a few minute of the drain being closed, I was in agony. Fortunately, she had the sense to open it up and ask a few questions. Anyway, it became clear that there was probably urine going into the drain and later tests indeed showed this. So last night I was in surgery again, at about the same time and with the same team with added urologist and radiographer.
Coming out this time I was much less woozy and less narcoleptic. Had real sleep, even though woken up every hour for vitals to be taken. Turns out that the drain had also pierced the bladder, so that's being fixed and things are looking up and I'll hopefully be able to go home tomorrow or Saturday.
At least now I'm internet connected.
Sitting on a chair in Westmead Hospital, recovering from very nasty appendix removal with complications. Times like this I'm very glad of private health cover. For those who want details, I had S take me to Westmead emergency on Monday night just before midnight as abdominal pain was becoming rather nasty. Long wait in emergency of course with things not getting any better. Dry heaves and blood - yucky stuff. They took bloods, waited soem more. Eventually had an abdominal xray and a doctor. Everyones best bet seemed to be gallstones or a kidney infection though the symptoms of none of those we typical either.
Eventually a senior consultant came along and ordered ultrasound which showed perfectly healthy kidneys and gall bladder. Consultant then insisted on a CT scan (I heard him on the phone to the CT people getting them to fit me in - turns out I was lucky as I had a senior and well-respected consultant). By this time it was about 4 pm on Tuesday afternoon)
After the CT scan, he came back with a very serious face. My first thought was that they hadn't found anything, but no - turns out they had found a very nasty appendix so then it was a matter of organising surgery. This finally happened sometime around midnight on Tuesday. By this time I'm losing track of time.
Woke up in recovery, I guess, but don't really remember it. But got wheeled around to my room - at times like this, I appreciate my private health cover - but really woozy all night. The next morning the surgeon comes and chats to me about it. Evidently stupid appendix was almost gangrenous and hiding behind and below the bowel and was only ever going to be visible on something like a CT scan. It had needed a lot of washing out with saline, so they'd left a surgical drain in.
I was doing quite well by this time until the nurse started to remove the drain as the surgeon had said could be done. After only a few minute of the drain being closed, I was in agony. Fortunately, she had the sense to open it up and ask a few questions. Anyway, it became clear that there was probably urine going into the drain and later tests indeed showed this. So last night I was in surgery again, at about the same time and with the same team with added urologist and radiographer.
Coming out this time I was much less woozy and less narcoleptic. Had real sleep, even though woken up every hour for vitals to be taken. Turns out that the drain had also pierced the bladder, so that's being fixed and things are looking up and I'll hopefully be able to go home tomorrow or Saturday.
At least now I'm internet connected.
