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Appendix Removal - Not So Bad But Here is What You Can Expect

Last November I had diarrhea and had to be discharged. This procedure is called laparoscopic appendectomy. If you are wondering about recovery after attachment surgery because you need it or are just experiencing it, my experience will help prepare you for what will happen. As long as your specific case has no complications, the process is not bad so don't be afraid. However, there are certain things to know that will work for you.

I started to feel something was wrong on my right but it didn't hurt that much. It just hurts here and there or feels like a seizure. So, I went to the doctor at my walking clinic Sunday afternoon and he did a urine test and I jumped up and down. Damn it for doing so he immediately sent me to the emergency room. I asked him, "Do you mean I have to go now?" What's more, he laughed and said, "Yes, now!" I didn't realize it was that serious. I don't think for a moment that I have a problem with my attachment because the symptoms seem acceptable.

In the emergency room, they do more tests and laboratory work on a deeper level. So after about 40 minutes and a CT scan, I was told I had an inflammation appendix and they had set up a room for me. Thankfully I got married to a teacher and I have health insurance!

Once in the hospital room I asked more questions and was told the doctor would see me the next day. They had me on antibiotics to try to get my diarrhea and I had potassium deficiency in my blood. I'm not sure how I got it because I ate a lot of bananas but I would say that potassium is painful when given intravenously. Your arm and if the IV delivers too fast, it really hurts.

So the next day my surgeon came in and told me he had scheduled me for surgery that evening but wanted to see how the antibiotics were taking and he could withstand the removal of the attachment if they were working. I wasn't really interested in postponing it because I knew it had to come out at some point and I'd rather be early.

After the surgeon left, I began to notice what it was like to be in the hospital since I had never been there before. The hospital is not a quiet place. Some people come in and out all day long. They take your vital signs, chest x-rays and ask you questions. In addition, the beds in this hospital have been set up so that you do not have any kidneys. The mattress automatically moves and it's annoying. Once you're comfortable, the bed moves and you're no longer comfortable. This will then become a problem during the next operation.

At the end of the day, I began to have very severe headaches. I haven't eaten since Sunday morning and it's Monday evening. The nurse told me that headaches are common when not eating and have been on IV for several days. He couldn't give me pain pills because we got word that I was going through surgery after all and it would be that night at 8:00. At that point, I was a little worried the doctor would be tired. I know I will but I'm sure with some nurses she'll be fine. I was lucky because everyone told me my surgeon was very good and this information was not requested.

An hour before my scheduled surgery I drove to the pre-surgery where they shaved my stomach with a Bic shaver. It doesn't hurt even if they shave it when it's dry. I'm surprised that a single blade works great. Now my main concern is the catheter. I'm so scared to have someone and I don't know if they plan on doing it. Most of me worry they'll do it when I'm awake. The nurses told me they wouldn't use it for this small operation, so I felt better.

They rolled me into the operating room and I at first thought it didn't look very formal. It looks to me like an extra room that remains an operating room. Some nurses and attendants helped me move from the wheelchair to the operating table. After that it takes about an hour before you get out of anesthesia.

I woke up later at the post-op and I was pretty good at it. I have no past. I can see people, hear them, and answer them, but I'm stupid as hell. The surgeon came, grabbed my leg, and said, "Everything's going well. You'll be fine." I thanked her and the nurse told me she would remove my catheter. Apparently they decided to put one behind. I can't concentrate on her. I just admit it will happen. He pulled it out and it was uncomfortable for a month but not as bad as I thought.

Then they took me upstairs to my room. It was here in the middle of the night that I learned that the new theory had something to do with making you move as fast as you could. This meant I had to start walking up and down the alleys that pushed my IV bottle, which was on the wheel shelf. Awkward but doable. Bed. Move in.

Some nurses woke me up a few hours after the surgery and pulled me out of bed to walk in the hall. In addition, as I undergo bowel surgery, to get all the shock and work back, you have to move your body physically. This restarts your digestive system. Walking isn't so bad. In fact, I liked it and started walking almost every 45 minutes. It's better than staying in a bed that won't let me sleep.

The next hurdle to overcome is that your doctor wants you to be happy and gas away. The signals to him are normal. The next day, the RN nurses were all over me to pee. She says she needs to put a catheter in if I don't empty my bladder. He did a sonogram and my bladder was full. I started to panic because I didn't feel the urge to urinate and now with so much emotional pressure from the threat of a catheter and toothache that threw me off, I couldn't go. In addition, I had a little pain after the catheter so I didn't feel like peeing.

For a good hour before the nurse called the doctor and asked her what to do, I was worried about it. Thankfully, he didn't want to put a catheter on. The nurse informed me and within ten minutes, I rested and went to the bathroom. Then the doctor told me the nurse tended to rush the process and that she would rather let it go for a while. I am thankful.

So far I haven't released any gas. After not eating for almost 3 days, there was nothing there to make gas. This is a major problem in the recovery process. Fortunately, I had a weak bowel movement shortly thereafter. It's good enough to get "okay" from the surgeon to go home. Who would have thought such an important event?

In general, they really want you home. The hospital is not a good place for recovery. Recovery happens faster at home and you are not in danger of getting bacterial infections, which may be common in some hospitals. I traveled a lot and with my physical fitness it turned out to be the reason I was allowed to go home quickly. (This physical activity gave me a better chance at the next surgery two months later.)

I found out that I was the only one who did this. There are some heavy people out there who have stomach stapling or similar procedures that will never exist and move on. I heard from the nurse that the patient was supposed to be but many were quite lazy. Attract.

Getting in the car was difficult. I find certain movements difficult and bowing to get in the car is one of them.

My stomach was swollen and it was slipping because the attachment was laparoscopic. There is still gas there and it will take a week for the gas to go out. The gas is pumped into your stomach to lift and separate the area for easier viewing during surgery. It felt weird that it was bloated and I was exposed.

I had three small wounds with staples on them and a ribbon on them for laparoscopic surgery. I don't see how they can remove my appendix or work on my inside through small incisions but they do. The doctor told me it was okay to take a regular shower and get a wet band after surgery. I can't scrub the tape. Surprisingly, some nurses don't think I can take a shower.

My first night at home was a bit difficult. I was too cold in the bed because I didn't handle the heat well and it was cold in the room. I started shivering without my scary control. I finally got up and put on long johns and long socks and it did a trick. I also had to walk home for a while to rest.

The first few nights I had to take pain pills and sleep behind me without moving much. The pain pill is Hydrocodone 5-325 one or two every four hours. (It's a combo of vicodin and 325mg of Tylenol. Vicodin is to prevent you from coughing and Tylenol is for the pain I read.) I think I took the first two nights. It was difficult because the doctor told me beforehand that it would take a long time to get better as I relied on pain pills so I hesitated. Also, sleeping behind me is hard for me. Those two things have been taken care of for the next few days as I can stop the pain pills first. I still had to sleep behind my back for about two weeks.

Another thing I learned about not sneezing. It was very painful for the first time it happened two days after I was home. I blocked every sneeze for about 4 weeks afterwards. Cough is also scary but easy to handle.

Four days later, I played in the Tiwi band at Disneyland for three consecutive nights. It went well. I'm just taking it easy. The hardest part was my bass that kept hitting my wounds as I moved too much so I mostly just stood there.

A week later, I returned to the surgeon and he removed my staples. I thought it would hurt but it didn't. It's just kind of stuffy but it's over quickly. I never came back until my next problem two months later, which caused my attachment problems in the first place. (Read my colon surgery story for more hospital fun.)

When I got a bill from the hospital to show what I was billed for my insurance, it was around $ 35,000 for my three-day stay. Please get insurance if you do not have anything. Without it, this bill would destroy me.

The full recovery I think after the actual surgery takes 5 to 6 weeks.



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