So there I was, minding my own business...

[DFoster 0]

Last Tuesday morning I headed into Boston to complete several site surveys for my day job.  I rode in with another engineer and we we’re both looking forward to a quiet work week followed by a long holiday weekend which would include a wonderful restaurant meal to celebrate my 18th anniversary. Boston is an hour and a half away from my house, traffic was unusually light, all was well... So, there I was minding my own business, taking my notes, and not bothering anyone when I start with a stomachache.   Literally from out of nowhere.  After an hour or so the pain got bad enough, I had to ask my coworker to drive me out of the city.  As he needed to continue the surveys, we decided to have my wife meet us halfway.  By the time we reached her I said, “drive me to the hospital”.  It was crazy how severe the pain was getting, and it just appeared without explanation.  I hadn’t eaten breakfast and the only thing I did have was a coffee which I made myself.  After a CAT scan the ER Doctor came in and told me it looked like acute appendicitis to his eye but that the images would need to be confirmed by other doctors who specialize in CAT data.  Fortunately, they confirmed it was appendicitis.  I say “fortunately” because as I’m sure a lot of you know there is a really long list of truly nasty possibilities that can be associated with severe abdominal pain. The little brother of a close friend was rushed to the hospital with similar symptoms as me about 2 months ago.  He was told he had stage 4 stomach cancer and he passed away this morning.

 I’ve been a professional musician for 40 years so liver disease was an early odds-on favorite.  I am married so poisoning is always in the running😜.  Yep, I was pretty ok when they told me my appendix was destined for the trash bin, a stomach virus would have been my first choice, but an appendix diagnosis was not so bad.  Much better than many of the other possibilities.  I had surgery on Friday and said goodbye to the holiday weekend ruining little SOB.  We got along well together for over half a century, but I can tell you that I’m truly grateful you won’t be growing back.  

The guys in white coats tell me I should be back to “normal” in a week to 10 days and as you can imagine I’m really looking forward to fishing again.

[flytire 0]

 

squatch says get well soon

 

[partsman 0]

Dean, I’m with squatch I hope you heal up soon! I’m recovering from surgery myself going into week 4 feeling a little better everyday.

Mike.

[DFoster 0]

Thanks gentlemen, I'm already starting to feel better.  My surgeon is a fly fisherman and he told me he struggles to tie winged wets so I'm using my down time to tie him a few of the classics as a thank you.   He's supposed to remove the drainage tube from my belly on Thursday if all looks good.  Amen to that, the incision for it is right on my belt line and the 18" of tube catches on ever drawer knob I brush by.

Compared to what Mr. Knapp is dealing with a bad appendix really isn't too big a deal.  It ruined my anniversary plans this weekend but it certainly could have been far  worse.    Partsman, I'm glad your feeling better- are you recovered enough to get out and cast a line?

[partsman 0]

I had robotic prostrate removal, while I can go back to a pond behind the house and do a little bass and bluegill bugging I really not supposed to do any straining. I feel good enough to and I’m goofy enough to but I’ll wait a couple more weeks.

Mike.

[Poopdeck 0]

Get well soon, both of you 

[mikechell 0]

Out of the 6 kids in my family, I think 3 of us still have ours.  I keep wondering when I'll get that pain.  My brother had his fall apart in the surgeon's hands.  He was lucky.  If it was elective and covered by insurance, I'd have them go in and take it just to be "safe".

It's good to see your near peritonitis experience ended well.  Here's to a speedy, full recovery.

[niveker 0]

Glad to hear you got out relatively unscathed. 

I had mine out years ago, leaked a bit inside, so they say, which lengthened my stay in the hospital.  I think they screwed up somehow.  

Godspeed to you and @partsman on your recoveries.  

[redietz 0]

You're right that there are far worse possibilities than appendicitis.  Get well soon.

[DFoster 0]

14 hours ago, partsman said:

I had robotic prostrate removal, while I can go back to a pond behind the house and do a little bass and bluegill bugging I really not supposed to do any straining. I feel good enough to and I’m goofy enough to but I’ll wait a couple more weeks.

Mike.

Ouch, that sounds serious. Following the Docs orders is the quickest way to recover. The best of good luck to you!

[DFoster 0]

13 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

Get well soon, both of you 

Thank you!

11 hours ago, mikechell said:

Out of the 6 kids in my family, I think 3 of us still have ours.  I keep wondering when I'll get that pain.  My brother had his fall apart in the surgeon's hands.  He was lucky.  If it was elective and covered by insurance, I'd have them go in and take it just to be "safe".

It's good to see your near peritonitis experience ended well.  Here's to a speedy, full recovery.

Thanks Mike-  I'm told the older you get the less likely it is that you'll have trouble and even if you do for most people it's pretty easy. The trick is don't tough out the pain for to long because it can get serious.  I waited to long to get to a hospital because a few days earlier my mother in law had a 24 hour stomach bug with similar symptoms and I was convinced I had the same thing.  

10 hours ago, niveker said:

Glad to hear you got out relatively unscathed. 

I had mine out years ago, leaked a bit inside, so they say, which lengthened my stay in the hospital.  I think they screwed up somehow.  

Godspeed to you and @partsman on your recoveries.  

The story I got was that because I take Plavix and the CAT scan showed my appendix hadn't ruptured the doctors made the decision to wait until the next day.  Plavix is a  blood thinner and according to the surgeon it make their job pretty messy because you blood resist clotting anywhere they cut.  Any way it partially ruptured sometime during  night and like you that won me an extra day at the hospital.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Glad you are doing well Dean. That is something that can go bad real quick if not tended too right away. They took mine out about 4 yrs ago. I had a bad stomach issue where I was doubled over in pain and it ended up being a hernia with a twisted intestine, so during that surgery they took my appendix out "just because they were in there" I guess lol

Rest up and get well soon.

[DFoster 0]

50 minutes ago, Steeldrifter said:

Glad you are doing well Dean. That is something that can go bad real quick if not tended too right away. They took mine out about 4 yrs ago. I had a bad stomach issue where I was doubled over in pain and it ended up being a hernia with a twisted intestine, so during that surgery they took my appendix out "just because they were in there" I guess lol

Rest up and get well soon.

Thanks Steve!  If you got to replace a leaking head gasket you might as well do the rings while it's apart, LOL.

[Mark Knapp 0]

Glad to hear you got that one whipped.

[RickZieger 0]

Glad that both of you are getting better.

Rick