My Ruptured Appendix: A Doctor's Perspective

Back in the 1980s I suffered with undiagnosed appendicitis for a whole month. Here I discuss my experience with poor medical care. I hope you enjoy the video, and be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments!

[melisacai]

Thank you for sharing your story! Medical gaslighting is a huge issue & as a chronically ill person who has had to interact with many doctors frequently, I have seen it A LOT, it's very discouraging. I'm floored by the fact that your kids had appendicitis around the same time as one another, I'm glad you all could get the help you needed.

[shaiannesharzaman]

I'm sorry you had to go through all that. Happy you're well!

[waynedem]

Thank you. I believe I have it. I’m 55. My son and father both had theirs out young. Will be seeking care today.

[helentuma]

My dad had appendix when he was young. His brother. My daughter and grand daughter all have had appendix .

[_CoolHandLuke_]

Thanks Doc. I appreciate your insight.

[andywallace]

Last Saturday the 17th of July 2021 I had lunch then not long afterwards a pain emerged near my belly button. The pain through spread to my right hand side. Maybe it's just indigestion. It's now Saturday the 24th of July and all week the pain hasn't disappeared. There have been a few occasions where I've felt nauseous. I've had no fever. No matter what side I've been sleeping on I've struggled because the pain I'm feeling becomes so intense do because I have no fever or haven't vomitted I don't want to see a doctor unless i really have to. Also I've noticed a struggle to walk around and if I've dropped something onto the floor I've asked someone else to pick up the object because it's simply to painful to bend over. My belly is also very bloated. Thank you. Listening to your story helped me get a better understanding of what having appendicitis can be like.

[jimthecruel]

Just had EXACTLY the same thing happen to me friend. Every single thing you described is exactly the same, the little things like not being as motivated in sport which I just put down to having a bad day, and not eating as much (which is weird for me) I didn't think much of it. I just put up with it until my appendix fully burst and was in agony so admitted myself to hospital. They did a tremendous job and I'm healing well now.

[breakmydreams]

I'm glad they finally got your figured out after a month.
I feel like I'm suffering with chronic appendicitis and have been for years now. I just wish they would take my appendix out to see if that helps at all. But they say it is normal according to CT scans, when I'm literally crying in severe pain and they don't see anything else wrong. So they blame it on GI issues or my colitis.

[divynelyjynxieu]

Happened to me when I was 8. Stupid ER kept telling my mom it was gas or I was faking. They didn't do CT or ultrasound routinely in the 1980s, and so it happened before school one morning, and it hurt so bad, I was really pretty bad off and my mom was yelling at me and I was trying to toilet and nothing, and then it hurt so bad she did call the Dr who was next door to the hospital and he did the rectal digital exam and the worst pain happened ever, I remember he said I'd just ruptured and he carried me to the hospital and who's faking now, mom? Lol

[Hyperfocused_Squirrel]

I had no idea chronic appendicitis was a thing I have had reoccurring apendicitis type pain and symptoms nausea, lack of appetite, fatigue, issues for months nothing helps I have chronic pain and none of my current meds touch the discomfort this brings. Been dismissed as gas pain, constipation etc, had colonoscopy which was clear, . I could never figure out why pain increased with lifting leg, rotating hip out I find tenderness with applying pressure which lessens until I release and boom it comes back. thought it was related to muscle /spinal pain now I will bring this condition to my doctor for investigation.

[carolinepayne]

I feel your pain! I had what I assume was chronic appendicitis for 9 years. I had a couple of tests at hospital barium meal and the fatty one. These were normal so they then tried to tell me it was 'nerves' and I responded with I'm not nervous at all and consider myself to be laid back and calm. Didn't listen, told me you perhaps don't realise you are nervous! So this continued until I was pregnant. Half way through I had another attack but remarkably it wasn't too bad and got over it quickly. Then when I was 32 weeks pregnant it happened again, but worse and I was admitted to hospital on a Sunday. They couldn't find out what this was but I was in constant pain, temperature and could hardly sleep. By the Friday I was still the same... And then my waters broke. I was already exhausted and said I can't do this, please can I have a c section. I was told I'm a strong healthy girl and I can do this! My son was breech, feet first and then he got his leg stuck and they had to cut me and I had forceps. My son had to go to the SCBU and I was returned to my room, still in pain. I had doctors and surgeons still trying to find out what this was. About 10 days later they decided it was my appendix but I was too weak for an op so would treat me with antibiotics. This worked and I went home with a view of operating in about 6 months. About 2 weeks later it happened again so called an emergency doctor at night. He told me it was just a bug and I told him what had happened in the hospital but he was adamant it was just a bug. Remarkably it did get better but about 2 weeks later it happened again. So my hubby called our doctor to be told bring her down to the surgery and hubby said she can't walk, in pain, is vomiting and has diarrhea ! He had to get angry with them and the doctor agreed to come out. So he said he would admit me but they would only discharge me again. So obviously didn't believe me. Then at hospital they asked me if I was just trying to get the op done quicker! They obviously didn't believe me either as I didn't have pain when they pressed on my right hand side. But they agreed to operate the next day, to shut me up I think! When they operated the surgeons said it was lucky they operated in time as my appendix had burst and had a abscess and it was a right mess. I then had a drain in and was in hospital for about a week. My son was fine, although premature, but years later he was diagnosed with ADHD and they said a premature baby is more at risk of developing this.. All because doctors just would not listen to me and take me seriously. I'm not the type to scream out in pain (even during both my labour's) but perhaps if I had they may of listened, I don't know.

[LittleSparrow]

This is my 2nd month with it. Didnt know until yesterday when I got my CT results

[nerineri]

My husband (38 yrs old) recently had acute appendicitis that ruptured which led to severe sepsis. He had acidosis, partial collapsed lung, fluid in the heart and lungs. His troponin was also elevated. He is about 3 weeks post-op. Just found out yday he may have a post appendectomy abscess and he's been having tachycardia everyday since sepsis up until now. He just got his stress test done today and we're waiting on the cardiologist to go over the results with us. It's been a rollercoaster of issues. I never knew how bad appendicitis could get if it ruptured. My goodness!

[tammyhengst]

Wow, God bless you`! Thanks for sharing your story. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that pain and fear but in the end i'm sure it's made you a better Doctor today because of it~! So many Doctor's ignore our symptoms, why? I'll never know because they don't care? becausse they have a God complex? OR simply because they're not held accountable when they make mistakes the vast majority of time? DID you Mom ever get her $100 from that first Doctor? haha I hope so.

[helentuma]

This happened to me over a period of 3 years they keeper saying it was flu. Finally they fid a white count 21.000. They did surgery. As my appendix ruptured many times I was full of scar tissue around Mt intestine s. It took 3 hours. Dr told my he had never seen such a mess. I wasa surgery tech at that time. It was a long recovery

[corvettez]

i am in so much pain in my lower right abdomen and im 12 and my mom says its gas but it would have been gone by now and i have very bad nausea im gonna go to the hospital the only thing im scared of is me being over reactive or the doctor misdiagnoses me or my apendix has already ruptured but il glady get it removed if i have appendicitis i just hope i don’t have some type of disease or infection and i hope i don’t die either

[suziecarr]

My husband has a 10inch or more scar plus a small circle scar where he had a drain in the belly . His dad was a huge jerk and it's a miracle he is alive after his aunt said something. Worse part is his dad was also missing his own appendix. I didn't know him but he says it was hell bc of the tubes everywhere they were trying to get the stuff from his belly directly out with a second little hole . Something that i thought was weird bc I figured it would be a little piece of the incision open instead. Catheter and tube in the mouth to suck the stuff from his stomach. Everything is gross and infected but I'm sure glad to say that the actual incision is completely numb to this day so he was not in the horrible pain of packing the hole everyday until the doctor said he could close it up. It was burst as you can imagine.

[MeganWhamGMfan]

I’m glad you did not die of it
I heard a sad story about a 13 year old boy who had it for a week and died
It was misdiagnosed 2 times as “gastro”

[alyv]

Crazy story! I fear getting appendicitis .

[abydiedhiou]

I’m on my third month of appendicitis. I had a big ball of abscess. The antibiotics removed it but the surgeons said I can’t have the surgery until my appendix is no longer inflamed.