emergency appendectimy

[bikingshearer]

To the OP: Glad you caught in more or less in time. I'd say listen to your doc as to the time needed for stitches, etc., to heal and not to be in danger of reopening anything. Then listen to your body - if it says take it easy, then take it easy.

I don't remember how long I was off the bike after my appendectomy, so I can't be of much help there. Like some others here, I waited several days longer than I should have before I went in. Too long a story for here - bottom line, I was an idiot and thought work was more important than the increasingly excruciating pain in my gut. Mine didn't burst, but it was "perforated" and i spent three or four days in the hospital. I also learned two things about demerol (this was 1993 - they have other stuff now that I have not had the pleasure of meeting). (1) I really - and I mean really - liked it. It scares me how much I liked it. And (2) as much as I liked the demerol warm-and-fuzzy high, between the painful stuff up front and the mother of all constipation afterwards, it is not worth what you have to do to get it.

[rando]

Drink lots of water, rest longer than you think you need to recover, and then start going for ambling walks over gently rolling unpaved terrain. Relax, let your organs readjust after the shock they just went through. The bike will still be there a week after you could have grabbed it and started by going too hard. If pain or incontinence are your only criteria, by all means bend yourself double and claw back perceived losses in fitness. The above is a wiser path to long term health.

[buddybikes]

Whew, interesting thread. Now about 52 hours post op. Yesterday was basically normal except ride/kayak of course. The worst was the dry mouth for first 24 hours. Yes and getting all plumbing back to normal. Didn't even take any tylenol this morning.

If mine had popped, probably good bye and my wife would of been putting up my FF for sale due to my diabetes (50 year pin next month).

[kppolich]

Joined the club as well this morning. Interesting back story that may or may not have played along with what happened. Yesterday I completed a 30 day challenge of eating Vegan. To celebrate I modestly decided to have a turkey club wrap for lunch at 12 Noon. 3 hours later I am home throwing up and sitting on the toilet on and off for 4 hours. After a refreshing shower I try to lay down and get past this presumed food poisoning or whatever - my stomach and lower ab area are cramping, shooting, tugging, painfully and I make the call to call a friend (his wife actually) for a ride to the ER. Arrive and sit down at 7:59PM

Arrive at ER @ "#1 Hospital In The State" and wait 2 hours to get to a ER exam room and then speak with the doctor for 3-4 minutes. After loosely diagnosing acute appendicitis without ruling out food poisoning he instructs the nurse to start IV fluids, pain med, anti nausea and to do blood work. He then says we will get you in for a CT right away to rule on the Appendix situation on top of looking at high white blood cell counts and urine analysis. Now 10PM

I **** you not 4 hours later I am finally in for the CT (now 2AM)

3:30AM comes and another doctor shows up and says get ready for surgery, shows me the CT scan and he expresses his eagerness to remove my HUGE appendix.

Wake up from surgery, now 6AM feeling like a million bucks with 3 holes in my abdomen. Taking it easy this week with high hopes of jumping back on the bike in 16 days and possibly resuming cross. Team of doctors expresses their excitement for just how huge my appendix was for a skinny, 155lb man and wished they had taken pictures but it was within hours of rupturing so they just did the damn thing.

Moral of the story- pain moves fast and I'm glad it's over. PK's and couch time.

[buddybikes]

In my case went to ER at 6:30 PM, small hospital no OR, blood drawn seen by dr within 45 min. Got to CT about 9:30, hung around for ambulance @1:00 AM, hung around another ER till OR people woke up and in their hands @6:30 AM

Least I got pain meds in me faster

[bshell]

Tried to walk it off for a day/day and a half but ended up taking myself to the Emergency Room around 1am when the fever/chills/sweats/shakes set upon me.

Morphine made no difference but I was fine as long as they weren't moving me around. Waited 9 hours for surgery/vacuuming up the perforation debris. Guy did a fine job through those three access holes.

If you are ever in this situation and they want to 'administer' contrast fluids for your CT be very aware that there is a tasteless, drinkable alternative....sheeesh.

[ultraman6970]

MY little one at age 8 got his apendix out, same as pretty much everybody... pain... problem walking... took him to emergencies just in case and next day he was walking back home. Now a days is a lot better than years ago, no cut anymore.

[2LeftCleats]

To the OP. What are you waiting for? You've already lost a day of riding.

[teleguy57]

You're in good company....
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/la...s-doubt-348579

[Ken Robb]

20+ years ago I had pain similar to appendicitis but it was on the wrong side. I thought it was due to something I ate at a raw seafood bar. I finally called my GP who asked if pressure on the abdomen hurt. When I told him the elasic in my underpants caused sharp pain he told me to meet him at his office ASAP. It was closed on this Sunday but he met me at the ground floor elevator so I did not have to climb any stairs. He quickly confirmed his suspicion that I had diverticulitis, prescribed oral antibiotics, and sent me home to rest and be carefully observed by my wife who had orders to phone him at home if I didn't improve in a couple of hours. He said had I been puking he would admitted me to a hospital so I could get my meds via IV. As an aside, he told me if I had endured this much pain on the appendix side it probably would have ruptured because appendix walls are not as thick/tough as intestinal walls.

A few years later I had subtle twinges that I remembered from my last bout of diverticulitis. I was camping with friends so I told them I had to get to medical help ASAP and asked them to take down my tent and bring my stuff home when they left the next day. Another quick round of antibiotics cured this bout before the pain got beyond mild discomfort. Fortunately I have not had a recurrence in 18 years. My doc said another attack and he would have recommended removing the section of my intestine with the offending diverticula. Whew!

[Tickdoc]

Uggh. Diverticulitis here as well. Just back from Maui and started feeling bad a day before flying home. I felt like I ate a lit firecracker and it exploded just before I could poop it out. Maybe a week of resort food is not what my body needed?

The flight home was miserable. Long hot lines outside for security. ( must everyone fly out at the same time of night?). Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t get comfy. I thought I had just some food poisoning but it was low in my gut and very painful.

Unable to sleep once home brought me to the urgent care today, which turned into er visit and 9 hrs later I’m finally home with a round of antibiotics. I was afraid it had ruptured the pain was so intense, but not that they could tell from ct (fingers crossed).

I was going to be slammed at work after a week off, now it’s going to be even worse!

I will sure miss those Maui sunsets tho….

[Ken Robb]

25 plus years ago I had severe diverticulitis which has very similar symptoms of appendicitis. I thought it was just caused by bad food so I waited to call my doc. He asked if it was tender to touch. I told him the elastic waistband in my boxers caused excruciating pain so he told me to get to his office ASAP and he would open up for me on Sunday afternoon. It was on the side opposite my appendix so he knew what it was and immediately put me on massive doses of oral antibiotics. He said if my wife wasn't going to be with me to monitor my condition he would have put me in the hospital because my bowel might have ruptured like an inflamed appendix. He said if I had experienced this much pain in the area of my appendix it would have surely ruptured because the wall of it is not as tough as the wall of an intestine.

Afew years later I was camping with friends when I had a twinge that I remembered as like the first symptom of diverticulitis so I asked my friends to bring my tent and stuff home when they got home in a couple of days and hurried home to see my doc. He put me on the same antibiotics as before and I was better in a couple of days without any real pain. The doc said if it happened again we might have to consider removing some of my intestine which had the diverticula causing the problem. I'm happy to say I've had no recurrence for 20 plus years. Oh yeah, I've never had any problem with my appendix.

[benb]

My brothers both had to have theirs out in their 20s, neither ruptured and they were fine in pretty short order.

My F-I-L had his rupture. Healthcare is very good here, the docs got him sorted right out too with no real complications in the long run too.

You'll be fine in pretty short order.. best of luck, just listen to the doctors.

It seems like pretty much everyone goes from 100% OK to agonizing pain and into the hospital pretty quick.

[gbcoupe]

Firstly, Steve and all, glad you're alright.

Second, damn! Didn't realize this was so common. Cycling related? Not that I'm going to stop. Just seems a little weird that so many here have had them go wonky.

[poff]

Had mine removed last October. Had abdominal pain in the middle of the zoom class I was teaching, I finished teaching and had my wife drive me to the emergency where upon negative COVID test I had it removed. I had to get back to teaching 3 days after the surgery and was back on my bike 10 days after.