Appendicitis

Had mine out aged 17- I remember the specialist & junior dr arguing behind the curtain whether mine was inflamed or was I suffering from constipation, whipped it out anyway & kept me in bed for a week (late 80s). Now you would be in & out of hospital same day probably

I had mine out when I was 14, I had to stay on an adult ward and was mortified from being asked loudly if I’d opened my bowels.
No one else in my family has had theirs out.

I had a “grumbling” appendix when I was 20, sooo painful, couldn’t bear it to be touched, but the doctor decided to starve it into submission - three days with no food! I suppose it worked as I’m now 84 but with hindsight it would’ve been better to have had it gone.

I was thinking exactly the same thing, when I was 10 in 1953 and my sister 8 in 1955, we both had to have our appendix out. I can still remember a trolley full of children being wheeled down to the operating theatre, we were all sitting on the trolley and I can remember the massive Black gas thing they put over your nose and mouth and you could smell the gas before they put you to sleep. I was off school for 10 weeks and I remember my mum giving me cod liver oil every day to keep my going to the toilet on a regular basis.

I don't know if there's a genetic link, but my father, my son, and myself all had emergency appendectomies when we were young.
We don't seem to hear much about appendicitis these days, for whatever reason.

I had mine out when I was 33. Undiluted agony. The GP told me to go to A&E as he suspected appendicitis but when the surgeon exposed my appendix, it was fine but removed it anyway. He then went searching through my abdomen to find the cause. It turned out to be an ovarian cyst which had burst. I'd had no idea I even had one. In those days (early 80's) I had 10 days in hospital.

My daughter had her's out at 9/10 then 4 years ago I had,64! Surgeon said unusual at my age...🤣. Then my ex at age 60! Only my youngest daughter not had her's out....

A late teen I know was told absolutely not your appendix by the doc. Well. It was, and the delay meant she was in hospital for weeks. . nephew has his out as a young adult, as did neice's fiance not long afterwards. Shortly afterwards my son had his out, NHS direct told him to take paracetamol overnight, doc wouldn't see him as an emergency, so he took himself into hospital. None of these 3 young people lived close to each other. My dad was in his 70s when he had his out but a schoolfriend had hers out when she was around 13

tanith

My sister had hers removed in her late 60s and my GS when he was 28 he was quite ill and had some of his bowel removed too. Also this year I lost my brother to cancer of the Appendix something I didn't know existed.

So sorry to read this. My best friend recently passed away from cancer. Started in her ovaries and spread to her bowel, bladder, appendix so they were all removed.

My sister had hers removed in her late 60s and my GS when he was 28 he was quite ill and had some of his bowel removed too. Also this year I lost my brother to cancer of the Appendix something I didn't know existed.

BlueBelle

How did these kitchen table operations take place ? My 88 year old friend remembers having her tonsils out on the kitchen table

I had my baby teeth out on the kitchen table as they refused to fall out . The GP came and gave me chloroform, not a nice experience, and the dentist did the rest . My mother , a nurse , pinned a sheet over the table to make it sterile . My friend visited in the afternoon bringing me gobstoppers which I sucked as my gums bled .

My grandad died in hospital with a burst appendix in 1914 leaving my gm with a toddler and a baby on the way. Dad had appendicitis and peritonitis in 1963 and was ill for 3 months. He was lucky to survive. He had low blood pressure so the doctors didn’t realise how bad it was. Gm was in a real state.

I had mine out when I was 9 ( 1963).
I’d felt ill all day and had been sick a few times. I woke in the evening in awful pain and Mum called the doctor.
An hour later I was in an ambulance and was operated on at 2 am. Was in hospital for a week.
I can’t think of anyone else in the family who had theirs out.

SueEH

I can’t help with an actual answer, but an elderly friend of mine was astounded that we don’t all have appendectomy scars; he thought that everyone had their appendix out as a preventative measure 😄

When I was a nurse in the olden days 😀 patients taken to theatre for any type of open abdominal surgery had their healthy appendix removed at the same time. It was seen as a preventative measure. I’m not sure when this ceased to be routine.

BlueBelle

How did these kitchen table operations take place ? My 88 year old friend remembers having her tonsils out on the kitchen table

Usually, with the family doctor removing the appendix and the district nurse administring ether or cholorform, after a great deal of hasty scrubbing of the kitchen table and probably a carbolic spray going full blast to kill of any germs.

Caeserian sections done in the same manner, but with the midwife assisting, as usually two people were sufficient, although the district nurse might be called in as well.

I can’t help with an actual answer, but an elderly friend of mine was astounded that we don’t all have appendectomy scars; he thought that everyone had their appendix out as a preventative measure 😄

I had appendicitis in 1984 and the pain was awful. Unfortunately after 3 days at home, I developed a pulmonary embolism, spent a week in hospital and was on warfarin for 12 months. It wasn’t until I read about it afterwards I found out how serious it was. Apparently the blood clot was big and took up three quarters of my lung. I’m 71 now and very lucky to be here.

I had a grumbling appendix when I was 5 months pregnant, luckily it settled down so I wasn't operated on. Then a few years later when I had another abdominal op thye decided to take mine out just to avoid future complications. One of my daughters had an emergency op to remove her appendix in her 30s but nobody else in my family has had it done.

My 8 year old GS had appendicitis three weeks ago. His mum took him to children’s A&E with severe pain and frequent vomiting. The process was very slow but eventually appendicitis was diagnosed and he was admitted. Unfortunately it was almost another 24 hours before he was operated on and it ruptured. He was kept in for 6 days for close observation because of the very real danger of infection.
Fortunately, a happy ending. He was fine, and is now back in school. It was a real ordeal , though, for the poor boy and all his family.

The only one in our family to have their appendix removed was DD1 in 1990 when she was 10. She’d had stomach pains for days, but was so stoic and understating it so much that it wasn’t suspected till she was doubled over with pain. Even in hospital she played it down so much that I had to persuade the doctor that she really was in agony. She hasn’t changed.

The consultant later said it was very fortunate they decided to go for removal when they did, as her appendix was in a very bad way.

Son had this at 14. Ate breakfast went to school absolutely fine. 2 hours later came home couldn't stand up straight. Vomiting exactly every 20 minutes which was a strange symptom. Had emergency GP appointment who told me to drive straight to hospital. At hospital they gave pain relief and a blood test. Pain stopped but blood test showed v large white cell count. They operated just in time before it burst.
Sister had pain for 2 weeks. Dr prescribed antibiotics but temperature went up on week 3 and pain was severe so mum rang ambulance. It had just burst when they operated so sister had drains in and took weeks to heal.
Nobody else in my large extended family has had this.

I had mine out on the kitchen table , 85 years ago .
I remember the nurse holding my arms behind my back with one hand and pulling my head back with the other while the ether mask was clapped over my face
Grands persuaded the local Italian icecream shop to open late to get me a small amount of ice cream to sooth me
I think my mum was afraid of me going in hospital

How did these kitchen table operations take place ? My 88 year old friend remembers having her tonsils out on the kitchen table

I had mine removed when I was expecting my son. Just 4months. Into my pregnancy. 44 years ago. All good

My uncle, born 1903, like others of his generation, had his appendix removed on the kitchen table.
He survived, but died aged 25 of a brain tumour.