Undiagnosed ruptured appendix

[Myothername]

Anyone ever had this and didn't know it for years? When I had my gallbladder out a few years ago the surgeon asked me after surgery when did I have a ruptured appendix. I said I never had a ruptured appendix. He said yes you did sometime in the previous 10-15 years. I do remember having a horrible stomach ache all one night to the point where all I could do was just lay in bed. By morning it was gone. Duh. My appendix had ruptured at that point. He told me he had seen it before and that my body did what it was designed to do. It just scarred over the appendix.

I have searched all over google and have not found anything about this and figured I would ask here. Anyone ever had this and didn't know it for years?

 

[mamamary]

My dd had a ruptured appendix back in April. We caught it a week after it happened but......I did alot of reading up on it as she was in the hospital for 8 days and I do remember reading that in a few cases nothing needs to be done. But honestly I didn't read any more into that as it wasn't the case for my DD. By the way after about a week other than her getting a fever her stomach felt better so the drs. were surprised that it was her appendix. Her surgeon told me that with everyone your symptoms can be different.

 

[Pipkin]

If he didn't see a previous surgical scar, it should have been obvious that you didn't know about it, or knew about it and did nothing.
I would imagine that it happens more often than people actually know. Abdominal pain that gets better with no ill effects. Without having surgery for something else, you would only find out about it on autopsy, but then you wouldn't know.

 

[Myothername]

If he didn't see a previous surgical scar, it should have been obvious that you didn't know about it, or knew about it and did nothing.
I would imagine that it happens more often than people actually know. Abdominal pain that gets better with no ill effects. Without having surgery for something else, you would only find out about it on autopsy, but then you wouldn't know.

You would have to know this surgeon. Very dry sense of humor. His surgical nurse asked him what he was going to do with it and he said nothing. It is not bothering her so lets leave it alone. I am just surprised in all the sonograms I had when pregnant and other things that no one ever saw anything.

 

[Pipkin]

You would have to know this surgeon. Very dry sense of humor. His surgical nurse asked him what he was going to do with it and he said nothing. It is not bothering her so lets leave it alone. I am just surprised in all the sonograms I had when pregnant and other things that no one ever saw anything.

Could they have misdiagnosed a boy? just kidding.

 

[phorsenuf]

My moms ruptured when she was in labor with me. They just attributed it to being a part of the labor pains, even though I was her fourth and she knew better. She was so sick afterwards that my dad had to hire a nurse to take care of us all while he worked. That's how sick she was. Drs kept saying it was just from having a baby. Really? Almost a year later? Anyway, after a year or so they finally figured out what happened.

 

[Myothername]

My moms ruptured when she was in labor with me. They just attributed it to being a part of the labor pains, even though I was her fourth and she knew better. She was so sick afterwards that my dad had to hire a nurse to take care of us all while he worked. That's how sick she was. Drs kept saying it was just from having a baby. Really? Almost a year later? Anyway, after a year or so they finally figured out what happened.

Wow. Your poor mom. I think once mine ruptured was when my stomach stopped hurting. But having had a baby afterward it felt alot like labor pains only it didn't stop.

 

[Gigi22]

Goodness you were lucky! My Dad's best friend died of a ruptured appendix.

 

[figmentswife]

So not a ruptured appendix but my DH had a 2nd appendicitis....Yep, even the nurses were questioning this one. He had his appendix removed about 10 years ago and in 2010 he wasn't feeling good, we thought is was something else b\c he has some health issues, so we were told to go to the hospital, and after some testing they said it was his appendix. We were like "WHAT???? He had that removed already" Dr. said, that sometimes surgeons don't take all of it and they leave a "stub".

Also, my brother had a ruptured appendix and almost died, so I am very glad that you are ok.

 

[phorsenuf]

So not a ruptured appendix but my DH had a 2nd appendicitis....Yep, even the nurses were questioning this one. He had his appendix removed about 10 years ago and in 2010 he wasn't feeling good, we thought is was something else b\c he has some health issues, so we were told to go to the hospital, and after some testing they said it was his appendix. We were like "WHAT???? He had that removed already" Dr. said, that sometimes surgeons don't take all of it and they leave a "stub".

Also, my brother had a ruptured appendix and almost died, so I am very glad that you are ok.

I've heard about them semi growing back and causing problems. My youngest son had issues with his for years. They didn't want to take it out because it never would develop into a full blown attack. Ended up he had stones in his that would inflame it. They finally took it out.

 

[cm8]

If he didn't see a previous surgical scar, it should have been obvious that you didn't know about it, or knew about it and did nothing.
I would imagine that it happens more often than people actually know. Abdominal pain that gets better with no ill effects. Without having surgery for something else, you would only find out about it on autopsy, but then you wouldn't know.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Goodness you were lucky! My Dad's best friend died of a ruptured appendix.

I thought this always happened. WOW!! That is crazy.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

Goodness you were lucky! My Dad's best friend died of a ruptured appendix.

I thought this always happened. WOW!! That is crazy.

Count me in on having no idea someone could live through a ruptured appendix. Mine ruptured when I was in 3rd grade. I spent 8 days in the hospital getting massive doses of antibiotics via IV. That burned like HELL!

 

[Eeyore98]

Count me in on having no idea someone could live through a ruptured appendix. Mine ruptured when I was in 3rd grade. I spent 8 days in the hospital getting massive doses of antibiotics via IV. That burned like HELL!

Count me in as well. I thought surviving a ruptured appendix basically meant surviving sepsis, and thus was impossible without lots of immediate medical intervention. My mom's appendix ruptured when she was only three, and she spent two weeks in isolation in the hospital, and at first they weren't sure she was going to make it.

 

[Andtototoo]

I didn't know you could easily survive it and not even know about it.

Just a few months ago, my coworker's dd had a ruptured appendix and she was in the hospital for nearly two weeks and had to go back over and over for check ups.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Count me in as well. I thought surviving a ruptured appendix basically meant surviving sepsis, and thus was impossible without lots of immediate medical intervention. My mom's appendix ruptured when she was only three, and she spent two weeks in isolation in the hospital, and at first they weren't sure she was going to make it.

Ditto. I assumed a ruptured appendix was VERY bad, which is why they took it out.

 

[Myothername]

I asked the surgeon why I was not sicker. He said it happens sometimes and he had seen it before. The only thing I can figure is it ruptures slowly, leaked maybe, and my body formed scar tissue around it and encapsulated it. I have to say I have a really good immune system. I rarely get sick and when I do I get well really quick. As far as I know no one else in my family has had appendicitis. But you never know.

 

[tigercat]

My appendix ruptured when I was about 12. I was so sick that my ds rushed me to the Dr. who wanted to call an ambulance to take me to the hospital. I had it out right away as it had ruptured and was going to be bad. I ended up in the hospital for over a week and then at home for another couple of weeks. It was not fun.
tigercat

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Well I had a hard time getting the doctors to diagnose my ruptured appendix.

Other than the abdominal pain and nausea I didn't show the normal symptoms (no fever, no elevated blood count, etc). They kept saying I had the stomach flu and sent me home 3 times before we could convince them something was wrong.

After refusing to leave the ER the last time they finally did a CT scan and found an abscess the size of a softball where the appendix had been leaking. The surgeon said it looked like it had been ruptured 2-3 days.

The risk of infection was so high I spent 8 days in the ICU and they had to leave my incision open for a week and let it drain everything out before stitching me up.