acute appendicitis

[RussBLib]

I got out of the hospital on Monday after having an operation to remove my "angry, swollen, and leaking" acute appendix. It's been a very rough three days. Getting much better now.

I made a post on Facebook about it and got a ton of well-wishes, and you know? Not one single one of them said they'd pray for my speedy recovery! Most of them - but not all - know I am an atheist. During the screening process at the hospital, they asked me, "Religion?" I replied, "none" and they didn't bat an eye. Also refused to have a chaplain come and visit me.

Starting to make some posts on my blog about it if you'd like to read. I'm very grateful to be still walking this Earth, however gingerly.

Praise science!

[trotsky]

1. Glad you are on the mend!

And it's better to have acute appendix than an ugly one, isn't it?

[Lordquinton]

11. Glad we got that out of the way

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Good to hear you are doing well.

I also had to have mine removed many moons ago. It was an emergency surgery (prepping me for surgery in the elevator on the way to the OR) and I was told it was within a half hour of bursting, which would have been much worse.

Don't worry, you won't miss it.

[AlbertCat]

4. Get well soon!

My father was a surgeon (THE surgeon in town I'm told) in the age when they just took everything out...by splaying you open and grabbing it. He did like a dozen or more different kinds of surgeries every week. I hope they didn't have to do that but did one of those cool and amazing less invasive surgeries.


In a cosmic sorta turn, when my father's gall bladder went it was so far gone they had to do the old fashion kind of surgery he himself was well versed in to scoop the practically liquified thing out! He didn't feel the pain until that stage because by that time in his life (80's) he was popping Oxy like Rush Limbaugh..... while he listened to Rush Limbaugh!

[RussBLib]

5. yes, they did this one laparoscopically

I understand there is a resurgence of dosing with antibiotics instead of removal. Mine was too far gone.

NY Times article

Thanks for all the kind words, y'all.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. Did you have it stuffed, mounted and framed?

[RussBLib]

8. flushed

It was just a gob o' goo after being sucked out by that tiny little vacuum.

[needledriver]

7. St. Joseph's Hospital

I had my appendix out at the nearest large hospital; Providence St. Joseph's. My patient room had a crucifix on the wall, and twice a day we heard a prayer and religious affirmation over the public address system. That was it. No one tried to cram religion down my throat, there was no chaplain visit, the nurses and staff were terrific and professional. Their religion and my lack of it had absolutely no effect on the quality of my care.

[RussBLib]

9. I went to Methodist Hospital in Houston

And I did not see or hear one single reference to religion or Jesus or anything similar anywhere in the hospital, and I was looking. Even though I was in pain, I was looking. Even the black male nurse, overweight and ebullient, didn't make any such remarks.

When they asked my religion, I simply replied "none" and they moved on to the next question. These folks are professionals and hopefully have no time for that kind of nonsense.

[Lordquinton]

10. I had my gall bladder removed

It took an emergency room visit after being misdiagnosed for a long time, since the symptoms i reported were severe lower back pain. Went to John Muir and they tried to double charge me after telling me it wasn't my appemdex (this was when i had severe abdominal pain) and said ey couldn't help so fo to county, which has actually been overhauled to be a nice place.

In the ER there er whisked me to surgery pretty fast, and told me that while they were in there they checked my appexdex, just in case, and it was healthy.

I don't remember much of my stay, except that the mornin i woke up Gabby Giffords was shot, so that kinda burned into my memory.

Glad you're doing well. Honored that you came to us to share.

[Warpy]

12. Most people reply "none" these days

as in "none of your business, if I need anything, I'll call my own god botherer." It doesn't mean they're godless scum of the earth like us, it means they want to cut unwanted intrusion to a minimum.

Nurses in Boston and NM aren't pushy about religion, don't know about the bible belt. Even the coworkers who kept their noses in their bibles during down time kept the science front and center out in the work areas.

[onager]

13. Glad you made it!

IMO, the human appendix is a lot like religion. It usually just sits there doing nothing very useful, until it suddenly flares up and tries to kill you.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

18. Bazinga!

Holy FSM I wish I could rec a response!

[trotsky]

19. I echo EvolveOrConvolve's sentiments!

[AlbertCat]

21. Intelligent design....

...... in action!

[JNelson6563]

22. Well put.

[sammythecat]

27. I'm definitely gonna keep that!

Perfect analogy

[PeaceNikki]

28. lol, awesome

[frogmarch]

14. I'm glad you're okay now!

Back in the mid 70s I too had an angry, swollen and leaking acute appendix. I too survived - thanks to the nurse who kept the surgeon from opening me up on the wrong side to remove it.

I haven't been hospitalized since then, but the next time I am, I'll say "none" too when asked for my religious affiliation and see if they let me out alive. Around these parts, it's all about "God" and "Jesus," so who knows what will happen.

[progressoid]

15. Well, I've been praying for you!

Kidding. Glad you're feeling better.

Praise science indeed!

[Warpy]

16. Appendicitis is awful, you just can't find a comfortable position

and eventually it dawns on you that you're sick enough to head for the ER.

The only thing that felt good when I had it was a calico cat under the covers, purring loudly against the parts that hurt the worst.

The only good news is that we come equipped with only one of the damned things. When it's gone, it's gone forever.

[RussBLib]

24. my cat can sense it

When I got home from the hospital, she wanted to crawl up in my lap right away and snuggled up gently to my stomach and started purring. Normally she will climb up in my lap and knead and knead and knead with her paws on my belly before settling down, which would have hurt a lot this time and I was ready to toss her off of me if she did that. This time, she just went right for the curl and started purring. It felt great.

Cats are pretty awesome.

[SusanCalvin]

17. Glad you are feeling better,

and that there was a lack of annoyances.

[RussBLib]

25. except for the tropical storm

and the hour it took to get a cab for my wife in a tropical storm, things went really smoothly.

But it feels like a dark cloud has been lifted from my body and my mind. I was kind of in a downward spiral over the last few weeks, but this experience has pulled my head out of my proverbial ass and reminded me there are a lot of things to be grateful for and a whole lot of things I still want to do before it's "my time."

They say there is nothing like a near-death experience to get your mind right.

[rexcat]

20. Glad you are doing well...

without complications. I had my appendix taken out 3 1/2 weeks after I had shoulder replacement surgery (2009). Talk about uncomfortable. Unfortunately I requested no chaplain to see me but one showed up anyway. I kindly told the person I did not need any of their assistance.

[deucemagnet]

23. I'm very glad that you're doing better.

It would truly suck to lose any of our merry band of godless bastards.

[RussBLib]

26. Thanks, and in no way

has this experience moved me closer to god. Indeed, closer to science and the power of people to help other people.

Science is the reason.

[AtheistCrusader]

29. Right on, glad you made it through.

I'm in my late thirties. I wonder if mine is ever going to kick my ass.

[RussBLib]

30. there have been some good results using antibiotics instead of surgery

...but that is going to require vigilance and awareness of any pains in that area. A CT scan is what revealed it in my case, and that's not a normal test under normal circumstances.

Just stay aware. In your late 30's? You are no longer "invincible".