I’m a healthy person who exercises regularly, and has a pretty good diet. So one evening, when I had some French Onion soup, and then some gas afterwards, I figured it was no big deal. I woke up the following morning with stomach cramps, but figured that I still had some gas pain and that it would go away over time. I was away on vacation, so I went to the airport and flew home. All through the flight, the pain got worse rather than better, and I started to worry.

By the time we landed, I could no longer find a comfortable position in which to sit, and the pain kept getting worse. After the car ride home, I couldn’t stand fully upright, and I couldn’t walk without pain. Finally, I decided (at my husband’s urging) to call a doctor — he told me to go straight to the ER. There, he diagnosed acute appendicitis — I had laparoscopic surgery a few hours later. It was lucky I got to the hospital when I did — a few more hours and it could have ruptured. I was glad I took the pain seriously and got the appropriate medical help.