Coping With Appendectomy

On April 23, 2009 I went to the hospital with excruciating pain. After a CT scan the ER doctor determined my appendix would have to be removed. I was assigned a room at 1am April 24th and scheduled for surgery April 24th at 6:30am. I was briefed by the surgeon at 5:30, he told me that he was not sure if my appendix had ruptured or not and that the surgery should be quick and easy. After having my appendix out, I was walking the hospital ground recovering just fine.

I was released home Saturday 25th later that day I developed a high fever and extreme pain. I went back to the hospital at 11pm on Saturday. I was seen in the ER, I was given fluids and something for the pain. The doctor said I was fine my body was dealing with the stress of the surgery and I was released.

I spent Sunday at home on the couch buckled over in pain and by Sunday night I was vomiting uncontrollable. This is where the lights went out for me, my wife drove me back to the hospital where I was seen by the ER doctor on duty. The doctor wanted to release me again like he had done the day before, all my signs were ok. After debating with my family they agreed to keep me for a couple extra hours to monitor me. Around 11pm on Sunday my vitals had all dropped, blood pressure was around 90/60, temp at 103, uncontrolled vomiting, rapid breathing. I was admitted to the CCU and incubated, I showed signs of stabilization through Monday and all of my family had left around 6pm Monday. By 7pm my vitals had gone to 60/40 and then lower. My surgeon was notified and arrived around 11pm, the surgery was exploratory at this point.

The 12 inch incision up the center of my abdomen resulted in the removal of an adhesion. Over the next 1 month I was in a medically induced coma, I was plagued with Sepsis, Septic Shock, Septic Syndrome, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, ARD%u2019s, Acinetobacter, Pneumonia tracheostomy Issues, severe esophagitis, cedif colitis and the list goes on. After 1 month in the ICU I was starting to show signs of improvement, they started getting me out of bed to stand for 30sec to a couple of minutes. The ventilator weaning process began and would continue for the next month and a half. June 1st I was transferred to a rehabilitation center where I received therapies, released on 7/1/09. I started back to work in late August.