I have had a sharp pain in my side all day, about where the appendix is. I don't think it's my kidney becuase there is no trouble urinating and it's not my bowels because there is no trouble there. It's just a sharp pain that won't go away. How can I tell if it's my appendix and if it is, what does that mean? Can you tell me about appendicitis[sp]?
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Sharp pain in my side - appendix?
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Appendicitis usually starts as a generalised pain in the abdomen, which later localises as a sharp pain in the abdomen, usually towards the right.Article on appendicitisIf the pain is still there tomorrow, or it keeps you awake tonight, you should get to a doctor or ER. It may not be appendicitis, but a pain that doesn't go away needs investigating.
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It turned out to be appendicitis(is that correct spelling?) and I had it removed yesterday. I'm really sore - in fact, I feel worse than I did before surgery! But I'm better than I would have been. The doctor said that it would have burst withing 12-24 hours if I hadn't had it removed and that would have been a LOT more pain. They fill you with gas to separate the organs and make it easier to work on you, and then they try to suck it out afterward but they can't really get it all. It sort of settles in your shoulders(I've heard it settles in different places for different people) and that's the most painful part of it. Scuba divers have the same problem after deep sea diving and they call it the bends. The surgeon made three small incisions - one to drain, one to snip the appendix through and another to pull it out of. They are all on my left side - go figure! No stitches because they used something kind of like glue to hold the wounds together. Apparently, my veins aren't any good for taking blood or giving IV's - they kept me up half the night prodding me with a needle until they found a vein. I guess it annoyed them more than it annoyed me All in all I'm doing pretty good. I'll be happy to answer any questions.
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Thanks for letting us know. I hadn't heard of using gas like that before. The bends is dangerous, so I'm very surprised.That glue they use really is glue - it's actually super-glue.