Has anyone had appendicitis?

I'm not sure what is going on with me. I have a sharp pain in my right side, it hurts worse when I walk, my stomach is bloated and the pain shoots down my leg and wraps around my back at times. It started last night and one area (right by my hipbone) is very sensitive to touch. My husband thinks its my appendix, my MIL thinks it might be my ovary and I think its just gas. Or possibly a pulled muscle. 

I'll be honest with you, I don't want to go to the ER because I have never, in 43 years, had surgery. The only time my body has come in contact with a knife is when I was cooking...which happened fairly often. BUT, the whole operation thing...ummm...no. Yeah, I've basically freaked myself out.

So, before I spend more money at the ER, does this sound like appendicitis to you?

How long have you had this pain for?

Hm. When I've had ovary pains (during pregnancies) they never shoot down my legs.  Call your primary doctor maybe?

I'm wondering about gall bladder? Does it stay in that general area or does it ever move toward the center of your stomach/chest, right between your rib cage?

If you don't want to go to the doctor (and I really think you need to go) at least try to google your symptoms and see what you come up with. But if this doesn't subside, you need to go.

The fact that it's painful to touch makes me think it's an abdominal hernia but I wouldn't take something like IBS(onset is often in late teens-20s but stress could bring it on) or an ovarian cyst off the table. Either way, I highly recommend seeing a doctor ASAP. They're not going to perform surgery unless it's necessary and will most likely just perform a pelvic exam/ultrasound. Good luck; I imagine it's nothing too serious but it's still a good idea to rule out the worst case scenarios as those things can go from bad to worse very quickly.

The pain started last night Karen so it's not an ongoing thing. That's why I think it might be gas or a pulled muscle from working in the garden. I just was able to take a shower, and I guess I'm going to the ER before DH has a fit. 

Thinking of you. Let us know.

I was afraid I had appendicitis one time, and went to the doctor. He said one one trick is to press on the painful area on the abdomen, then suddenly release the pressure. A bad appendix will be suddenly extremely painful.

Let us know how you make out, Hope. :cross:

A ruptured appendix can kill you in a very short amount of time.  If you have pain in the appendix area, rather than try and self diagnose, go to the ER and have it checked out; now!
 

Well, I'm back (fastest ER visit in history I think). They took blood, had me pee in a cup, I got stuck (very badly) with an IV and I had a CT scan. Diagnosis? Everything appears to be normal, but we still can't rule out appendicitis. Have a nice day. 

Huh?????? I'm supposed to go back if it gets worse tonight and follow up with my PCP tomorrow. I swear, our local hospital stinks. We used to have 2 in town, and they kind of competed with each other and that kept their standards up. They merged into a "health system" about 6 years back and it's gone down hill ever since. I mean, I don't expect them to be miracle workers, but when someone comes in with pain, if its not what is initially thought causing it, find out what IS causing it! 

On the bright side....DH bribed me to go to the ER, so it looks like I'm being taken out to dinner on Saturday .

Thinking of you and hope that this is not appendicitis :cross:. Feel better and enjoy your dinner out with DH!!

Not all appendectomies have an open incision. Today they may be done by laparoscopic surgery - so called band aid surgery. A couple of tiny incisions, some gas in your abdomen so surgeon can see what he's doing, snip, and all done, home the same day.

Hope you're feeling better. Abdominal pain is scary. Sucks when they can't come up with a definate diagnosis. Don't let it get you down and don't down play your pain if it gets worse. Get yourself back to the ER if it continues to hurt and insist that they find what is causing the pain!
 

Oh good grief.  I hope you are feeling better!! 

:slant: very frustrating not having an answer.

When my DH got appendicitis, he was in increasing discomfort for a week beforehand. The pain was like very bad gas, and hurt his back too. No shooting pains down his leg though. We went to the urgent care clinic and got sent away with Gas-Ex. Thanks doc. That evening his appendix burst and he had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Do take care of yourself! If it continues on and gets worse you have to find out what's going on. It's ridiculous that the patient has to be so persistent in pushing for treatment these days.

I had no warning when l had my appendix removed, other that being woken up through the night feeling nauseous and a pain in the centre of my stomach.

The pain gradually moved to the right,  and my Mother who had grumbling appendix since she was in her 40's knew it was that.   So!,  l was rushed off to hospital where it were removed the same day, and l was told it had been caught just in time

Good grief. You be careful and take it easy for awhile. Thinking of you!  that it will go away and you'll be fine.

Haven't had  my appendix removed but I  had  my fair share of operations within my 35 years of marriage.

When I was 15 and 16 years old I was getting intense pain deep in my lower right abdomen. It was incapacitating and I would end up in a fetal position because of the pain.  My family doctor kept testing me for Appendicitis  but the tests were always negative.

When I was 19 I was living in a small city in the north part of our Province, and I had one of these painful attacks and ended up in the hospital.  When the doctor heard that I had been getting this pain since I was 15 or so, the first thing he did was a back xray.  Turns out the pain wasn't from my appendix, it was from my spine!

It seems I was born with a benign form of spina bifida called "Spina Bifida Occulata".  The spinal cord is inside the spinal column as it should be, but the bones around the edges, for the last 4 vertebrae didn't form together. So essentially I have what appears to be backward C's attached to my spine, instead of "O" shaped bones.  Because there is a piece of bone missing on 4 vertebrae, it puts strain and causes pain.

The doctor at the time wanted to do surgery and put metal rods in the open spaces to complete the "O" shape.  The percentage that I would walk or be paralyzed?  50%!!! I didn't like those odds.

He told me that I would be paralyzed in a wheelchair by the time I was 40!

Well, here I am 51 and no where near being paralyzed. Granted I do have horrid back pain at times, and when the pain is manageable I am still limited in what I can do because pain will flare up.  But other than not being able to lift more than a bag of potatoes, or walk long distances, I still function pretty well.  For vacuuming and dishes, I do have to sit in a chair to do tasks such as that and for shopping, depending on how my back feels, I may or may not need to use the store scooter.