appendix, recovery time
- Thread starter mimps
- Start date
Even though it was a loooooooong time ago, I seem to remember at least a month. It was one of thos operations where sometimes you thought you were ok again, then you'd put some presssure/strain on at the wrong angle and you'd feel the soreness again straight away.
outtacontrol
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Apparantly there are 2 different techniques. 1 is keyhole and the other is to cut an incision. I had the second option and was left with a cut about 3" long.
They cut through all my muscle layers and it took a while from memory before I could do much.
As a humorous sidenote (which is usually my way), first thing in the morning the scary nurse insisted that I get myself up and use the shower. Despite my protests that I could barely even sit up, she kept at me until I had a go.
Didn't even make it a metre from the bed before I fainted. Woke up to her profuse apologies. Turns out she thought I had the keyhole surgery. :clap2::clap2:
They cut through all my muscle layers and it took a while from memory before I could do much.
As a humorous sidenote (which is usually my way), first thing in the morning the scary nurse insisted that I get myself up and use the shower. Despite my protests that I could barely even sit up, she kept at me until I had a go.
Didn't even make it a metre from the bed before I fainted. Woke up to her profuse apologies. Turns out she thought I had the keyhole surgery. :clap2::clap2:
StanzaRallyMan
Likes Bikes
Had mine taken out Feb 2011. Was going to have keyhole surgery and was told would be out of hospital the next day. When in surgery, was close to bursting and was all infected. Had to have a 10cm cut. Spent 8 days in hospital. Was told to not touch the bike for 4 weeks. This is advise I followed and had no problems.
From my experience, 4 weeks did the trick.
From my experience, 4 weeks did the trick.
JIM80B
Likes Bikes
I had the key hole method on the last day of August 2011. Sorry if I am raining on your parade, but I didnt get back on the bike for 7.5 weeks (end of October) and that was very painful.
I have never been the guy with the ripping 6 pack but the trouble is that they fill you full of air and you lose all muscle control. Then every little bump in the car (let alone mtb) feels like a crater.
Even today 4 1/2 months later the wound in my navel is a little tender.
The troubles with keyhole are:
I had a followup visit with my surgeon a week later and I told him I was surprised at how sore I was considering the minor cuts. He explained that they blew me up like one of those concrete dome halls that they used to build in schools years ago, so all the muscles were sitting in different spots and would have to mesh together again. He also said he had a "great time" using "these cool water blaster instruments" to hose me out. That is actually the words he used.
I found it was 2 - 3 months before I could do a situp. 6 weeks before I could confidently lift my (rather small) kids. It was a week before I drove a car and even then I got a big thick jumper and put it under the lap sash of the seatbelt to stop it rubbing. I was off work for 10 days. My daughter asked me "why do you walk like an old man dad?" I am 31 for reference. Not what I would call old.
All the best with your recovery. I will keep an eye on this thread if you have any more queries, as it is rather recent and still pretty fresh in my mind.
At least I know I'll never have appendicitis again!
I have never been the guy with the ripping 6 pack but the trouble is that they fill you full of air and you lose all muscle control. Then every little bump in the car (let alone mtb) feels like a crater.
Even today 4 1/2 months later the wound in my navel is a little tender.
The troubles with keyhole are:
- Loss of gut muscle control
- 3 incision sites that are sore, left side of belly, in your navel, below your navel (above the playground) and a 4th VERY tender spot on the right hand side where they actually remove the appendix from...that pain is deep.
I had a followup visit with my surgeon a week later and I told him I was surprised at how sore I was considering the minor cuts. He explained that they blew me up like one of those concrete dome halls that they used to build in schools years ago, so all the muscles were sitting in different spots and would have to mesh together again. He also said he had a "great time" using "these cool water blaster instruments" to hose me out. That is actually the words he used.
I found it was 2 - 3 months before I could do a situp. 6 weeks before I could confidently lift my (rather small) kids. It was a week before I drove a car and even then I got a big thick jumper and put it under the lap sash of the seatbelt to stop it rubbing. I was off work for 10 days. My daughter asked me "why do you walk like an old man dad?" I am 31 for reference. Not what I would call old.
All the best with your recovery. I will keep an eye on this thread if you have any more queries, as it is rather recent and still pretty fresh in my mind.
At least I know I'll never have appendicitis again!
FuelXC
Likes Bikes
I was on it 6 weeks and 1 day after keyhole earlier this year. I had no complications and no loss of noticeable strength. I was up and about the day after. I think if u sit back and be passive, it extends it, just take the dr advice and don't push it.
I didn't have any pain when riding either...
Edit: JIM80B - you might need a second opinion or a new surgeon. I wasn't as fast, but was riding my normal trails 6 weeks later
I didn't have any pain when riding either...
Edit: JIM80B - you might need a second opinion or a new surgeon. I wasn't as fast, but was riding my normal trails 6 weeks later
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wow JIM80B, you had it bad.
I had my appendix removed over last Easter break, key hole. I rocked up at the hospitable at 12pm, in for surgery at 3:30pm, was awake at 6pm. Walked out the door at 10am the next morning.
The major pain was from the bubbles left after I was blown up like a balloon. I walked a block 2 days later and started a little bleeding and had to get a lift back to the house
I was back on the bike, road riding, after about 4 weeks, doing martial arts training and playing soccer at the same time.
I was 35 at the time too. I can feel my body taking longer to heal now
Sorry to hear you had it so bad. Hope you get better.
I had my appendix removed over last Easter break, key hole. I rocked up at the hospitable at 12pm, in for surgery at 3:30pm, was awake at 6pm. Walked out the door at 10am the next morning.
The major pain was from the bubbles left after I was blown up like a balloon. I walked a block 2 days later and started a little bleeding and had to get a lift back to the house
I was back on the bike, road riding, after about 4 weeks, doing martial arts training and playing soccer at the same time.
I was 35 at the time too. I can feel my body taking longer to heal now
Sorry to hear you had it so bad. Hope you get better.
What?
This doesn't make sense. I do this for living and have taken hundreds out.
There is very rarely a need for a 4th cut, your 'painful' cut in the right-side sounds like a conversion to an open operation, that is - not a procedure that was completed laparoscopically. Otherwise, the appendix is usually (always!) brought out the same navel incision. A conversion may have to be performed if its difficult, or difficult bleeding encountered. (I've done this twice in the last 200).
The 'exact words' he used do not make any sense. The pressures are low, like 12-15mm Hg (that is, approximately a pressure enough to raise a column of water 12cm - get a straw, try it, aint that hard). This does NOT disrupt or displace your abdominal muscles. An open incision in the right side does do some muscular damage though, either by splitting or cutting, but again - this isn't part of a 'keyhole' operation.
The water pressure blaster thing isn't that fun and I believe should be used sparingly. We know that using this for irrigation stops your ability to fight infection, the only grounds to use it (in my hands) are when there is pus and crap everywhere. But when this happens, it ain't that fun.
I suspect there are some missing technical pieces to the puzzle to explain your experience (like perforation, a difficult operation and "generalised peritonitis") - because that is not the experience of most of my patients.
Cheers and good luck.
(Dr) B.
Anthiron
Likes Dirt
I Had Mine out laproscopicly (Spelling?) about 3.5 years ago.
was out of bed the next day and out of hospital around lunchtime.
Stomach like a balloon and not being able to tense your abs becomes quite annoying very fast.
I was back at work in 1 week. But not exactly quick on my feet. (Bartending)
I had at least 6 weeks before i tried climbing again but it was about 3 months before I felt i could try things at my limit. I lost an enormous amount of fitness.
I could still feel tinges 8 months later. Not often and not super painful but just reminders.
Hope you Mend like Wolverine.
Nicko
was out of bed the next day and out of hospital around lunchtime.
Stomach like a balloon and not being able to tense your abs becomes quite annoying very fast.
I was back at work in 1 week. But not exactly quick on my feet. (Bartending)
I had at least 6 weeks before i tried climbing again but it was about 3 months before I felt i could try things at my limit. I lost an enormous amount of fitness.
I could still feel tinges 8 months later. Not often and not super painful but just reminders.
Hope you Mend like Wolverine.
Nicko
JIM80B
Likes Bikes
Anthiron's experience sounds closer to mine than some miraculous recovery!
Bardles, there was no 4th incision but i could feel (still can) something deeeeep down in the same area that I had the pain in the first place (right hand side). Wish I had've been in your area when I needed it done! The surgeon definetely said the blew me up and that he had a great time hosing me out.
I was out of recovery by 10.30pm and up for a shower in the morning (albeit painful) and out of hospital by lunchtime. So that doesnt sound any different for my experience. I definately didnt sit around doing nothing. Having 2 kids under 4 means that if you just sit around you are bound to be jumped...and that was not what I wanted.
FuelXC, I don't want another surgeon. Appendix is gone and I am now back on the bike. End of story...hopefully.
I know I am soft, but maybe I am even softer than first thought.
Bardles, there was no 4th incision but i could feel (still can) something deeeeep down in the same area that I had the pain in the first place (right hand side). Wish I had've been in your area when I needed it done! The surgeon definetely said the blew me up and that he had a great time hosing me out.
I was out of recovery by 10.30pm and up for a shower in the morning (albeit painful) and out of hospital by lunchtime. So that doesnt sound any different for my experience. I definately didnt sit around doing nothing. Having 2 kids under 4 means that if you just sit around you are bound to be jumped...and that was not what I wanted.
FuelXC, I don't want another surgeon. Appendix is gone and I am now back on the bike. End of story...hopefully.
I know I am soft, but maybe I am even softer than first thought.
thepope1986
Likes Dirt
Although not appendix I had my gall bladder out. I bought my first duallie 3 days before and hadn't riden it yet. Went riding a week later. Still had patches on my cuts lol
danncam
Likes Dirt
Timely thread for my 11 year old daughter is recovering from a burst appendix removed, along with a bucks full of pus, by laproscopy. She had 11 days in hospital on triple IV anti's. 13 days post op she is still very sore, but reading all your tales of woe reassures me a little that she is recovering normally, and nothing new is wrong inside her belly. It was a very sh*t Christmas, and I spent new years asleep in the hospital next to her bed, oh, and w now know she is allergic to morphine after she went an Interesting blotchy puffy face.
backdoor
Likes Bikes
Wow, contrasting expieriences.
I had mine out just before Chrissy, about the 15/16th or something. Keyhole.
Was out of hospital on the thursday morning, back at work the next tuesday. Some muscle discomfort for a week. Although now, I'm smashing out situps like normal.
Riding a couple of times a week, including some hot sweaty cardio sessions at the bmx track.
I had mine out just before Chrissy, about the 15/16th or something. Keyhole.
Was out of hospital on the thursday morning, back at work the next tuesday. Some muscle discomfort for a week. Although now, I'm smashing out situps like normal.
Riding a couple of times a week, including some hot sweaty cardio sessions at the bmx track.
Ben-e
Captain Critter!
My experience is similar to backdoor's.
I had mine out a few months back, at Mona Vale hospital. It was Saturday arvo and I was getting ready to head out for a few pints and I got this horrendous abdominal pain, so i just lay down and the pain gradually worsened, I thought I was constipated, ha! It wasn't until 2am that I called the old man to cart me off to hospital, they did the usual tests and removed the obsolete organ the following morning. I spent the following night there and was out the next day as the pain (when remaining stationary) had all but gone.
It took me a good week of rest before I was able to start doing proper activity, mostly walking. I would not recommend rushing the recovery process as this may lead to additional scaring and pain, I found. But two week later, I was swimming, which I found was the best activity/movement given the surgery, you can control the amount you stretch out you tummy muscles, and gradually you will find they become stronger; I swam about 15 laps of a 35m pool each day. I found this to be very beneficial.
Full recovery in about 4 weeks, some scaring, my belly button has also changed forever!
View attachment 222741
Not sure if it helped or not, some people tend to disagree, but I reckon diet plays a big part in recovery too. I took loads of Vit C as this greatly aids the repair of damaged tissue.
I had mine out a few months back, at Mona Vale hospital. It was Saturday arvo and I was getting ready to head out for a few pints and I got this horrendous abdominal pain, so i just lay down and the pain gradually worsened, I thought I was constipated, ha! It wasn't until 2am that I called the old man to cart me off to hospital, they did the usual tests and removed the obsolete organ the following morning. I spent the following night there and was out the next day as the pain (when remaining stationary) had all but gone.
It took me a good week of rest before I was able to start doing proper activity, mostly walking. I would not recommend rushing the recovery process as this may lead to additional scaring and pain, I found. But two week later, I was swimming, which I found was the best activity/movement given the surgery, you can control the amount you stretch out you tummy muscles, and gradually you will find they become stronger; I swam about 15 laps of a 35m pool each day. I found this to be very beneficial.
Full recovery in about 4 weeks, some scaring, my belly button has also changed forever!
View attachment 222741
Not sure if it helped or not, some people tend to disagree, but I reckon diet plays a big part in recovery too. I took loads of Vit C as this greatly aids the repair of damaged tissue.
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