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Original poster

My son is in surgery right now.

49 replies

carameldecaflatte · 17/07/2022 21:22

And I'm in a bit of a state.
He's only 10, started feeling a bit ill yesterday morning and now he's having an appendectomy.
Hold my hand, while I sit waiting on the ward, and tell me he's going to be fine. Please.

OP posts:

MyEasterEggs · 17/07/2022 22:08

I had an appendectomy at 10 (28 years ago!) and from what I can remember was happily eating ice cream and jelly the next day. Your son is in the best hands and it sounds like he has the most caring mummy to go home to. Wishing him a speedy recovery 💛

bloodywhitecat · 17/07/2022 22:12

He will be fine (but your nerves may be shot to pieces for a while). I hope you get to see him very soon and I wish him a quick and easy recovery.

Mariposista · 17/07/2022 22:18

Ouch, poor lad. Appendicitis is horrible. But they have got it in time and whipped it out before it gets nasty - he will be up and about in a few days showing off his war wound!

user1471555302 · 17/07/2022 22:38

Another one saying my son also had his appendix removed aged 10, was a bit uncomfortable for a couple of days but back to his usual self in less than a week.

Original poster

carameldecaflatte · 17/07/2022 23:40

Thank you so much for your company this evening.

He is fine. Straightforward surgery. Now complaining about the noise on the ward and drinking apple juice.

OP posts:

byejacques · 17/07/2022 23:43

glad he’s doing well OP

Whiskers4 · 17/07/2022 23:54

Glad it's over and he's come around. I went through this with DD when due was eight.

Unfortunately, he won't get much sleep tonight, as they'll be doing regular checks, but it's great it's done. Hope you manage to get some rest yourself.

InTheShadeOfTheFigTree · 17/07/2022 23:57

That's great news. You must feel so much better, it's such a worry for parents.

QuestionableMouse · 18/07/2022 00:00

My nephew had his out at five- they missed it at first and thought he had a uti so it was pretty nasty when they finally realised. Bad enough to send him to the RVI in Newcastle.

He spent a week and a bit in hospital.

He's now 100% back to normal, shows his scar off at any opportunity and talks fondly about the nurses and the stickers they have him 😂

MargaretThursday · 18/07/2022 00:01

Did he have keyhole? That's easier on recovery.

Ds had appendicitis during lockdown. Because of covid they couldn't do keyhole. When they went in they found his appendix was in the wrong place and twisted. Took them four and a half hours.

He woke up fine the next morning and ate three bowls of cereal then deteriorated over the day, only waking up to throw up. They got a bit worried at this point.
But then the next day he did (with encouragement) get up and I took him home. He was sore for about a week, but very quickly bounced back.

If your ds is happily eating and complaining about the noise, then I would suspect you'll be home tomorrow and he'll be quickly better, with just a complaint that he isn't allowed to play football. 🤣

frazzledmess · 18/07/2022 00:15

glad he's fine, I had this and it was all good.

frazzledmess · 18/07/2022 00:16

not keyhole though annoyingly!

clipclop5 · 18/07/2022 00:26

Glad he’s doing well OP :) DD had spinal surgery a few months ago and although I whole heartedly trusted them all, the feeling of handing her over to the surgical team was awful

Dinoteeth · 18/07/2022 01:10

@frazzledmess mine wasn't keyhole either, mine was perforated. Too much fluid for the camera to see.

Delphinium20 · 18/07/2022 01:19

So happy to hear he's doing well. I had an appendectomy at 11 and while I know technically I had some pain, I have only positive memories of the event because I got presents, special cards from my friends, got to miss school, was allowed to watch any show I wanted, and felt like I was in a cool ER type TV special. Talking to my mother about it many years later, she told me how she fretted over me, and she laughed knowing I had only upbeat memories of the surgery, while she, of course, had mother-centered memories of her worries and fear. I don't know if this helps, but often we mothers suffer more than our kids, I believe.

Original poster

carameldecaflatte · 18/07/2022 06:30

Not the best night my son and I've ever had, but more because of the poor poor little soul down the ward who screamed bloody murder with whatever procedure they were doing on him every 2 hours. Really pissed off they moved us from the side room.

My son is doing fine, pain is at a "2" right now and i'm trying to persuade him to eat something. It's been almost 2 days!

It's freezing in here, I have extra blankets and the first of what i'm sure will be many cups of to warm me up.

Hopefully we'll be going home some time today.

OP posts:

mdh2020 · 18/07/2022 07:17

I had an appendectomy aged 11 and was absolutely fine. It’s apparently very common for children aged 10/11. No repercussions.

ColdCottage · 18/07/2022 07:22

He will be fine. I had one at 13 and was in a dance show 3 days later (taking it easy though).

Scar was tingly for a few years which was funny for me at the time.

Roselilly36 · 18/07/2022 07:23

Aww poor little thing, my DH had his out as a emergency op, around 30, he was fine straight after the op, but in quite a lot of pain the next day, so be prepared for that, he recovered quickly though. I hope you son is feeling much better soon and wishing him a speedy recovery.

Original poster

carameldecaflatte · 19/07/2022 19:11

Hello all, thank you again for your support. It has been much appreciated.

My husband and I swapped shifts for a while on Monday and we were finally set free late afternoon when my son's temperature and blood pressure calmed down.

He slept well last night and isn't in too much pain. He is very reluctant to move so we're having to push him a bit, but on the whole he's doing really well.

Ice cream for breakfast? You betcha!

OP posts:

KisstheTeapot14 · 19/07/2022 19:44

Natural to feel teary when you see them have a general anaesthetic. It got to me every time (DS had a few ops when he was about 3). They look so vulnerable. Friend's son had same thing a year ago - same age - and he bounced back fine. They didn't tell him or parents about gas they use (to separate organs so they can see what they are doing? Something like that) and it moves up the body so he had pain in shoulders for a day or 2 after the op. Ask about this just so you're not alarmed if it happens and know what it is.

The good thing is no rupture and he's free of a pesky organ so it won't pose any issues to him ever again.

Hope all goes smoothly and he's soon home and recovering.

KisstheTeapot14 · 19/07/2022 19:46

Just seen your post - he is home and recovering. Brill!

And bring on the ice cream I say.

Original poster

carameldecaflatte · 22/07/2022 19:42

@KisstheTeapot thank you for your support.

Yes, they told us/him about the shoulder pain. Apparently the gas irritates the diaphragm which then irritates the nerves in the shoulder causing pain. (I thought you just had to burp it out!) In fact he was in more pain from that than the surgery; so much so that they gave him some morphine.

He's very squeamish about his wounds at the moment, won't so much as glance at them.

OP posts:

AdelaideRo · 22/07/2022 20:10

Just don't take him to the cinema to see something funny as a post appendicitis treat.

That's what my Mum did (I missed my friends hen do and Mum was trying to be nice) and I still remember how painful trying to laugh was....

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