NHS appendicitis nightmare

[Nolongerokay]

I'm desperate and don't know where else to turn.
My husband (60yrs old) had abdominal pains on Thursday (4 days ago now) and put it down to something he ate. Very reluctant to be struck down by pain, hard worker, so I suspect he's been uncomfortable longer.

On Saturday morning (yesterday at 10am), we went to the a&e when he was doubled-over in pain that was worsening. After practically begging to doctor to do a blood test before they sent him home (they said his vitals don't show elevated pain markers and they'd give him antibiotics just in case it was appendicitis), they found the infection markers very elevated. They also did a CT scan.
The surgery team said he is not to go home and processed him to be admitted for surgery. This was 6pm so we were there for 8hrs at first, waiting around for tests, etc

That was yesterday. They've been giving him morphine every 4 hours for the pain and IV fluids because he can't eat or drink anything before the surgery which was supposed to be last night. Other emergencies came in so it was pushed to this morning. We've waited all day today, no surgery, just lying in the bed. So he hasn't had anything to eat or drink for 48hrs now.

They were hoping the surgery would be tonight before 10pm at very latest but another emergency took his slot so they said it will be tomorrow now. I've been kicked out of the ward and I'm home.

Does anyone have experience of appendicitis in adulthood? Aren't they afraid it will rupture and cause bigger complications? I'm terrified and can't sleep. Aibu to think this is really bad?
What can I do please? Please help!

Thank you everyone!
I just got connected to the hospital WiFi. He was taken in for surgery 30mins ago.

Thank you for explaining about the aspiration. I somehow never knew about that. He has no appetite for food, not since Tuesday and certainly not yesterday. I fast regularly but he won't go without food on any occasion and he keeps very active. One of the clues that something wasn't right. I was just worried about not eating at all. He said the ward nurses gave him a sandwich and water around midnight because the surgical team okayed it as long as it was before 2am. They also gave him IV antibiotics so like you all said, he was probably being assessed and more critical cases going in before him. It probably didn't help that it was a weekend with the reduced staff.

I'm seeing the experiences too of women having it in pregnancy. Seems really complex to manage.

I'm in the reception now, so I hope it will be straightforward and I can take him home.

Thank you all for being so kind.

Update!
He's out of surgery and doing well 😁
Thank you everyone.

Glad to hear he's been seen.

I remember after mine, (which the surgeon described to his students as a 'very nasty appendix op' no keyhole for me I have a 4 inch scar down my front) feeling absolutely stuffed with eating an apple.

It's weird how quickly your stomach shrinks, after a week of little food. I was absolutely stuffed after that apple 🍎!

So glad he's all right now @Nolongerokay

I had appendicitis at age 40.

Admitted through A&E with severe abdominal pain and blood tests showed elevated infection markers. Then had an ultrasound which was supposed to be of appendix and gallbladder to confirm the source of the pain. They found some small gallstones then forgot to scan the appendix. We're supposed to repeat the scan to look at the appendix but this never got booked in. As they didn't have a diagnosis they moved me off the surgical ward onto the geriatric ward (!). They left me there for a week suffering recurring bouts of excruciating pain for which they repeatedly pumped me full of morphine. Unfortunately the prescribed dose didn't touch the pain. I recall one incident where my DH and DD came on the ward to visit me just in time to hear the doctor by my bedside shouting down the phone "I've given her the maximum dose of morphine. It's not working and I don't know what to do!"

Finally after a week the consultant in charge of my case turned up to review me. Gave the registrars a tongue lashing and put me straight on the list for surgery that day.

I then waited for three days on nil by mouth, two of those being without IV fluids as my cannula fell out and no one had time to replace it.

When they finally got me into theatre my appendix burst during the operation. Amazing it had not happened sooner as they had left me 10 days after being admitted with acute symptoms. So that was an extra three days of post surgical stay on the ward on IV antibiotics.

I finally got out of the hospital two weeks after being admitted, a stone lighter due to being denied food for 3 days and very weak. It's amazing I came out at all.

OP, you need to start raising merry hell with PALS. This is an emergency and he needs that operation now. The appendix could burst at any time.

OP, is he being regularly monitored so they will pick it up if it ruptures? Hopefully he is on a surgical ward and this will happen.

Ah just seen your update! So glad it is now sorted.

Best wishes to your DH for a speedy recovery

I had appendicitis about 7 years ago. It was treated with IV antibiotics while I waited for removal. In the end they decided not to remove it as the antibiotics seemed to do the job. I had one incident a few months later where it seemed like it was grumbling again but nothing since.

They didn’t allow me to eat for several days though (I think at least 48 hours) until my husband complained and I was allowed a yoghurt.