Sent home with suspected appendicitis - will it get better?

[Pearlsofmadness]

Hi all, just posting to see if anyone has experienced similar/has any advice.

I’ve had severe abdominal pain in my right side for the past week, as well as a very heavy cold. Went to GP on Monday, he said to keep an eye on it. Walker my voice on Tuesday and felt rotten with the cold so I stayed in bed. Still had bad abdo pain on Weds, went back to GP who referred me to a&e with suspected appendicitis.

I was kept in hospital for 2 days & prescribed paracetamol through a drip because I was nil by mouth. Had scans but they couldn’t see the appendix. They noticed a polyp in my gallbladder but said that shouldn’t be causing the pain & would need following up in 6 months.

Surgeon on ward rounds said he wasn’t convinced he needed to operate, perhaps it had flared up because of my cold, & sent me home. No advice or care plan given.

Since Friday, I’ve rested at home, my cold is getting better but I’m still in pain with my stomach. It seems to come & go in waves. Last night it was very severe, but when I woke up it was ok. Now it’s gradually getting worse again.

I don’t want to go back to hospital if it means I have to wait around for another 2 days, only to be sent home again. Especially this close to Christmas.

Does anyone have any tips/advice/experience of anything similar? Is it meant to just clear up on its own? He literally discharged me but gave me no further advice except to keep taking paracetamol. I have a demanding job so I need to be much better than this for when I go back to work in 2 weeks.

Generally, If they can't see your appendox on a scab it's because it's not big and inflamed, I.e. not appendicitis. Also appendicitis does not come on over a week, it's swift and sharp and would have erupted by now.

Sounds more to me like ovarian cysts - did no one mention/scan you for these while you were in?

Women often go in with suspected appendicitis and get diagnosed with cysts - happened to me earlier this year!

Sorry for typos - iPhone tiny keyboard!

Could be. Only when they operated on my dc did they realise it was appendicitis. 6 years ago today in fact!

They scanned ovaries, womb, etc and ruled out cysts. Blood tests and back normal with no infection, Obs were all normal- no temperature, blood pressure normal.

The only thing they picked up was the gallbladder polyp. She said the appendix was hidden behind the bowel so that’s why she couldn’t see it.

I thought it doesn’t sound ‘typical’ of appendix pain. It is sometimes quite sharp but mostly feels like a dull ache. Last night it was horrendous after food- I was in tears. It’s much worse after I eat. I told them all this at the hospital but no answers.

I had a grumbling appendix for a couple of weeks. Had it removed after the pain got unbearable.

How are you OP?

If it’s worse after you eat then i’d be much more suspicious of that gallbladder polyp being to blame

Still in pain. Constant aching. I did wonder if it was all a result of the gallbladder but they seemed certain that it wasn’t that.

Think I’m going to try to get through Christmas and then go back if I’m still the same on Boxing Day. I can’t do anything so I’m not going to be able to work otherwise.