Post appendix nightmare - anyone got any advice

[Mascarponeandwine]

My 11yo son had his appendix out by keyhole surgery 10 days ago and life has been a nightmare since. In and out of hospital 3 times, now been in since Thursday. He has a wound infection (subcutaneous?) but ultrasound didn’t show a large mass, and his temperament keeps spiking. He’s been on two lots of iv antibiotics but tbh it’s not really making a difference. No preexisting conditions and the doctors can’t work out what’s happening with the temperature spikes. Feels like all this is far worse than the appendix symptoms. Anyone know anything about this - will it ever end?

Glad he’s a bit improved, hopefully onwards and upwards from here.

Sorry he’s had a tough time. My DS spent 6 weeks in hospital aged 13 with a similar sequence of appendix related events and it was a truly dreadful time.

My GP at time rang up and offered to sign me off sick with stress/exhaustion. My contract meant I would have been on full pay. I didn’t do this but if you are being put in position of struggling it could be an option.

I hope he is better soon. My ds in the end did go from nearly dying and wired up to a morphine pump to well enough to go home surprisingly rapidly after me feeling despairingly that we’d never take him home.

Hope he had a better night

How is he today OP? And how are you and your other DC bearing up?

He’s a lot better - can walk slowly, pain is ok with calpol, eating and drinking, but tired. We are a world away from the masses of drips, oxygen, ng tube, etc that were here not even 48 hours ago.

We might even be able to go home on Monday! I’m not getting too excited in case op 2 means another abscess might develop. And would like him to have iv antibiotic for as long as possible (very scared we will get home and he’ll go downhill again and there will be some residual infection that will start to spread again), I think if tomorrow were a weekday we might be discharged but weekends there’s usually only one doctor in the place. I don’t know if I could persuade the poor boy back here as it’s been such a traumatic ordeal for him).

So pleased to read your recent post! Fantastic news. I know what you mean about being afraid to go home too early. It’s very frightening after what youve been through. Another 36 hours though & hopefully he’ll be better again.

They’re now saying discharge tomorrow! Given him a suppository and it worked ok. Iv ab has now stopped, as they haven’t grown anything in the blood cultures (must check if this has changed since before the ops)

Not scared about going home if it’s for good. Very scared about going home and ricocheting back 48 hours later. Its easier on ds to be in here constantly, than in and out, in and out - the canula insertion is so difficult he’s now terrified. And the special kind of hell that is A&E (staff are lovely, but it’s A&E).

But I know I can’t look at it like that. Got to think - it’s over, he’s good. Then deal with any future events if they happen.

Knackered!

My ds in the end did go from nearly dying and wired up to a morphine pump to well enough to go home surprisingly rapidly after me feeling despairingly that we’d never take him home.

So true mysteryfairy

Bloody hell, discharge tomorrow? Don't be afraid to make a big fuss, saying all of the above if you think it's warranted. But I'm delighted he's recovering so well. I really hope this is the light at the end of the tunnel for you.

I agree, make a big fuss if you feel you need to. Even if just for the weekend.

Absolutely OP,before they say you can go,ask what the CRP levels are,ask what the plan is if the CRP isn’t zero.What pain relief are they sending him home with?But yes,also really glad he’s so much better.

He’s not as great today. Day 1 without iv antibiotics. Hasn’t eaten much - 2 weetabix this morning, about 3 bites of a sandwich at lunchtime. Temp no longer 36 point something, now 37.0. Temp was ok through the night though. They keep saying it’s just his recovery, and there’ll be peaks and troughs.

Skeletal staff prescence on the weekend which doesn’t help matters.

I’ve asked how do they know if the infection and pus will come back? The nurse said they don’t, but there were no bacteria in the cultures taken (yesterday, 2 days ago, I can’t remember).

But why would they discharge today if there’s any doubt? He’d just be back on tues or wed for twice as long. Wouldn’t make sense.

I told the above to the registrar this morning, who said we should stay on the ward all day while they continue the temperature monitoring.

I've never found that children's wards are in a mad hurry to throw you out, so just keep saying you'd like to stay another night to make sure he's stable, I reckon they'll listen. But tbh that sounds like a decent amount of food, given the battering his insides have had.

He had more yesterday, 2 weetabix, half a tuna baguette, some dinner. Hence worried about a backward decline. He also keeps scrunching up in a ball and kind of holds his breath - gasp - holds his breath - gasp as if in pain (though he denies pain). He was doing this after the first laparoscopy. Hopefully it’s just wind.

The consultant did say that signs to watch out for would be swollen abdomen that is painful, looking quite ill quite sudddenly, temp spikes again. He’s not quite in that place I guess.

What are they doing to prevent constipation? I really wouldn't be happy about leaving today, in your shoes.

He had a suppository last night which worked ok I guess. Nothing since then.

DH will be here soon, he’s keen for another night, so I’ll let you know what happens.

I admit it does feel a bit like their thinking is “Saturday morning, consultant not back in til Monday, we’ll give him a suppository, thus tick the poo box on his record, and consultant will be very impressed we sent him on his way and freed a bed up before Monday morning”.

Last temperature was 36.6 half an hour ago

No point in freeing a bed for one night if he's back in it for 4. And do ask again about constipation. I have had it badly after all my abdominal surgeries and the pain the first time was worse than the gallstones the surgery was for.

I don't know how it works on children's wards but has he got a usual consultant during the week (the weekend one being a different one)? Will his usual one be in tomorrow? If so, would it be worth trying something like you'd rather wait to see .... tomorrow because you feel today is too soon and .... has been there throughout?

DottyGiraffe yes re the consultant set up. The main one that did the second surgery is back tomorrow morning.

I suspect he’s in tonight - no doctor turned up yet as only one around and he’s in surgery

They didn't boot you out unceremoniously at 8.30pm did they? I hope he has a comfortable night.

OMGithurts well, initially the nurse tried to. It all came to a head —I had a complete meltdown—, and suffice it to say, the end result was a full debrief with the surgeon on duty, plus another full examination. We then had the choice of staying another night if we wanted to. So we felt much happier after that (everyone should get that debrief, as a minimum, but we’d be in and out three times, we deserved more than a casual nurse “yeah you can go”).

Am glad he’s home. No constipation even without laxatives. So far it’s looking hopeful.