Your Surgical Experiences

[Pumpkin]

[FONT=verdana][size=1][COLOR=#003333]Some of you may have already known why I might have come up with this idea of this thread seeing as how I just had surgery and it got me thinking about other people's experiences within the hospital. What has been your worse surgery or if you've never HAD surgery before, maybe share a painful experience? Please don't list a broken ankle unless that's seriously the worst thing you've ever really been through. Also, have you ever had an experience where you were misdiagnosed or had an instince where they did not know what was wrong with you? Have you ever been put on disability and how did your work handle this? What kind of recovery process did you go through?

[ [ [i]please note you can skip this part[/i] ] ]

I had a really bad experience at the hospital recently. Four days ago, I went to the emergency hospital at night and was immediately admitted. They diagnosed me as just having the stomache flu and gave me some pills to take and told me just to drink liquids when I got home. The doctor seemed irritated and I think he just wanted to get me home (which makes no sense cause it wasn't crowded at all). After sitting at home all day feeling awful and not being able to eat OR drink water like I was suppose too (let's just say it never reached my stomache). I ended up going to the emergency room the next night.

I ended up waiting 5 hours in the waiting room because they did not think my condition was that serious, and then 2 hours once I got into a room. I was pricked with an IV atleast six times because I was severly dehydrated after not drinking anything for a whole day and I was still naustious. After my CAT Scans, this doctor finally [b]diagnosed me for appendicitis [ a.k.a. ruptured appendix ] and gangrene infection in my stomache [/b]. I had to have surgery immediately and they quickly had to find a surgeon. Within 30 minutes, I was wheeled into surgery and it took about 3 1/2 hours apparently. Afterwards I was poked up to 11x with more IVS because my veins were still bad. They had to use an ultrasound that they use on seeing babies to even see my veins. Whats worse is the surgeon told me if I would have decided to stay at home, my stomache would have burst. This could have been dealt with SOONER by the first doctor if he had actually given me a blood test.

After that, most of my recovery dealt with resting and not eating or drinking for ANOTHER day. The next day fluids only. And after that I was eating food again. Being in the hospital just made me realize that some people have to go through this a lot, and this was definately one of my first major surgeries. Especially having one on the stomache isn't as simple as I thought. I'm also going on diability seeing as how I can't lift or stand for very long, and it's been tough trying to fight my job for it seeing as how they sent me things like they can't guarantee my job back.

Ahem, anyways, that is my story. I'm now finally at home. One of the worst things is also when the pulled the drain from my stomache, ugh worst feeling ever. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it still hurt. Quite a lot. Besides I'm able to eat pizza & ice cream now which feels so good after you've lived off jello for a day or two.

[ [ [i]Fin[/i] ] ]

So, what are your worst moments of being in the hospital? And has anyone else gone through surgeries like this one? It's very saddening to see because I don't think I've ever felt like I've been a hospital that long before and can't imagine doing it on a basis. It was like being held in prison, I hated it a lot of the times. But maybe that's just me. [/FONT][/COLOR][/size]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Ironically my first real experience with surgery was to have my appendix removed. However, I was misdiagnosed for a very different reason. I forget what the name of the parasite was, but something had gotten into my system and into my appendix. I would have all the symptoms of appendicitis, but none of the tests showed that anything was wrong. I must have been taken to the hospital several times only to be sent home and I even remember one of the doctors telling my mother that I needed to see a shrink since it wall all in my head as he put it.

This went on for several months until my mom, finally took me to a different family doctor who after talking with me became convinced I was not making it up. Since usually teens that did that as he put it, are trying to get out of something that stresses them. And my most recent attack was during a school day that we had no classes and had festival like activities all afternoon. Probably one of the most miserable days in my life since my teachers didn?t believe me either and wouldn?t let me call my mom so I spent hours outside sitting under a tree in tears.

After hearing that the new family doctor decided it would be best to take a look as they put it to see if they could find what was wrong. And it turned out that I had some parasite that had gotten into my appendix, and that the attacks of pain I had been experiencing were due to my body attempting to get rid of them. So they took it out and even though recovering from surgery sucked, the attacks of pain were gone.

The thing I remember most, besides being in the hospital for a few days was when they were taking me into be worked on. I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia, which resulted in hallucinations. One?s that I actually remember since I thought they were simply bad dreams. Apparently I tried to get off the table before I was completely under and leave. But I thought I was dreaming and in my dream I was thinking that it was bad enough that I had to have surgery in real life but there was no way in hell I was going to let them work on me in a dream. It didn?t make much sense at the time, but I remember how surprised I was when I found out later that it wasn?t a dream.

I?ve since had surgery on both of my knees to fix cartilage damage caused by arthritis. I had tears that would catch when I would bend my knees and cause my knee to literally lock in place. Painful and dangerous since having that happen when you are going down a flight of stairs isn?t the best time. Before I had that fixed I?m surprised I didn?t break my neck seeing how many times I fell down a flight of stairs.

But since my first surgery, medical technology has improved vastly and both of those were same day surgery and all I have is tiny little incisions on both knees. And even more important with improvements in anesthesia no wacky hallucinations for either one. I was also glad that recovery for that is so wonderful as well as without it I would not have been able to work as a truck driver. And I certainly do not miss falling down stairs.[/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Well it wasn't the same type of surgery that you experienced [and I wish you a speedy recovery] but last year when another driver decided to run a red light and slam into the passenger door of the car I was in, it resulted in my right leg being broken in three places.

After being taken to the emergency room and examined, it was determined that I needed surgery and now I have several titanium nails that were inserted that unless they cause problems later will be there permanently. Then after some time to make sure the surgery went well and a period of being taught how to use crutches and not put any weight on my leg I was finally released about a week later.

I ended up staying at my parents house for two months since the apartment I live in is an older building and there is no elevator to the third floor. Then I ended up staying there another month while I worked in rehab to regain the strength I lost to be able to handle the stairs at my apartment.

So I got to experience my first broken bone, car accident, surgery and hospital stay all in one go. I've since recovered and I was even up to taking a trip out back east last fall with one of my friends. And though I do get the occasional twinge I get around just fine and I understand from the doctor that I'll be able to go back to hiking this summer with my friends like I always do.

Ironically the part I hated the most besides being in the hospital, was being stuck at my parents house. I don't mind my parents, but I hated being stuck in the same place other than doctor visits for such a long time.

Though my good friends came to the rescue by moving some of my things there for me, such as video games, DVD's and such so I would have something to do. And they made a point of showing up on a regular basis to keep me company. ;)

Edit: I forgot the most annoying part about this entire experience. Not being able to play the Cello for nearly three months. That drove me nuts.

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Last Wednesday I was in Surgery operating on a woman with a tumour on her appendix, and can I just say that it was one of the most unsavoury operations I have had to do. (view at your own risk ~ image could be considered graphic) [URL=http://static.flickr.com/110/251782345_f95f56ef1a.jpg]Click[/URL][/size]
[INDENT][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]I changed your picture to a link, next time when using an image that graphic, even if it's meant to be funny, please use a link along with a warning. Thanks. ~indifference[/COLOR][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

It's actually kind of worrying how many of us have had to have had surgery because of medical stupidity. I had my appendix removed about two years ago after developing a wickedly bad pain in the side during a visit to my cousins I was brought to my local GP the following day who told me if the pain remained after a day to go to the hospital, he also told me it was either a kidney stone or appendicitis.

After about the standard two hour wait in the hospital I was admitted, given and enema (weirdest feeling ever) and an IV drip because I was dehydrated. I had several blood samples taken and was given both X-rays and ultrasounds to determine what exactly was wrong. After all those tests I was wheeled up to a bed and given a while to rest, a few hours later I met the consultant surgeon who told me they were still unsure of what the problem was, but were going to remove my appendix just to be on the safe side. Inspiring isn't it...

Following day I was operated on, had my appendix removed, was put on more IV drips, I'd had about six or seven at that stage and told they believed/hoped that would solve the problem. Either way I was released two days later, the pain gone, and told for my trouble that the IV drips might have flushed the stone out of my kidneys if it was small enough.

Since then I've avoided hospitals where possible. [/SIZE]