Really scared about appendicitis

[tantopat]

For a while now, I keep convincing myself that I have appendicitis. Every now and then, I get a slight pain/uncomfortable feeling in the lower right side of my abdomen, which has happened on and off for years now. Part of me keeps thinking that it's just to do with surgery that I had on my womb when I was 15 (it only started happening after that), but I still can't help panicking. I got really about it earlier, and then started to feel really hot as well, which I started to think might be me getting a fever from said possible appendicitis. I also feel like I can't think straight, which again is probably from stressing myself out so much, but yet it also worries me.

I've been checked twice for it before now, and both times the doctors said that it was probably just muscular, and may be to do with my operation after all, but I still keep worrying about it being appendicitis. My parents think it could be a symptom of stress, but I've never heard of a stress symptom like that before. So has anyone else had a symptom like this that turned out to be okay, or can anyone here at least help me feel better about this? (And please don't mention the dangers of leaving appendicitis untreated. I know about this already, and I really don't need it being mentioned again, as it will just make me panic more! :sad: )

[Darwin73]

I remember when I was a teenager having this fear. I kept getting a pain in my lower right hand side and was convinced it was my appendix. I seem to remember it was worse in the evenings (or that was when I thought about it more). Mine was never investigated, but in the end I think I put it down to either a "grumbling" appendix or ovulation pains. I never found out what was causing it, but as with most of the things that have affected me, a few months later it stopped worrying me when I started experiencing symtoms of other illnesses and started worrying about them instead. With acute appendicitis you are really doubled over in pain.
Take care

[countrygirl]

Here is my story - my son who is now 28 yrs old started to get severe stomach pain around his tummy button when he was 13 yrs old - he would literally be rolling round the floor moaning - it would last about 12-24 hrs then go away- our Dr thought it was colic so never did any tests - son would get this every 6 months regular as clockwork! when he was 19 yrs old and at university he got an attack and this time the uni Dr sent him to hospital where they did a blood test and said his white count was up so it could be appendix but by then he was fine so they said they wouldn't take it out as it had settled down - exactly 6 months later he was off again and again into hosptial where they again said his blood test results were wrong and they were sure it appendix and they did exploratory op and by then his appendix was just a bit inflamed and obviously settling down again on its own. they said this could have gone on for years and years and maybe would never have got to bursting point but having it out cured the problem. The point here is that the pain was extreme and centred around his tummy button.

Fast forward to me a year ago and I started to get severe stabbing pain just to right of tummy button:scared15: . My Dr did the blood test and my white blood count was normal so she said not appendix. I had it again insisted on going to hospital and again told blood count okay not appendix sent home. Week later pain back into hospital again on my insistance and again blood test normal but surgeon fed up with me by then:) and said only way to convince you its not your appendix is for me to take it out- he also did big exploratory op to see if he could find cause of pain and guess what appendix fine but took out anyway and eveyrwhere else fine as well and he went into graphic detail about examining all my bowel:wacko: Surgeon said bad IBS and I have had these attacks many times since.

If you are worried then ask your Dr for a full blood count while you have the pain and if its normal then its not your appendix - even if its not normal then it could be anything as it only signifies infection somewhere so its doens't diagnose appendicitis jsut rules it out.

[tantopat]

Thanks for the replies, they have actually helped me feel a little better. Also, I don't know if this could have anything to do with it, but the operation I had was to remove my ovary on the same side where the pains now are. Darwin73, I know you said you thought yours might be to do with your ovary, so do you guys think this could perhaps have something to do with it? Is it normal for areas where organs were removed to hurt a little every now and then?

[marius]

Yes, definitely. The human body is packed with nervs. When you undergo a surgical removal of any kind, they cut through muscles and various tissues, and a scar is left. Sometimes nerves are cut or trapped or pinched, the area may remain sensitive. Hence your pains. If doctors told you it was not apendicitis, then, probably, it`s not. Try to make yourself confortable with the idea. I still have a sensitive area left in my arm after surgery I had 30 yrs ago.
marius

[NoPoet]

Appendicitis is to "slight pain" what Mount Kilimanjaro is to "big hill".

My cousin Richard once scared his parents so bad, back when he was 8 (he's in his 30s now). They were in Blackpool on holiday and he was rolling round on his bed moaning and crying in agony. They called an emergency doctor who came straight away. As the doctor began his examination, Richard let loose a series of unholy gusts. Has anyone seen the "bog of eternal stench" scene from Labyrinth?

When the last fart had burbled into oblivion, Richard said, "I feel better now" and went to sleep.

That's a true story.

[marius]

ROFL, PsychoPoet:roflmao: LMAO!

[tantopat]

PsychoPoet, that's brilliant! XD Thank you so much for sharing that, reading it has definitely cheered me up! ^-^

[CJH86]

I had appendicitis and perforated appendix about 2 years ago....i suffer from quite bad HA and trust me when i say if you had appendicitis you wouldnt physically be able to worry about it, you'd just want them to cut you open and rip the goddam thing out because the pain is beyond what is imaginable! x:)

[bex1970]

It's also really common to feel what's called 'phantom pain' in a site where you have had an operation. A bit like if someone has a limb removed, they can still feel it.... weird but true. My mother had a full hysterctomy ages ago and still gets pains there - despite the fact that there is nothing there to have pain from!

As everyone has said, if you suffered from appendicitis you would truly know about it - as I gather it's utter agony... really bad. And whilst it does have a history of being notoriously difficult to diagnose, doctors are much better at checking it than they used to be....

BUT, ask for a blood test - like others have suggested - because that would show it up if it was there and that way, you can be reassured.... but I think, like all of us, because you are convinced that appendicitis is what the problem is, your pain is coming more from your mind.... something we all suffer from and it's horrible. Poor you.
x

[Zoey]

I know this post is over 9 years old but during my search of the same symptoms I came across it.
For a few years now I've been terrified of having appendix. Every now and then I feel some sort of pain in the lower part of my stomach and am totally convinced I'm going to have one.
I'm experiencing the same thing right now. And it always comes to me at night.
Not to mention, I'm diagnosed with anxiety so... the possibility of it being caused from anxiety is 99%. After all, most of what happens to people with anxiety is... well, anxiety.
Still. It' wouldn't be anxiety if we weren't afraid about it, wondering if maybe it's not, now would it?
I'm really scared right now since I'm experiencing those pains every few minutes.
They are not horrible pains but they are enough so scare me, and I'm really scared right now.

[Sam Winter]

Hi there Zoey, i've been to the doctors three times and sent to the hospital once over my side pain, for me it's almost constantly there, gets worse at night and sometimes affects me sleeping, i've had several blood tests and even a ultrasound which have come back fine, my doctor has put it down to possible endometriosis or IBS x