[MADN3SS]

Rich, I'm so glad that Connie hauled your butt to the ER. Lucky, very lucky. Typically appendicitis usually occurs in people under 35. Hmm. You must be an oddball.

I can tell you first hand what it's like to have your appendix burst. Um, not good. I should actually be dead. Long story shortened, I was having pains in my back and lower abdomen for a long time, but kept putting if off because of no medical insurance. Like you, I thought I pulled a muscle. I convinced myself of it. I went to the hospital finally, after losing about 30-40 lbs. Tampa General sent me home saying I had kidney stones. No CT scan or anything like it. Wound up in another ER the following week, did the CT scan and opened me up right on the table. Apparently, the doctors told me that my appendix had burst and all the poison had sealed itself off somehow and created an abscess in my back. I actually had to wear a tube for a month to drain all the crap out before they could even do the surgery. A month later they opened me up and found...no appendix! Disintegrated. Also had to repair a whole in my large intestine the size of a half dollar. I was in the hospital for about 4-6 weeks total. They couldn't even close the incision for a week. When I left the hospital I was 119 lbs. I'm 5'11". Skin and bones.

Anyway, I'm glad your all fixed up. What kind of pain pills did they give you?

Scott