Spent the weekend in the hospital.... - Page 3

9T8Vette · 04-30-2008, 08:28 AM

Get Well Soon RichZ

Last year i had some surgery done ,It's not fun at all

SteveK · 04-30-2008, 09:47 AM

Hi Rich,

Glad it all turned out OK.

I had mine out about 30 yrs ago and everyone had to tell me jokes to make me laugh. That was painful..... so let's see what joke can I tell you.......

Get well my friend.

**Rich Z** · 04-30-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

Scott,

Yeah, I've been hearing other horror stories from people who had their appendix burst. I guess I'm among the many who didn't realize just how serious this could have been. But what threw me off was the location of the pain. I was CERTAIN that it should be below the belt line on my right side. Just goes to show you.......

As for the pain pills prescribed, I've got hydrocodone-APAP 10-500 TABITP, whatever the heck that is. To be taken every 4 hours. I'm actually stretching it out to 6 hours or so just to see how I REALLY feel when the pain isn't covered over by the medication.

Right now it's tender right below the hernia incision whereas the others seem just about completely free of pain. Still fearing the "sneeze test" however....

Hope you are doing better now.

**Rich Z** · 04-30-2008, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THOR

Anyway, we all agreed that this Saturday we are coming to your house and doing burnouts in your front yard so that you don't get too lonely. Just kidding of course.

Mark,

Hey man, sounds good to me! The entertainment value will be priceless. Especially when the tow trucks have to haul everyone out of the sand when they sink down to the frames after the rear wheels dig down.

Sure hope it isn't too long before I can drive around a bit. It will be MUCH easier to fall OUT of Connie's truck than to have to haul myself UP out of a vette.

**Rich Z** · 04-30-2008, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveK

I had mine out about 30 yrs ago and everyone had to tell me jokes to make me laugh. That was painful..... so let's see what joke can I tell you.......

Actually you are right. It DOES hurt to laugh. So while I am couch potatoing it, I'm watching action movies and NO comedies.

Thanks.

85vette · 04-30-2008, 04:47 PM

I think it was about three weeks or so before I felt brave enough to try crawling in or out of the Vette. And it wasn't comfortable then.....

spiceman · 04-30-2008, 08:40 PM

Fell bad I didn't read your post until now to say get well.
Can't have our leader in the hospital ya know?
Do get well soon though. Now if ya need for old Spiceman to take your Z out to keep the cob web's from growin under the hood, don't be bashfull to give me a hollar. I'd be more than glad to blow the dust off her.

Oh yeah, NO lifting 80lb bags of cement for the next few day's either.

**Rich Z** · 04-30-2008, 08:56 PM

Connie is taking good care of me. Maybe TOO good, because she won't let me do anything. She's so afraid I'm going to hurt myself further that she is basically banning me from the animal buildings. I did spend a little bit of time over there today doing some light weight stuff. But if I do something stupid and get hurt, she will positively KILL me.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the hernia incision and sutures, I could probably do back flips right now. I wouldn't even know those appendix incisions are there. I know the area where the pain used to be no longer hurts, so certainly the appendix is gone, but still, it feels damned weird to not hurt at all now. Hmm, maybe the surgeon merely moved it under my belly button and forgot to bring it all the way out.....

I'll have to say that if there is any pleasant aspect of surgery, it has to be the part where you are laying on the gurney all apprehensive about the impending surgery, and the next thing you know someone is asking you how you are feeling. You say you are feeling fine and want to know when they will be starting, and the guy says they are already finished. It would be nice if all unpleasant things could be handled that way. I would sit down at my computer and the next thing I would know my tax forms are sitting in an envelope ready to be mailed........

spiceman · 04-30-2008, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Connie is taking good care of me. Maybe TOO good, because she won't let me do anything. She's so afraid I'm going to hurt myself further that she is basically banning me from the animal buildings. I did spend a little bit of time over there today doing some light weight stuff. But if I do something stupid and get hurt, she will positively KILL me.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the hernia incision and sutures, I could probably do back flips right now. I wouldn't even know those appendix incisions are there. I know the area where the pain used to be no longer hurts, so certainly the appendix is gone, but still, it feels damned weird to not hurt at all now. Hmm, maybe the surgeon merely moved it under my belly button and forgot to bring it all the way out.....

I'll have to say that if there is any pleasant aspect of surgery, it has to be the part where you are laying on the gurney all apprehensive about the impending surgery, and the next thing you know someone is asking you how you are feeling. You say you are feeling fine and want to know when they will be starting, and the guy says they are already finished. It would be nice if all unpleasant things could be handled that way. I would sit down at my computer and the next thing I would know my tax forms are sitting in an envelope ready to be mailed........

Wife's an Head of Administration in a large Heart Clinic here in Lake Mary.
Deals w/ surgeons evry day.........there's no such thing as minor surgery.
Take it one day at a time for awhile Rich. Hell ya didn't have anything all that pressing anyway. (LOL)
Take care
Spice

**Rich Z** · 05-14-2008, 11:45 AM

Got an "informational statement" from the hospital yesterday, and it's a REAL EYE OPENER..

Total charges come to $23,574.49.

And I guess there will be further bills here and there.....

I have catastrophic type health insurance with a $5,500 deductible, so hopefully I won't get any hassles from the insurance company over this.

Sheesh, NO WAY someone can afford to be without health insurance, yet it costs so damned much that most people that don't get it through work certainly can't afford to pay it out of pocket.

They have imprinted at the top of the statement "THIS IS NOT A BILL", but forgot to add, "SO PLEASE DO NOT PASS OUT!"