Date:         Sun, 14 Oct 2012 06:08:50 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Belly pain caution NVC
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I'm afraid I'll forget to mention this by next Friday, so I've gotten
special moderator permission ;-) for this blatantly (I hope) off-topic post.

I was taught about appendicitis as a Navy Hospital Corpsman back in
the mumblemumbles and I was actively aware of it as a possibility
within hours of my symptoms starting.  I was talking to a triage
nurse within a couple hours of it becoming clear that there was a
worsening trend, and in the ER an hour later, feeling quite
uncomfortable but not very ill and with only a degree of fever.  And
the first thing they did there was take a history and (gently) yell
at me for not coming in sooner.  They gave me a very simple rule:
BELLY PAIN WITHOUT NAUSEA --> GET SEEN.  Nothing to do with
appendicitis as such - I'm too old for that to be a common
problem.  They were a bit surprised when that's what it turned out to be.

But for the emergency medicine people that combination of pain/no
nausea is a big wake-up call, and I thought it wouldn't hurt to pass
along their little rule.  They were real clear about it; and I will
be too, next time.  I'd have been in the ER at least twelve hours
sooner, and I'd now have three little holes in my belly and been out
on the sidewalk next day; instead of three little ones and one pretty
big one, a slight opiate dependency, and starting to feel human again
a week later.

Yours,
David