Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Your first surgery?

What was your first surgery? Thoughts at the time? Recovery?

I just had my first last Monday. Emergency Appendectomy. Was moving stuff about for a family member Sunday morning and felt a "tugg" and figured nothing of it. Groin pull maybe. Got home and an hour later was vomiting violently. Layed on the couch a bit trying to think what it could be, not thinking more than groin pull, some other muscle, or hernia. Called family and they all said go to ER, most likely appendix. Well, I always hated the idea of surgery. said stupid schit like "they aint guttin me like a deer!" But I promised them id go to the ER.

Monday came and I still hadnt gone to the ER. The pain had subsided some. I broke both bones in my right arm before, and 2 in my right hand, at the same time...but this felt worse. MUCH worse even after the pain eased some. My dad called me and asked how I was doing. Told him the pain went down but its still there. He ripped my ass out and said GTF to the ER NOW! SO, I got my schit on and went. Got to ER and they had me do a CT scan. Doc came back and said you need it out pronto! Said they had 3 appendectomies ahead of me but they were fast tracking me to the front of the line. Nothing had burst, but he was afraid it would as they were bagging it. The surgeon came down, acting like it was no big deal. Anesthesiologist came over and he was making jokes, which I didnt think was funny. Stated the risks, and thats when I started getting not only anxious, but ...scared. I went from well if it has to be done lets get r done to wtf if I dont wake up?? Wtf if it does burst and I gotta be in here a week or so??

The nurse came over just as the surgeon came back. Nurse whispered calm down hun, itll be fine. Surgeon said lets all pray. And they did. Off we went. When we got to the OR the nurse said she needed to give me a shot of heparin. The anesthesiologist said he should be out by now looked at my drip and said "oopps" bent over me and unscrewed something in my drip line and I dont remember schit!

Was out an hour or so. Around 9pm. Everything went fine, but I was still groggy. I wanted to go home. The nurse said someone had to come get me. So I tried, for hours, to get hold of family. The sob's turned their phones off and went to sleep, thinking theyd just pick me up in the morning! lol. So I told the nurse my sister lives right across the street and id walk there. She came back 5 minutes later and said if I promise not to drive and walked across the street she would release me. Hell yeah! So she helped get me dressed and at 330 am I walked out the front door, looked around and said F it! Got in my truck and drove myself home. I couldnt stand being in the hospital overnight!! I hate it! Dyin people everywhere!

First couple days was rough. It was laparoscopic, but still hurt like a bitch. I cant take percocet. They offered vicodin but I had to wait until morning and I wasnt about to stay the night! So ibuprofen it was. Every 6 hours I took 600mg. Meh, it helped somewhat. Yesterday was first shower and the bandaids fell off. Just got these butterfly things stuck to the holes yet. Still hurts when I cough, have to hold my cut at the belly button real tight when I do. The other 2 holes are nothing at this point. Got to sleep in my bed this morning instead of the couch. Heard of people going back to work in a few days, but since I lift a lot of heavy schit, doc said hes keeping me off 3 weeks.

Not sayin id do it again, matter of fact I wouldnt want to, unless an emergency. But it honestly wasnt as bad as I thought. Thank the Lord though, because if id have waited longer I would have made a huge mistake. Life is slow, but good! Feeling pretty decent right now.

I've been lucky, a heart stent in 1999. Minor as things go.

Stay healthy!

I hear stents can be iffy. Glad your still around!! Me get healthy? I wish, at almost 50 the cigarettes still got hold of me. But I keep trying. Gotta get up and moving soon, theyre tellin me to keep moving with these butterfly things on. Guess to keep the blood flow to muscles but I dont know. Headin for a short walk here soon. Thanks

My first surgery was when I was 56, had lumbar fusion 3,4,5.

Tonsils when I was about eight. Pretty scary. Then wisdom teeth at around age 17. Not so scared, but painful afterwards for about a week.

Gall bladder removal and hernia repair....your gonna be sore for a while!dont over do it but try to keep moving around.

Get round ok? That would worry me, not being able to do what I do now.

Wasnt supposed to drive, but I did every day so far. I think thats the worst, trying to sit and hit all the bumps on these schitty roads. Thanks, ill keep it moving

First and last, circumcision.
50 years old never broke any bones other than fingers, ribs.
No surgerys so far.
Wife has ha 6.

Wisdom teeth at 19. Knee redone at 30. LASIK on the eyes at 30. Rebuilt shoulder and bicep at 35. Vasectomy at 35. Heading in shortly to get some teeth implants after a tumble down the steps....I was sober unfortunately

Anesthesia and me don’t agree. I also don’t take opiates so it’s ibuprofen and Tylenol. Surgeries suck but I’m sure there’s more ahead for me since I’m only 46.

Follow the Drs orders and take it easy

Jeezly Crow,

I wish that was all I've had.

I think I'm at 10 total or so, including eyes and a "minor" wrist surgery.

Couple of shoulder surgeries were in the multi-hour category.

Removal of 1/3 of a kidney a couple of hours, I think.

Knee replacement.

I'm probably forgetting one or two. Not counting the wisdom teeth either, as they didn't put me completely out.

Glad you followed advice...............eventually that it. Burst appendix is nothing to mess around with from all I've heard.

Good luck on the recovery.

Folks used to die left and right from a ruptured appendix. It's a dangerous structure to have, even if it does serve a purpose after you've lost your natural gut flora from a bad case of diarrhea.

Born with a bicuspid aortic heart valve, failed late 60's. 7hours of open heart, to install a cow pericardial tissue valve, made / sewn in Singapore. Backpacked out an 8 point 4 weeks after discharge, on my 69th... Excellent prognosis! My Mom, and grandmother died at 50 from heart problems.... Guess how lucky I feel .....advances in technology...

Exploratory craniotomy in 1958. I was 8 years old and I still remember the surgeon's name: Moses Ashkenazy.

Cyst removed from back of knee I think I was 6..........., except for that, and a few teeth, I've got everything I was born with...............

Almost forgot the vasectomy at 46..............

My mom was operated on by a doctor named Ashkenazy, too. Not the same guy, though, since this was like four or five years ago, and he was a young to middle aged man.

Tonsillectomy, age 5
Removal of benign tumor from right lung, age 25
Vasectomy, age 43
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, age 51
Hernia repair, age 54
Shoulder repair, age 55
Left knee replacement, age 70
Right knee replacement, age 70
A-fib ablation, age 70
Right eye cataract removal age 71
Left eye cataract removal, age 71
Right shoulder replacement, age 71
A-fib second ablation, age 71

None of them were recreational experiences, but I wouldn't be scared to do any of them again if needed. Hoping for a few good years before the curtain falls.

Best wishes for many more to come. Years. Not operations.

I’m ok, but life is not the same.
I’m on a 25 pound weight limit, so it’s tuff, especially when I worked construction my whole life.

At least I don’t have to drag them big bucks out of the deer woods anymore, my sons have that detail.

Like you Pahick, my first was an appendectomy, 65 years ago. Appendix ruptured the day before surgery so I got to stay a week and get my butt filled with pennicillin twice a day.