"Emergency visit for burst appendix"

Burst appendix at 86 years old.

       I am an eighty six year old male pensioner and have suffered bouts of severe sickness and diarrhoea over the past two-plus years. Probably because I felt well after vomiting, I did not complain enough. Although several medical checks were made, nothing conclusive was found.

       In early January I suffered another of ever increasing episodes, I developed shaking and shivering. My wife phoned our G.P. who advised phoning 999 immediately. The ambulance arrived within minutes and I was taken to the A. & E. at Borders General Hospital at Melrose.

      I was examined, had several tests and was told that a perforated appendix was suspected. After a C.T. Scan I was taken to theatre at half-past midnight.

       I regained consciousness sometime the next morning in ITU where I remained for the next six days. For most of my stay in ITU I suffered from delirium and must here apologise to the staff who I now realise must have had a tough time coping with my hallucinations. I then went to Ward 7 for a further week and then released to home aided by the Home First Team. The regular daily visits by the nurses along with the visits from the district nurse, who looked after my wound, were really appreciated as was the attention of the Physio Dept.

      Now, after some ten weeks, I am well on the way to complete recovery.

      I must send my thanks to the wonderful treatment and kindness I received from everyone, the ambulance medics, all the many nurses, doctors, surgeons, physiotherapists, porters, cleaners and all the others who helped me in so many ways. I will never forget their cheerfulness and kindness.