I have two major things where two groups of doctors all told me the same thing: YOU CAN NEVER HAVE CHILDREN. It was a warning I was first told when I was in the 5th grade. My appendix had burst and I walked around for weeks with a ruptured appendix. I went to the doctors as a child, almost every day. I was told I was faking it, that nothing was wrong with me. One intern decided on Labor day to have my checked for appendicitis as my complaints were always about my stomach. I was in surgery the next day and spent months recovering.
My sister told everyone at school I was dead. (Now my sister is painfully shy and couldn’t stand being questioned. She was in the second grade.) So yes I did have my resurrection moment in my childhood where people stared at me and said ‘I thought you died.’
What I learned about myself at this age is that I have a very strong threshold for pain. I wake up in the middle of surgery despite the drugs that were pumped into me. (I woke up in the middle of the operation and the scariest moment of my life was waking up in recovery where I thought they put me in the morgue. I screamed and screamed for my mother. Remember I was still young.
What I also remember about this hospital visit is that a doctor told me she tried to save my ovaries, but it would be best if I never had children. I might bleed out on the table as my stomach might not heal if they have to do a C-secton.
I asked a doctor in Florida a few years ago and showed my scar. She said it would be unlikely I’d have children ever.
I’ll continue with the second doctor story of my life, this time with my spine tomorrow.
The image of me bleeding out on a hospital table has haunted me all my life.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can you walk around with a ruptured appendix before it becomes life-threatening?
In this account, the author walked around with a ruptured appendix for weeks as a child, repeatedly visiting doctors who dismissed her complaints as faking. It wasn’t until a Labor Day intern suggested testing for appendicitis that the condition was caught. She required surgery the next day and spent months recovering, illustrating how dangerously long a ruptured appendix can go undiagnosed.
What are the chances of having children after a ruptured appendix damages the ovaries?
A ruptured appendix can damage nearby reproductive organs, including the ovaries. In this case, the surgeon noted she tried to save the ovaries but advised against future pregnancy due to risks of severe bleeding, particularly if a C-section became necessary. A second doctor years later confirmed it would be unlikely she could ever have children, based on the visible abdominal scarring.
Is waking up during surgery more likely if you have a high pain tolerance?
The author describes waking up in the middle of her appendix surgery despite anesthesia, which she links to her unusually high pain threshold — a trait she first recognized during this childhood hospitalization. While high pain tolerance doesn’t directly cause anesthesia awareness, individual differences in drug response can play a role. She also woke in recovery, initially mistaking it for a morgue.
