Remember not long ago I talked about Peter stomach pain? His severe pain started in the afternoon and he went to see a GP in town who could not figure out what is wrong with him. Subsequently the doctor sent him home after prescribing some pain killer for him.
That evening he didn't turn up for CG and I asked Margaret through the hand phone where the pain was and whether the pain moved around or not. I thought she told me that the pain was stationary at one place.
However, we prayed for him for divine healing. He stayed at home for the whole night until 9AM the second day before seeing another doctor who scanned him and did a blood test. He was confirmed immediately that he had appendicitis. Operation was almost immediate to have it removed.
Thanks God that there is nothing serious. He was discharged two days later. This morning, he has his thread removed and I took a picture of the "cut".
Actually this was exactly the position where the pain came from. We read somewhere that one of the very unique "feature" of appendicitis is that the pain moves around in the lower abdomen. Another tell tale sign is that you sometimes don't know where the pain came from!
4 comments:
1st doctor detects nothing. 2nd doctor made immediate correct diagnosis. May be the symptom had became clearer for the 2nd doctor to diagnose.
Either way, it illustrate the need for a 2nd opinion when it comes to serious medical issues. A understanding & caring doctor should not feel offended when you say you wanted a 2nd opinion.
Kong, you are right about the 2nd opinion. However, if someone complain of severe stomach pain, a blood test will review appendicitis immediately. Asking him to go home may cost him his life. I think the first doc is less "compassionate" because it is evening already. Beside, blood test may not be available anymore.
Somehow I came across your blog and read this and I have to comment that appendicitis is a clinical diagnosis and does not usually require scans or even blood tests for diagnosis.
You are absolutely correct that appendicitis is a clinical diagnosis. But it seems that some doctor has probably lost confident in clinical diagnosis and everything must go "hi tech" - popping transducer, scope, jab, etc. Perhaps they just want to be sure! I am not a doc so I better don't talk too much.
Post a Comment