My Appendix Perforated, Anyone with appendix stories or info?

I hope it's OK that i post this here. Uny I did receive your Schulze DVDs and have watched at least the first one, thank you. Got very busy with work, then a couple weeks ago thought I had food poisoning, ended up in the ER about 48 hours later with the worst abdominal pain I've ever felt in my life. Perforated appendix with abscess (appendix 3 x normal size on CT), I was admitted for about 5 days with IV Antibiotics , a drain tube for the accumulated infected fluid, and sent home still wearing the drain with another week's worth of Antibiotics . My worse nightmare, basically, being in a hospital, the place I most want to avoid, but they probably saved my life. Had I not gone, I think it would have progressed to peritonitis and worse. I was on the floor and screaming by the time my husband took me in, there was clearly no other option at that point.

The drain tube is out now, and the Antibiotics are finished, I've switched to olive leaf and probiotics. I've still got some abdominal pain, some of it around what I think is the location of a 6.5cm fibroid they found on the CT, also. The recommendation is that once the infection is cleared and the appendix quiets, they follow with surgery to remove the appendix. My 6-yo niece went through this exact same thing not 6 months ago.

I have no idea if a previously perforated appendix can heal and work normally, I don't know if mine has some sort of unusual configuration or placement that makes it more prone to blockage or infection, but in spite of all my feelings about natural health and the belief I would never have anything removed surgically from my body (and I'm aware the appendix has a function), I'm leaning toward going through with it because I'm afraid it may always be this ticking time bomb, in the hopes my body can adapt to functioning without it, as many people apparently do "fine" without an appendix, though I suspect some do not, and everyone's definition of "fine" is different. My husband thinks it's possible that my appendix has been a source of brewing infection in my body for years and years, rather than serving it's proper function, and he could be right. There is no way to know without something like maybe a 100% accurate medical intuitive.

The hospital bills are going to bury us, whether I get the surgery or not. I know Schulze believes you can heal absolutely anything, and I want to believe that as well, but I have done a ton of bowel cleansing and was on a mostly plant based, mostly raw diet before this happened, doing so many "right" things. I have been been paying pretty good attention over the past 10 years or more to colon health, ,much more so than most people, and yet and I still had problems with bloating and gas with many foods, and still this appendix problem.

I never want to go through that again, and I suspect that I've had trouble at a low level with my appendix for years before this, though the doctor said it's usually an acute, recent thing that causes this, typically a "fecalith" blocking the opening. Despite eating a ton of plant fiber and taking a Dr. Christopher bowel formula and lots of water, I had been inexplicably constipated - basically pooping cement - for about 10 days prior, so I don't know if that was the cause or the indicator.

Someone on the Iodine forum dowsed me for trichinosis. I don't know if that's the case, but it wouldn't surprise me. It's been awhile since I've done any parasite formulas, and that one came up for me a few times in the past with a naturopath.

Anyway, I know all the recommendations I've been getting from the alternative health community are to keep my appendix in...and I would like to hang on to all my organs, but the courage to risk facing another perforation or rupture is something I'm not sure I have. I'd sure love to hear from someone who went through what I did - perforation with abscess, and 20 years later still has the appendix with no further problems, but I don't think those people are out there. This was a hell of a thing to go through, and every time I have a twinge now (and I'm afraid I may always think that), I wonder if it's my appendix starting to leak again.

I haven't made any final decisions yet, and I'm open to comments and suggestions. I'm seeing the surgeon for another follow up in about 2 weeks. I'm working on some healing affirmations and trying not to go to my dark place, which is where I was when the pain was at its worst. Fear about future severe bowel problems, with our without surgery, is my biggest challenge.