Hong Kong – Hong Kong actor, director and producer, Daniel Wu, had a close encounter with death after he passed off appendicitis symptoms for food poisoning and did not get treated immediately.
According to AsiaOne, the 44-year-old-actor started vomiting after having dinner one night.
Wu shared with Hong Kong media last week that he thought the symptoms were caused by food poisoning. After a doctor’s visit the following day, he was given medicine for gastroenteritis.
When his condition did not improve over the next few days, Wu was rushed to the hospital with the assistance of his sister. His wife, Lisa S., was out of town at that moment.
“I was in a lot of pain. It felt like someone was kicking me in my crotch every 10 minutes!” shared Wu.
When the CT scan results were released, they found out Wu had a severe case of appendicitis, and he was promptly rushed into surgery. The scans showed his appendix was inflamed and ruptured.
The doctor, however, could not remove the entire appendix because of the risk of puncturing other organs in the process.
Instead, Wu had his intestines cleared and was placed on an anti-inflammatory drip for a week.
“My doctor said that he had never seen such a serious condition since doing this kind of surgery for 10 years. He said I would have died if I waited another day,” Wu recalled.
Doctors are monitoring Wu’s condition, given the chance of relapse because his appendix could not be entirely removed.
After a scolding from his wife for not seeking medical attention at once, Wu is grateful that he was not too late.
Symptoms for appendicitis include:
– Dull pain near the upper abdomen that becomes sharp as it moves to the lower right abdomen
– Loss of appetite
– Nausea
– Abdominal swelling
Wu’s case further proves that appendicitis is a medical emergency that occurs with symptoms similar to other conditions and could easily be overlooked.