In March three years ago I had a little run-in with an unsuspected condition that can happen to anyone. I thought I had contracted a stomach virus. A not too bad stomach ache the first day. Second day I had some fever and chills. Third day I left work to go home feeling pretty bad. Constant pain. Late that night I found that I could no longer pee, which made the pain even worse. A trip to the ER and an MRI showed a perforated appendix and peritonitis had set in. My time was severely limited. The immediate operation involved removing intestines so that the body cavity could be thoroughly cleaned. Of course the appendix was removed at this time. Everything is packed back in and closed. Massive quantities of antibiotics for a week helped defeat the infection. After three years I am finally getting back to normal. Sucks, but I'm talking about it. Here's a pic of my swollen abdomen when I left the hospital. Gross huh?