Sometimes appendicitis is a good thing - the proverbial blessing in disguise.

[bluescribbler]

12. My sister has a similar story.

On her wedding night, she fell on the steps into the hotel. A trip to the ER resulted in a diagnosis of a broken shoulder. A follow up CT scan revealed a haploid valve in her right atrium. She had had a heart murmur since childhood, but it was only when in her sixties was the reason known. Long story short, after a valve replacement, she's as good as new.

Keep up the good work.