I had mine out when I was in 7th grade, and I'm 60 now so old was I? Too much math for the morning!! I remember being in the hospital for several days. I was sick on my stomach, and I know I had a fever, and my mother said it was more than a stomachache, it was time to see the doctor. And in those days, we'd go to the office, and he saw you in the order you came in. He saw me and sent my parents and me in to the bigger city to see a surgeon and the rest is history. A year later, a younger sister had her appendix out. Two years later, another sister was having the same symptoms and Mom just went to the ER and told them her daughter has appendicitus. Well, how do you know? She said believe me, after seeing 2 other children in three years suffer thru it, I know what appendicitus is!!