just had my appendix out, laparoscopically. total bill: just under $100,000. total insurance coverage: $0 (in probationary period at new job, low-income to begin with). thank your lucky stars for state health care.
mine hadn't burst. I actually had recurrent bouts of pain over a year that turned out to be an abscessed appendix. surgeon said gangrenous, but that sounds exaggerated. anyway, surgery went fine, but I had complications (an ileus, which is more common than they would have you believe) that kept me from eating anything for about 10 days afterward. Lost 15 lbs (9% of body weight), was allowed back on the bike in 2 weeks, but no heavy lifting or anything really strenuous for 4. I thought I'd never gain the weight back, but it only took 2 weeks of eating lots of milkshakes and hitting the gym before I felt like I was back where I was before the surgery. not eating for a couple weeks is an easy way to shed body fat.
regardless, you're rather lucky to be doing so well with an appendix that actually ruptured. if it were just the surgery, w/o complications, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal for me.