I do some hiking and canoeing in quite remote areas... gone for weeks at a time. In immediate family, several older siblings have had their appendectomy and it always gives me pause for thought as I get deeper from civilization....I wonder if I could talk my doctor into giving me a prescription to use in the event of an emergency.....
It’s not entirely an either/or thing. Do I have it removed or do I treat it with medications?
You could keep some antibiotics handy, just in case, and if your appendix flared up you could immediately begin taking them in an attempt to forestall a rupture while making all haste to obtain surgical treatment. If I was far away from help I would start taking them at the slightest hint of a problem... If I was going to be far from help in the wilderness I’d also want one of those tiny satellite enabled devices that let you sent text messages.
Amoxicillin is a good antibiotic to keep a supply of, it’s usually combined with other antibiotics to treat a cranky appendix though. If I was in the wilderness and started having symptoms I’d take an initial loading dose of a gram and then 500mg every 8 hours... in a hospital setting they would start with intravenous administration and them perhaps go to oral.
A troublesome appendix is a bit like having the sword of Damocles hanging over you all the time, not a pleasant thing. Personally, I’d want the appendix removed to be done with the hassle once and for all... I’d feel similarly with something like a bad case of hemorrhoids, just get the problem fixed and move on.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25121154/