I am sure she knew she had an infection and would need surgery
Popman,
She would likely have been in severe shock and completely incapable of knowing anything. But,,,,what about the husband?
Maybe her husband was unable to speak English well, uneducated or just plain overwhelmed by the whole situation. Even if both he and his wife were geniuses, these things can move very fast and decisions have to be made fast. Sometimes life really is as messy and frightening as an episode of ER or Grey's Anatomy.