Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy Says He Ignored Stomach Pain for a Long Time Before Needing Surgery for Appendicits

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy had to have acute appendicitis surgery on Wednesday, just days before the team's high-stake matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.

Despite the surgery, McCarthy still plans to coach the game for Dallas. However, the 60-year-old says he's learned his lesson about not listening to his body after ignoring pain in his stomach prior to being diagnosed with appendicitis.

“I felt like I had a stomach virus for quite some time,” McCarthy told reporters on Friday. “And, you know, based on where the pain was, you know, I never thought it would be my appendix because it wasn’t in my right side. So, it had a rough night, Monday and Tuesday night. So when they came in early, as normal time Wednesday. We ran over to the hospital thinking maybe just get a scan just to make sure everything was fine. And then that’s when they revealed in the appendix that I had to go go to surgery.”

McCarthy added that he believes he let the condition linger longer than he should have.

“I thought it was a stomach virus," he said. "But I definitely let it go too long. And I do think it’s clearly an example that you, you should have it checked out earlier than later. I think we can we can all focus more on that and it’s definitely something that I personally get to learn from”

McCarthy also said that Cowboys athletic trainer Jim Maurer escorted the coach to the hospital to get situation checked.

Acute appendicitis is when the appendix becomes inflamed and filled with pus. If left untreated, it can cause infection, per Mayo Clinic.

McCarthy won't be the only important member of the Cowboys who will be playing despite adverse medical conditions. Star linebacker Micah Parsons, who is reportedly dealing with the flu, also plans to play through it against the Eagles tonight.

The Cowboys will be looking to exact revenge against the Eagles on Sunday night for a 28-23 Week 9 loss, when the Cowboys came up just short in the fourth quarter. Now, the Cowboys are at home, where they have beaten Philadelphia each of the last three seasons.

With a win, Dallas can move into a tie with the Eagles for first place in the NFC East with four games left to play. If the Eagles win, they will be a near lock to clinch the division for the second straight year, leaving the Cowboys to deal with the wild card race.