How long can you have appendicitis?

I don't know how long one can have appendicitis without knowing. When I was l5, I went to work one morning at 8 a.m. At 11 a.m. I became nauseated and was sent home. My parents took me to the doctor around 8 p.m. My appendix was removed an hour later. My six-year-old daughter had played with her friends for at least six to eight hours. She became nauseated, and complained of stomach pains. My husband and I took her to the emergency room. Tests were made, and her appendix was removed four hours later.