It is imparative that you step back a moment, read this summary of yourself. Determine if your needs can be better met by someone else. I think they can and I will tell you that it is your life that is at stake here and that means that YOU must take responsibility for what happens from here on in...get informed and then you can make the best decisions for yourself. Please ask for your surgeons procedure in writing, then ask for DR. Reichs surgery in writing, compare, ask for others opinions of each surgeon, others experiences with each surgeon, know that surgeons history....know what you need to get out of a surgery to be the best you can be!
I do know the surgeon spoken of here was NOT Dr. Reich as he does not and would not use a berrier. They simply don't work!
This case scenario is repeated over and over again...and many times with laporotomies instead of laporoscopys..at least with repeated laporoscopys you don't loss as much abdominal muscle and your intestines won't spill out through the busted open areas of the abdominal muscle and lay against the skin to cause pain on top of the adhesions pain..now that is good news whith having lots of laporoscopys.
Think and educate yourself and don't be intiidated, fooled ot pressured into anything YOU don't think will be i in your best interest...deserate we are at times, but uneducated we don't have to be anymore!
God be with you as you decide your action of treatment. Bev
>----- Original Message -----
From: Helen Dynda <olddad66@runestone.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@forum.obgyn.net>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 12:12 PM
Subject: We learn from the experience of others............
> I received this letter from an ARD sister - and decided to share it with
all
> of you. This lady has tried surgery, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory
> drug treatment, one of the best surgeons in the United States - and now
she
> is considering another surgery.
>
> Why am I sharing this story with you? Because I felt that she had learned
> some very good lessons in her attempt to get rid of her adhesions. She
> learned: that physical therapy didn't work, that anti-inflammatory drugs
> didn't work, that "with each surgery the adhesions were growing back
worse."
> She asked the head of surgery if her surgery could be done
laparoscopically;
> and the surgeon said "it was impossible".
>
> Finally she started to do research (and I hope that after reading her
story,
> readers of her story will do the same). She was able to learn the name
of
> a surgeon, who specializes in surgery for endometriosis and adhesions -
and
> does this laparoscopically!!! She said, "This doctor saved my life." She
> was able to get a copy of the video of her surgery so that she could see
for
> herself the effect of adhesions within her body. (Thanks to Beverly, I
have
> been able to view some very severe cases of adhesions!! I watched two
> videos as Dr. Reich very carefully "took down" adhesions which were
attached
> to the intestines. Plus he very meticulously cleaned up the surgical site
> as he was doing the surgery - and then again just before the surgical had
> been completed. Dr. Reich believes that any blood left in the body
cavity
> will cause organs in the body to stick to one another - thus forming
> adhesions!!!
>
> After some time this lady began to experience pain again. She had another
> surgical procedure done - at which time the same specialist noted that she
> had 40-50 % less adhesions. Her surgeon told her that a couple more
> surgeries may be necessary.
>
> The point I want to make here is: if you are suffering from adhesions,
seek
> out the best surgeon you can find - a surgeon who specializes and is very
> experienced in doing difficult adhesion surgeries! These adhesions
> specialists have received advanced training in laparoscopic microsurgical
> techniques. With each surgical procedure they strive to look for ways to
> improve their technique - so that their patients will benefit from their
> surgical skills.
>
> Unfortunately, adhesions are the way the body attempts to heal itself.
The
> body is in control of the healing - and with a surgeon who dedicates his
> surgical expertise to dealing with adhesions, you will have the best
outcome
> following surgery.
>
> ** HERE IS THE LETTER, WHICH I RECEIVED FROM HER **
>
> 1.) " I have tried things that others who have written to you may not
have.
> I had to have a hysterectomy at age 21 due to cysts and severe
> endometriosis. Because of my age they didn't want to put me on the
> hormones so they left in one tube and ovary.
>
> 2.) " Two years later I had emergency surgery because I had a cyst the
size
> of a grapefruit that twisted on the ovary and almost died. They still
left
> in a small piece of ovary so that I didn't have to go on the hormones.
>
> 3.) " Six months later I was having severe pain and they removed the rest
of
> the ovary that was now covered with cysts they described as like a cluster
> of grapes.
>
> 4.) " I felt great for five years and then starting experiencing severe
> pelvic pain to the point of not being able to move around. I went to " a
> well known hospital in her state"; and they diagnosed adhesions and
removed
> the adhesions.
>
> 5.) " Felt good for five more years and then while on vacation became
> severely ill and was found to have a total intestinal blockage and again
had
> surgery.
>
> 6.) * Two years later, again the severe pain came back along with constant
> nausea and vomiting. I lost 30 pounds over the 2 month period and had to
> have surgery again for small bowel blockage. This surgeon explained to me
> that with each surgery
> the adhesions were growing back worse.
>
> 7.) * One year later I was having the same symptoms and tried physical
> therapy (I had been told this can sometimes help) which was very painful
and
> after 3 months and not feeling better I gave it up.
>
> 8.) " I tried anti-inflammatory drug treatment (about 10 kinds) and
> everything I could find to not have surgery again but ended up in the
> emergency room again with a blockage and no choice.
>
> 9.) " Finally, I started doing research. The pain never really went away
> after the last surgery and got progressively worse. I went to a "well
known
> hospital in her state" and asked the head of surgery if there was any way
> this surgery could be done laparoscopically and he said it was impossible.
>
> 10.) "Then my sister met someone who had had adhesions and told her she
had
> them removed by a ob/gyn that did it laprascopically. I went to see him
> immediately. I was very ill by this time and weighed about 105 (I am 5'8)
> and had been living primarily on liquid diet. He agreed that the surgery
> could be done in this manner and because they did not cut - and
> used only lasers instead of a knife, the re-growth of the adhesions would
be
> dramatically lessened. He said my case was too severe for him and sent me
> to a famous doctor in the United States. This doctor saved my life, I
feel.
> I flew out to see him and he took my case. I had the surgery and was
> amazed. The recovery time was about three weeks. Three days after
surgery
> I was flying home. It was amazing. And I had a video of the surgery from
> the inside! I could see for my self how the severe adhesions had wrapped
> their way around my intestines and actually taken my stomach and twisted
it
> upside down to the abdominal wall. My bowel was twisted and kinked and
also
> hooked up together to the abdominal wall. It was amazing to see what you
> look like inside, but also quite overwhelming to see the damage adhesions
> cause. He also inserted the Interceed barrier.
>
> 11.) " I felt great for two years, then the pain and nausea returned. I
> went back for a second surgery. When they went in they found 40 to 50%
less
> adhesions! It was amazing. A ray of hope at last. My left side was
almost
> all clean of them. He explained to me that I may need to have one or
> possibly two more surgeries, but these less invasive surgeries are not so
> scary and I feel that there is a ray of hope that with each one they will
> find less and less re-growth until it stays at a level I can live with.
>
> 12.) " Now it is one and a half years later and I am going through the
same
> thing. The pain is horrendous although it is primarily only on my right
> side this time, but I have had a blockage already and have been advised to
> stay on a liquid diet as some times these blockages can be worked through
> and then you can go on to a better diet. I have an appointment with a
> surgeon in two weeks for consultation for surgery as I have already lost
15
> pounds so far this
> month."
>