My gyn from 1994 thru Sept 30, 1999 is chair of the ob/gyn dept at University Hospital in New Jersey, also director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Hackensack University Hospital in NJ, and advertised as one of the best 1000 doctors in America. Dr. Gerson Weiss - some of you saw him on Dateline when they covered Lupron for endo. He is a reproductive endocrinologist, and a specialist in menopause. I went to him when my perimenopausal symptoms were causing so many problems that I was going to lose my job. I told him about the adhesions on my left ovary and adhering my uterus to my colon, diagnosed with a lap in 1988. Dr Weiss advice: reduce stress! My employer, Nabisco, fired me instead - after nine years, two promotions, a string of accomplishments and millions of dollars in savings. And replaced me with a man ten years younger, making $10,000 more/yr. The week I signed the separation papers in April, 1996, I had my last period. My hair turned gray and I started having hot flashes every twenty minutes while looking for a new job and bursting into tears all the time. The famous Dr. Weiss did nothing. After eight months, I had found a good part-time job, but the lack of sleep was so bad that Dr. Weiss put me on Premarin without progesterone. (sorry if I am repeating some of my quilt story). Did Dr. Weiss EVER consider adhesions had returned to my left ovary? No. Did he ever discuss adhesions? No. Did he ever discuss the risk of estrogen solo with an adhered uterus? No. Would you expect someone with his credentials to consider any of this? Of course. When I had some bleeding in 1998, did he ever tell me I now had endometrial hyperplasia? No. Did he even suggest I try to stop the estrogen? No. Did he encourage me to come back in six months when I asked? No - he discouraged me. When I started beleeding again in Dec 1999, I didn't think it was a big deal because of his attitude. I trusted the famous Dr. Weiss. When I finally went back, it was now cancer! What did Dr. Weiss do? He sent me to one of his assistant professors - "trained at Yale". That sadist denied I had adhesions, let bleeding end my surgery, and made all sorts of other mistakes. What did the two of them do when I started asking about adhesions? They first tried the "placebo technique" denying adhesions cause any problems, then offered to send me to a pain management clinic to learn to live with my chronic pain, and made it clear they didn't want me back as a patient. This is what the state of New Jersey gets for their leading ob/gyn training. Doctors who deny adhesions and make them worse. When my surgery revealed my left ovary was literally being strangled by adhesions, did Dr. Weiss even acknowledge that that might have been the reason my menopausal symptoms were so severe? No - that would imply he had not treated me appropriately with the estrogen. In my opinion, he should NEVER have given me anything that increased my risk of needing a hysterectomy - my uterus had to be sliced free from both my colon and bladder. After the surgery, when I found out the adhesions had come back after the 1988 lap and that the bleeding insured new adhesions, and I found out about Dr. Reich, I asked Dr. Weiss if he thought Dr. Reich could help. Dr. Weiss said no, and indicated that Dr. Reich was some sort of con artist or worse. That was when I finally stopped trusting Dr. Weiss.
Anyway, I am not saying that only Dr. Reich can help, but I no longer have faith in ob/gyns with reputations as "the best", having had two of the best who only made things worse - I lost my jobs while under the "care" of two of the best ob/gyns in America. And, I lost my health to ARD. If it wasn't for this group, I don't know what I would have done last fall.
Best of luck to you, Toni, but, remember, you are your own best friend and advocate for the health care that is right for you.
Isn't it weird that we practically have to become doctors to keep the licensed ones from doing more harm? Karen
>----- Original Message -----
From: Helen Dynda <olddad66@runestone.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@forum.obgyn.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2000 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: Adhesiolysis with Harry Reich, M.D. - Beverly's message >> TO:
Toni
> Toni, Karla is telling you the truth! Karla has a very severe hernia
> problem which is complicating her already complicated adhesion problem.
> In searching for the best help for her adhesion/hernia problem, Karla
> has been to the best hospitals in the world. Both Johns Hopkins and the
> Mayo Clinc are world-renowned medical centers.
>
> Both Karla and I have been to the Mayo Clinc - and learned that their
> surgeons do not specialize in adhesion cases. Surgeons at the Mayo
> Clinic expect their patients to have an emergency bowel obstruction
> before they will accept an adhesions patient. I can make that comment;
> because I was actually told this by a colon-rectal surgeon at the Mayo
> Clinic.
>
> I believe Karla plans to have Dr. Reich do her surgery for her. I hope
> that you will read her story at the Adhesions Quilt. Her full name is
> Karla Nygren. To locate the name of her and other ARD sisters:
>
> 1.) click: Adhesions Quilt - at the top of this webpage.
>
> 2.) scroll all the way down to the bottom.
>
> 3.) click on one of the following: *last name - *location - *years -
> *date created.
>
> Dr. Harry Reich is one of a few surgeons who specializes in doing
> difficult surgeries laparoscopically - and he is an expert!! Yes,Toni,
> it is very possible that he would be able to help you in the least
> invasive way possible - laparoscopically!!!!!!!
>
> I have viewed videos of his surgical expertise - all three were done
> laparoscopically!! One surgical procedure involved adhesions on the
> bladder - where he literally peeled(like an orange)the adhesions off
> from the patient's bladder.
>
> I also was able to view Bev's surgery. In addition to additions, she
> also had a tumor - which did not show up on diagnostic X-ray studies,
> which she had done before the surgery. The adhesions, which had glued
> Bev's intestines together, were carefully lysed and "swept down" - with
> a lot of patience on Dr. Reich's part. Her surgery took 5 hours for
> him to complete.
>
> Bev's roommate's surgery took 10 hours - as a result of the extremely
> severe adhesion situation which she had. What patience this doctor must
> have!!! Her bowels were so glued together that it was difficult for me
> to identify where the intestines actually were. Bev. keeps in touch
> with her and says that she is recovering nicely.
>
> According to Bev, Dr. Reich is not only one of the best laparoscopic
> surgeons; he is also know as being the most ambidextrous surgeon -
> meaning that he is able to shift his body position whenever and wherever
> his laparoscopic skills are needed in difficult-to-reach parts of the
> patient's anatomy - in order to do a careful and complete adhesiolysis.
> He is also a very caring person when it comes to the welfare of his
> patients. Bev. can tell you about that!!
>
> Dr. Reich's experience and skill as a laparoscopic surgeon could spare
> you another possible laparotomy. Laparoscopic surgery is a much easier
> surgery to recover from; and if any adhesions were to develop, they
> would be very minimal. Dr. Reich is known to be a very meticulous
> surgeon - in that he does everything possible to be sure that there is
> no blood left in the abdominal cavity. He believes that when any amount
> of blood is left behind that this blood, left in the body cavity, plays
> a big part in the development of adhesions.
>
> The success of another adhesions surgery will depend on your choice of a
> surgeon. If this were my decision to make, I would choose the expert.
> In my case I do not have adhesion-involvement on my intestines - and do
> not suffer as much as those of you who do. I am doing fairly well with
> pain management - which means that I feel that I will be ableo to wait
> for FDA approval of a gel-adhesion barrier.
>
> Whatever you choose to do, Toni, is entirely up to you. I have shared
> what I know about Dr. Reich here to allow you to be aware that there
> are surgeons who do specialize in difficult adhesions surgeries.
> Familiar is not always the best choice. Whatever you decide to do is
> entirely up to you! Please know that your ARD sisters hope and pray that
> your decision will be the right one for you.
>
> - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> At Sat, 22 Jan 2000, Bernie and Beverly Doucette wrote:
>
> Toni,
>
> This is Karla....on Bev's computer. I would like to say something that
> really struck me when you mentioned that your gyn would "never hurt me"
> and that he was the best around. I don't know if you have read my
> history.....I
> have had 26 operations since 1991...soon to be 27(no choice there). I
> have been everywhere....I went to a teaching hospital in our state for
> all of my surgeries....I have been to Mayo Clinic, Boston and most
> recently out toJohns Hopkins in Baltimore. All of these places were
> supposed to be "the best". But NONE of them were able to provide me
> with the answers that joining this support group has. No doctor goes in
> with the intentions of hurting us....they want to help make us
> better....but it is their ignorance
> to the condition that ultimately really hurts us. What we all need to
> find is a physician that has thoroughly studied adhesions and can deal
> with them appropriately so that we may better lead our lives. Once we
> do this we will begin to feel better and can once again become
> productive. Perhaps Dr. Reich would be a wise choice for you to
> see....I am pretty new to this group and don't really know of any
> others....from the tapes I have seen...I wouldn't want anyone else.
>
> Take Care!
>
> Karla
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
>> ----- Original Message -----
> From: toni welsh <twelsh1@hotmail.com>
> To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@forum.obgyn.net>
> Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 10:11 AM
> Subject: Re: Adhesiolysis with Harry Reich, M.D. -- Beverly's messages
>
> Thank you Bev, and Helen. I have to go to the store soon, and take my
> husbands aunt - predicting more snow here for tomorrow.
>
> I guess I am a little confused here, the trouble the gyn thinks now is
> that the pain meds, and the other meds are causing me to lose more
> weight. I am NOT vomiting, but as far as burping alot, the GI drs have
> tried prilosec for awhile, now I take Ranitidine for that. The surgeons
> have all told me the laparoscopy surgery is out of the question now,
> they all say that it is too risky for me. Right now I am confused
> again, but I still do not think my gyn would do NOTHING to hurt me. He
> IS the best gyn around in my city, and he too deals with adhesions. I
> am still going to look into all this. The pain meds are hurting my
> stomach, and now the laxatives too. The cramps with senekot are really
> bad. And my GI dr tried to get me to start takingmilk of magnesia
> daily. That was worse!
>
> I will keep in touch with you, thank you both for the info!
>