Dana wrote:
> Yes, I did feel some of my old pain while I was healing. I do think
> some of it was my brain "remembering" all the old, terrible pain. I
> really worked hard at trying to maintain a positive attitude and soon
> found it paying off. Even now, when I have what I call "mystery" pains,
> I try to tell myself that it will go away. If I let myself worry about
> it, I work myself into a panic and then the pain always feels worse. So
> far, this has worked. I don't have to take any pain meds at this point
> - I'm just taking my hormone pill and anti-depressant. I also work hard
> at keeping my bowels moving regularly. That works tremendously in
> keeping the bloated discomfort feeling away.
>
> I definitely don't have all the answers. I do worry that the pain will
> come back. But I truly believe the mind-body connection is a strong
> one. Take care - Dana
>
> At Tue, 28 Mar 2000, alanbaleyko wrote:
> >
> >Dana, I am on Paxil and I have been playing with the time I take it and have
> >increased my dosage as per my doctors instructions. While you were healing
> >did you feel the old pain at all? I'm not feeling any more of the surgical
> >pain but can still feel the old pain on my left side. I'm wondering whether
> >this is just the nerves "remembering" the pain. Thanks for writing and take
> >care. Jessica
> >
> >Dana wrote:
> >
> >> I am sorry you are so frustrated. I understand your feelings as I had a
> >> similar situation. I trusted my doctor and then felt like he didn't
> >> take care of me.
> >>
> >> I would encourage you to give yourself time to heal from this last
> >> surgery. If you just had surgery this month, it could take a while to
> >> start feeling better. I had surgery in February, and it took a full six
> >> weeks to get over my surgical pain. Mine was a laparotomy, but it will
> >> still take a few weeks to get over a laparoscopy. After my surgery, I
> >> kept feeling the pain would return and was so fearly of every discomfort
> >> I felt. But after taking it very easy for six weeks, I am finally rid
> >> of the pain.
> >>
> >> I think another thing that has helped me is being on anti-depressants.
> >> If you're not on them, you might ask your doctor whether that's a viable
> >> option for you.
> >>
> >> Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers. Dana
> >>
> >> At Tue, 28 Mar 2000, Jessica wrote:
> >> >
> >> >Hi all! I have to write and tell you what I, with a little help from my
> >> >obgyn, have done to myself. I am frustrated, ashamed, and a little
> >> >depressed. My mistake in all this was trusting my doctor. He has the
> >> >best reputation in this area for obgyn surgery. He is a perfectionist
> >> >and all the nurses I have talked do say he does clean surgery. Sounds
> >> >like what we are supposed to look for right? What he has done to me is
> >> >taken me piece by piece, and not listened to me or communicated with my
> >> >GI doctor. Heres a quick run down of the proceedures I have had him do:
> >> >!. Oct "98- Lap to diagnose left side abdominal pain. He found a
> >> >corpus luteum cyst on right ovary, and adhesions to my bladder. Pain
> >> >returned 3 days after surgery, though it was less intense.
> >> >2. May 99- Open abdominal hysterectomy. I told him to remove anything
> >> >that looked like it would cause trouble in the future. I told him I did
> >> >not have a problem loosing my ovaries. At this time no adhesions were
> >> >mentioned.
> >> >3. March 2000-lap to remove ovaries due to severe pain. I could not
> >> >even work (teacher) due to the pain for 2 weeks prior to surgery. He
> >> >said I was a mess inside. He had trouble locating ovaries due to
> >> >adhesions and had "great difficulty" removing them. He said that he
> >> >almost had to open me up but was able to get 90% of adhesions. He feels
> >> >that they will almost certainly come back. 3 days after surgery, the
> >> >pain returns. Since I had a failed attempt at a colonoscopy and the GI
> >> >doctor diagnosed "tortured colon-probable adhesions cause" in 1998, I
> >> >feel it's the adhesions on the colon causing the problem. My obgyn
> >> >wrote in his report on the ovary removal that "If this patient requires
> >> >further exploratory surgery it is recommended that it be an open
> >> >abdominal proceedure with the use of an adhesion barrier.
> >> >Why did I let this man open me up so many times? Why did I not demand
> >> >that he remove my ovaries when he took my uterus? The only excuse I can
> >> >think of is that he is very arrogant and hates to be questioned. When I
> >> >begin to ask questions or state facts he shuts down. That's still no
> >> >excuse for me. Through this forum I knew better than he did what needs
> >> >to be done. You can bet I will begin interviewing surgeons today for
> >> >the future! Before the pain gets so bad that I would let a monkey with a
> >> >can opener do the surgery!! I'm going to wait as long as before the next
> >> >surgery.
> >> >Thanks for letting me vent and for always being there and understanding.
> >> >Any hints on choosing a surgeon would be appreciated! Here's to a pain
> >> >free day for all.
> >> >
> >> >--
> >> >Jessica Baleyko
> >> >
> >>
>