Re: surgerymistakes

From: Dana (dmsmith00@aol.com)
Sun Apr 2 20:34:39 2000


Jessica, I am so happy that you have had some pain free days. Think positive - they may last!! There's no guarantee that the pain will come back! Here's to happy days for everyone! Dana

At Fri, 31 Mar 2000, alanbaleyko wrote: >
>Dana, Thanks for answering my questions. Since I last wrote I have been feeling
>so much better. I have adjusted my antidepressants and have increased the dose.
>I have also found that limiting my fiber intake helps alot. And if I start
>feeling the pain and take a GasX pill it goes away. I am enjoying every pain
>free minute and have even done some gardening. I went shopping with my sisters
>yesterday and we laughed like teenagers throughout the entire mall. I'm starting
>to exercise again, which always makes me feel better. And I, even though I am
>not a church goer, have been thanking God for every minute I am able to
>participate in life!! Thanks again for writing! Jessica
>
>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
>> >> >
>> >>
>>


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