-- ===================================================== Stevie, this is Judy from Southern California. I am a 48+ year old women with no more reproductive organs, history of adhesions, etc. 5 surgeries in 20 years. Last surgery removed last ovary and tube, due to a cyst. Gyno surgeon say numerous adhesions, but didn't take them all 'down', because there were too many, and they were 'translucent' anyway, which is a lot of bull, since adhesions get thicker/more fibrous and smaller over time.Adhesions can cause pain in the strangest places. Per my former pelvic floor massage/myofacial release therapist, there are adhesions around my psoas muscle (big muscle) and hip flexor muscle, which goes somehow through the gaps in pelvic bone, which cause lower back sciatica pain, on same side as abdominal pain. I have a lot of pain when bearing down, when trying to hold my urine whilst running to bathroom, while trying to "hold/grasp" husband's penis during intercourse. Sorry about being so graphic. Just wanted to qualify and relate my experience. Going on for 4 years, am I insane or what?
My opinion on medical community: A) They don't have the time to do research and/or their homework, and it's not life-threatening like cancer, heart attack, etc.. B) I believe the adhesion lysis is such a complex, long drawn out surgical procedure, the it isn't cost-effective for them. ie: they book surgery rooms, nurses, anesthesiologists, etc. for a certain length of time with a certain "PunchList" of tools required. It's an assembly line of sorts. It costs them more money to do this kind of skilled, detailed work, and probably (just guessing), if you watch ER or Chicago Hope, the drs. and admins have meetings where they decide what and how many of each procedure they are going to do and what's the profit. The pharmaceutical companies are doing research into these new products to pump up their profits, but convincing the medical community and FDA of their 'efficacy' is another story.
I guess we have to inform ourselves (thank God for the Web), since a lot of these 'professionals' aren't doing their jobs and informing us. Also, not everybody gets adhesions after surgery, and the only way to detect and/or eliminate them is through surgery. Catch 22...it sucks.
So it's up to the individual to do the research, and luck or God or places like this website leads you to a source that can help.
Personally, I'm waiting for a better gel/liquid or something that can give me a better chance of forming adhesions so quickly, and give me more leadtime without pain. Am I living in a fantasy world? Maybe, yes, and meanwhile my suffering affects every area of my life. But I'm not going to get 'cut again' until somebody will give me a chance of a possibility of success.
I don't know if this will help you at all, except to let you know you are not alone.
Judy
-- Judy in Southern California (I am 'BunkyBare' in AIM [aol instant messenger] and am '15259612' in ICQ, if you want to chat, rather than e-mail.