Since surgeons in Europe are able to use Intergel gel adhesion barrier, Mary was able to benefit from the use of Intergel at the conclusion of her surgery. To the best of my knowledge only the following countries have approved the use of Intergel gel adhesion barrier for use at the conclusion of a surgical procedure: Canada, Europe, Japan, the Middle East, and South Africa. Intergel has not yet been approved by the FDA in the United States - and there are no predictions as to when Lifecore, the makers of Intergel, will attempt to present their product to the FDA again.
Mary is the second person from North America to have traveled so far to gain back her life after having lived for many years with the chronic pain of adhesions. Joanne ( Butman ) Thorpe from California helped to pave the way by being the very first person from the United States to have her surgery for adhesions done by Dr. Korell in Germany. Beverly accompanied Mary to Germany to actually witness Mary's return to health and to assist Mary as needed during her recovery while in Germany.
Since I did not receive any communication from Bev from Germany until yesterday, today is actually Day 3 for Bev and Mary in Duisburg, Germany. Here is Bev's message from early this morning.
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 4:56 AM
Hello from Duisburg, Germany...
Mary is feeling so good, she was laying on her right side from the time she returned to her room, until I left her resting VERY comfortably in her bed around 10pm. She is thrilled about laying flat , being able to raise her arms over her head, NO adhesion pain...she is so cute..so alive..she " crawled " onto the bed, hands and knees, like a kid would do, and was smiling from ear to ear...sitting up, turning over...she had the nurses ( called sisters over here ) laughing very much. She is thrilled!
WE are eating a LOT of bread and lunch meats ..the meals are good, but very repetitive in what is offered. NO beef, some pork, but lots of cheese and bread, hard buns, lots of hard buns. But great butter! Chickens must be scarce in Germany as that is served a lot!!!!! :-) We are happy and well cared for here...I recommend surgery here for anyone!
Please make a notice that Dr. Korell would want the same protocol as Dr. Reich and Dr. Redan in Scranton, PA; that is, Dr. Korell would like all operative reports and associated pathologies etc...screened by myself ( Bev was a RN before she was disabled by adhesions ) and possibly another RN yet to be named ) to assure that a prospective patient DOES actually have a history of adhesions before making a trip to Germany for surgery..
Please let Dr. Wiseman know things are good here and that HE night like to contact Korell with a few words here...a " Dunka " might be nice for Dr. Korell as he did accommodate media on the IAS for the German press!!!
Please say hello to Pam and all for me and assure them I will share everything when we return to the USA..
How is Karla? I did get into the IAS web site, but could not spend too much time in it as the PC is slow...and time is short here in this office!!!
Can you PLEASE forward my love to my husband and family, I miss them much, I appreciate them so very much and I hope to talk to Bernie sometime soon. It is good to call me anytime as, even if it is night here, I would appreciate hearing his voice!! That is more important to me then sleep, that is for sure!!!!
Please tell Anne Hayashi we are carrying her " German translation " sheet around with us and it is good...people laugh all the time!! All is great here...will share the toilet paper story with all of you another day!!
Dunka.... Love to all Bev
-- Helen Dynda schrieb:>> ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Helen Dynda" <olddad66@runestone.net> > To: <KKGrant@aol.com> > Sent: Monday, July 17, 2000 12:20 PM > Subject: Dr. Matthias Korell - is from Duisburg, Germany > > Dear Kathy, > Bev ( bnb@cybrzn.com ) is in Germany now with Mary Pomroy, who is from > Calgary, Canada. They took a flight to Duisburg, Germany on Friday, July > 14th. Mary is scheduled for surgery TODAY with Dr. Matthias Korell, who was > also Joanne Butman's surgeon for her March 09, 2000 adhesiolysis. Dr. > Korell will use Intergel at the conclusion of Mary's surgery. > > Dr. Korell considers himself to be an adhesions specialist in that he has > also done research on adhesions and adhesion barriers. I will be sending > Joanne Butman's messages from the International Adhesions Society Message > Board. You will be receiving her messages in 2 separate emails. Joanne > posted alot of helpful information in her messages; so I know that you are > going to want to read through all of her messages. > > I assume that you are aware that the FDA did not approve Intergel in January > 2000. As far as I know, there are NO statistics regarding the use of > Intergel in Canada, Europe, the Middle East or Japan; so Intergel is still > not a long-term proven adhesion barrier. > > I don't want to discourage you from having surgery in Germany with the use > of Intergel. It is perhaps going to take people like Joanne Butman, Mary > Pomroy, and possibly you to open the eyes of the FDA so that one day soon > surgeons will be able to use Intergel in the United States. > > Bev gave me the opportunity to go to Germany for surgery at the same time as > Mary's surgery; but I am presently in the process of arranging a surgery > date with Dr. Harry Reich and Dr. Jay Redan...at the NEW Adhesions Unit at > Community Memorial Hospital in Scranton, PA. Perhaps your surgeon would be > interested in learning more about this. > > If your surgeon is willing to accompany you to Germany, what a wonderful > opportunity for both you and your surgeon!! If he is willing to do this, > then by all means cancel your Thursday surgery date. You may have to wait a > few weeks for a surgery date with Dr. Korell...but unless you are having a > bowel obstruction, that should not be too difficult for you to handle, > should it? Can you share the name of your surgeon? > > I suggest that you get your surgeon's approval to this idea; and if he is > in favor of doing this, let your surgeon be the person to contact Dr. Korell > at: M.Korell@t-online.de . Your surgeon and Dr. Korell would have to talk > about this idea first. If Dr. Korell approves, then he will have opened the > door for your surgeon and you to allow this happen. > > If your surgeon is not in favor of doing this, you could still have the > opportunity to go there on your own; and then and only then would I suggest > that you contact Dr. Korell by email. > > I am the person who has Dr. Korell's permission to send email to Bev and > Mary; so please keep me informed about this so that I can pass this > information on to Bev. > > In Friendship, > Helen Dynda ( Minnesota ) >
>> ----- Original Message ----- > From: <KKGrant@aol.com> > To: <bnb@cybrzn.com> > Sent: Monday, July 17, 2000 11:23 AM > Subject: Please help me soon! > > Hi, my name is Kathy Lacy and I live in Houston, Texas. > > I have been a member of IAS since the beginning. > > I have an opportunity to start an IAS Chapter in Houston with a very well > respected surgeon. > > The information I'm looking for TODAY is...... > Where overseas can you have a laprascopic using the Intergel Barrier? > > I believe my surgeon is willing to go with me and oversee the procedure and > come back to the USA and help us go before the FDA with "hopefully" a video > from the operation. And then "hopefully" set up the very first "teaching" > process for the physician's that say adhesions do not cause pain! Think of > what this could do for us all??? > > My problem is.....I can't find the information where some of our Adhesion > Buddies have gone overseas. > > If I remember right it cost $1,800 and it's done in Germany and Japan?? Is > this correct? > > "PLEASE" if any one of you know ANYTHING about this OR perhaps you know of > someone who DOES know about the overseas procedure, please e-mail me or you > can call me collect at 713/957-0732. > > Thanks for all your postings. I read them everyday. I just can't add > anything to the discussion that I don't already read from yall. > > Please help me and soon! As I'm going into my third surgery here in Houston > on Thurs. of this week for adhesion removal. > > I would rather go overseas with my surgeon and start the process of ending > all this for not only myself but for us all. But I need more "detail" info. > HELP!!! > > Kindest regards, > Your Adhesion Buddy > Kat...... ((~o~)) >