Secondly, when I said 26 surgical procedures....that was since 1991. In my entire life it has probably been somewhere around 35. But I only started counting when it was one right after the other....as many as 7 in one year.
-- Karla
>----- Original Message ----- From: Karla <ifirgit@webcntrl.com> To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2000 12:50 AM Subject: Re: How Many Is To Many?
> Roberta, > > It doesn't appear that too many people have tried to answer your question. > That is probably because there isn't any real answer. To me, the answer > would be 3 or more. Granted, we all go through the experience of having > surgery by our local surgeons who don't have a clue as to how to properly > deal with adhesions so that they do not return. We have all done it. But, > after that first surgery, we should be educated enough to know that whatever > their procedure was.....it didn't work. Then we should seek out the best > doctor to deal with the problem so that we do not have to go through > repeated surgeries. If we do this right away we can eliminate all of the > unnecessary procedures and live happy productive lives. There are very few > doctors in this world that are skilled enough to prevent the reformation of > adhesions......unless we get ourselves setup with one of those doctors we > can become drug into this continuous cycle of surgeries. > > You also asked "who has had the most surgeries and what is the quality of > life like"......I don't know just who has had the most surgeries.....from > everyone on this group that I have seen....I guess it would be me. I have > undergone 26 surgical procedures...not all specifically for the lysis of > adhesions...but where adhesions have been lysed and other procedures > performed because the doctors were not aware that the adhesions were causing > the problems I was having. I am in need of a 27th surgery (go read my story > on the adhesion quilt at the adhesion site) and I have no choice in the > matter. The quality of my life sucks...plain and simple. A lot of it is > due to the other problems that these uneducated surgeons have caused with > their zeal to take care of my problems. I don't want to get into all my > problems in this letter....like I said...please read the quilt. The pain is > so awful. I am on so many narcotics and it is like there is no end in site. > Please seek out one of those qualified surgeons to stop your cycle. > > You also asked has anyone ever died from having too many surgeries. On July > 12th of this year I was scheduled for my 27th surgery. I was given the > pre-op medicine versed to calm me down. I went into cardiac and respiratory > arrest and as told to me by my doctor....was flatlined. So I guess you > could say yes someone has died from having too many surgeries.....but I was > a lucky one....because they brought me back so that I could live to tell > others. But, I had a friend named Christina (her story is also on the > quilt) who died this past January. I don't think that she was anywhere > close to having as many surgeries as I have had.....but for her.....that > last surgery was one too many. Her surgeon was just not skilled enough to > know what he was doing. So, please believe me when I say that this could > happen to anyone. There are no right and wrong answers as to what is too > many. I guess the real right answer is.....how many surgeries are we going > to let our doctors perform before we start asking questions! I believed and > trusted in my doctors....they never even talked about adhesions in terms of > anything but a nuisance when they were performing my surgeries. I wish I > had known back in 1991....so that I could have said NO! > > As far as what is anyone doing to educate the public.....we are doing our > damndest at making this disease known. We have contacted talk shows, news > shows....you name it...with little success in getting out story out. > Locally, Bev has had great success in sharing the details of our disease. > She has gotten local newspaper coverage as well as regional television > coverage. When she and Mary Pomroy travelled to Germany they even got > coverage over there. We are doing our best to make this public...but we are > fighting a medical system that doesn't acknowledge that adhesions are even a > problem. > > Good Luck in you fight! > > Karla N. >
>> ----- Original Message ----- > From: Roberta <Source14U@aol.com> > To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com> > Sent: Monday, August 14, 2000 9:13 PM > Subject: How Many Is To Many? > > > I've only had 7 surgeries for lysis of adhesions (7 to many for me) but > > was wondering, how many is to many? I'm new to this board but I've read > > about others who've endured more surgeries than I. Has anyone ever died > > from having to many surgeries for removal of adhesions? What does the > > medical community have to say about this? Who out there has had the most > > surgeries and what is there quality of life like? What is happening out > > there to increase the awareness of what is obviously a problem of epic > > proportion? What kind of life can we look forward to if the only > > solution to our problem is "another surgery'? Things to think about. > > Would love your input. Thanks for being here. RB > > >