Good luck,
-->Mary Pomroy----- Original Message ----- From: Jill <marchumb@email.msn.com> To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@forum.obgyn.net> Sent: Monday, September 04, 2000 8:12 AM Subject: Re: Adhesion-Related Disease ( ARD )...Important information!!!
> Wow Bev and Helen- > > You certainly summed up my life right now. > > I guess my question to you all is - if we cannot afford to go to an adhesion > specialist, what is our next best plan of action? I know surgery isn't the > answer, but what other options do those of us who can't afford surgery > have?? > > Is a pain clinic the next step?? > > Many Thanks- > > Jill > > -----Original Message----- > From: adhesions@obgyn.net [mailto:adhesions@obgyn.net]On Behalf Of Helen > Dynda > Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2000 1:19 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS > Subject: Adhesion-Related Disease ( ARD )...Important information!!! > > Bev has recently given the following excellent advice: "Become your own > BEST doctor!!!" Learn as much as you can about your adhesion-related > disease (ARD)! You will discover that the more knowledge you have about > ARD the less you will fear it; and BEST OF ALL, you will begin to learn > how to make better choices as to what your next step will be. This > knowledge about adhesions will eventually give you peace of mind; and > you will find that the time, which you spent learning about adhesions > and adhesion related concerns, will be worth its weight in gold. You > will be empowered once you know what the causes adhesions and/or > endometrial implants (scar tissue) are...and what you need to do. More > importantly, you will begin to understand that what you do about your > adhesion problems will make all the difference in the world to you!! > > The most important fact you will learn is: Surgery after surgery IS NOT > the answer!!! Each surgery will cause even more adhesions to form; and > as a result you will begin to experience even more pain. Then at some > point your doctor may tell you: "Adhesions don't cause pain; you need > to have a mental health evaluation."..."There is nothing more I can do > for you...you are going to have to learn to live with it."..."You need > to get into pain management."..."I will not do another surgery for you > unless you have an emergency bowel obstruction." > > Or maybe your doctor will say; "This is not within my specialty. You > will need to see a gastroenterologist (or whatever other > specialty)...which starts a pattern of you being juggled from one > medical specialty to another...without answers and without > success...which creates a real state of confusion for you. Eventually, > after seeing sooooo many doctors, you don't know what to do! Because by > now you have lost faith and trust in the medical profession. It is at > this point that you finally start thinking, "Maybe it is all in my head. > Maybe I do need to get a mental health evaluation." > > At some point, before you have reached the actual stage where you are > questioning your own saniety, you will notice that you are having family > and relationship problems. People, who have been friends for many > years, eventually are no longer in your life. So many times you have > been told that all of your tests were normal or negative!! If you think > you are confused by this, it is quite possible that these people are > confused as well or they may no longer believe you either...that you are > really suffering severe chronic pain. > > And if they don't believe you, how is your immediate family going to > believe you? You start to recognize that your relationships within your > immediate family has changed. Your spouse is drawn into doing tasks, > which you are unable to do; and as a result you no longer feel a > special intimate bond with your spouse. Your children? You eventually > find them doing for you, what you as their mother should be doing for > them!! As a result of not getting the right kind of help for the > adhesions, which are causing your chronic pain, your life has become > very dysfunctional. BUT you can either become consumed by this > dysfunctionality or you can make a decision to do something about it. > You do have a choice here!! > > What choice do you have? Instead of wasting money and precious time by > having "surgery after surgery" with whatever surgeon happens to be > handy, you will learn that the most important step you can take is to > seek the *best adhesions specialist* you can find!!!! > > Not every surgeon wants to do surgery for a patient, who has > adhesions!!! Not every surgeon has patience, which is soooo necessary!! > Not every surgeon has the skill and experience needed for adhesiolysis > procedures WHY? Because adhesion surgeries are very difficult and > risky surgeries for the patient. Adhesion surgeries require great skill > on the part of the adhesion specialist; and probably most important of > all, adhesion surgeries require unlimited patience on the part of the > surgeon. I have actually viewed a video of a 10 hour adhesion surgery, > which which Dr. Harry Reich did for Deb in April 1999. In viewing her > video, it was absolutely impossible for me to see her individual > organs!! Her abdominal/pelvic cavity looked like someone had sprayed > Crazy Glue over ALL of her organs!!! One year later Deb is > adhesion-free and pain-free!! > > What surgeon wants to spend 10 hours doing a surgery for the complex > situations that adhesions cause??? What insurance company wants to > reimburse a surgeon for a procedure, which can take as many as 10 hours > to complete??? What hospital wants to provide time in the operating > room for such a long surgical procedure...especially when we know that > some doctors don't even acknowledge that adhesions do cause pain??? How > many surgeons will agree to do surgery for a bowel obstruction...unless > it becomes an emergency situation??? It has been my experience that > doctors expect their adhesions patients to have an emergency bowel > obstruction before they will do surgery!!! > > I previously said that you have a choice! That choice is yours alone to > make!! You are the one who is suffering!! I encourage you to seek > help from a surgeon, who specializes in helping people who have severe > adhesion problems!! An adhesion specialist has had advanced training in > laparoscopic microsurgical techniques. He has logged thousands of hours > in doing laparoscopic surgical procedures!! Their experience has taught > them what techniques and skills are required by them in order to give > their patients the best possible chance to become as free from adhesions > as possible. It is true, however, that NO surgeon can guarantee that > their patient will become completely adhesion-free!! But with an > adhesion specialist doing your surgery, you have the BEST POSSIBLE > CHANCE to get your life back !!! > > Some of these adhesion specialists will suggest a second look > laparoscopy for a patient whose adhesions have been particularly > severe...as was true in Mary Pomroy's (Canada) case. This procedure is > done generally within 10 days of the surgery itself. This procedure is > an additional way that adhesion specialists are able to help their > adhesion patients. > > This may seem like an expensive step to take; but when you add up all > the unsuccessful surgeries, which you already have had, you will find > the adhesion specialist to be a real bargain!! Think of all the pain > you have had to live with over the years as a result of all of the > failed surgeries you have gone through!! Think about how ARD is > affecting your relationships: your spouse's life, your children's > lives, and most importantly your own life!! > > I am aware of several surgeons who qualify as adhesion specialists; > because they have been having success with the adhesion surgeries, which > they have done. Their location? California, western Pennsylvania, > Tennessee, New Jersey, Scranton, PA, and Duisburg, Germany. For more > information about them, you have my permission to write to me at: > olddad66@runestone.net . There may be other adhesion specialists > throughout the USA; but I have not heard about them yet. > > Incidentally, as a result of having lived with the chronic pain of > adhesions for more than 30 years, what I have written is actually from > my own erperience!! I am planning to seek help from one of these > adhesion specialists; but I have not made a definite decision yet as to > whom it will be room for such a long surgical procedure... > especially when we know that some doctors don't even acknowledge that > adhesions do cause pain??? How many surgeons will agree to do surgery > for a bowel obstruction...unless it becomes an emergency situation??? > It has been my experience that doctors expect their adhesions patients > to have an emergency bowel obstruction before they will do surgery!!! > > I previously said that you have a choice! That choice is yours alone to > make!! You are the one who is suffering!! I encourage you to seek > help from a surgeon, who specializes in helping people who have severe > adhesion problems!! An adhesion specialist has had advanced training in > laparoscopic microsurgical techniques. He has logged thousands of hours > in doing laparoscopic surgical procedures!! Their experience has taught > them what techniques and skills are required by them in order to give > their patients the best possible chance to become as free from adhesions > as possible. It is true, however, that NO surgeon can guarantee that > their patient will become completely adhesion-free!! But with an > adhesion specialist doing your surgery, you have the BEST POSSIBLE > CHANCE to get your life back !!! > > Some of these adhesion specialists will suggest a second look > laparoscopy for a patient whose adhesions have been particularly > severe...as was true in Mary Pomroy's (Canada) case. This procedure is > done generally within 10 days of the surgery itself. This procedure is > an additional way that adhesion specialists are able to help their > adhesion patients. > > This may seem like an expensive step to take; but when you add up all > the unsuccessful surgeries, which you already have had, you will find > the adhesion specialist to be a real bargain!! Think of all the pain > you have had to live with over the years as a result of all of the > failed surgeries you have gone through!! Think about how ARD is > affecting your relationships: your spouse's life, your children's > lives, and most importantly your own life!! > > I am aware of several surgeons who qualify as adhesion specialists; > because they have been having success with the adhesion surgeries, which > they have done. Their location? California, western Pennsylvania, > Tennessee, New Jersey, Scranton, PA, and Duisburg, Germany. For more > information about them, you have my permission to write to me at: > olddad66@runestone.net . There may be other adhesion specialists > throughout the USA; but I have not heard about them yet. > > Incidentally, as a result of having lived with the chronic pain of > adhesions for more than 30 years, what I have written is actually from > my own erperience!! I am planning to seek help from one of these > adhesion specialists; but I have not made a definite decision yet as to > whom it will be. >