-- Linda Halford, Jacksonville, FL Libra1945@hotmail.com>From: olddad66@runestone.net (Helen Dynda) >Reply-To: adhesions@adhesions.org >To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@adhesions.org> >Subject: Re: Dr. R and R................................re-posted for Bev >Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 16:46:06 -0500 > >At Thu, 21 Sep 2000, Bernie and Beverly Doucette wrote: > >Hello Kathy, >I had surgery under Dr. Reich on April 22nd, 1999. I am doing >wonderful. It took about four months before I actually started to gain >energy back and have the surgical pain completely subside ( and you can >bet that during that four months, I was SURE my surgery had been a >failure!!! ) BUT it was not! > >Even though I do experience a dull ache in my lower right quadrant, it >is not something I even pay attention to! I am NOT on any medications, I >can do EVERYTHING that I want to do, I DO NOT do sit ups, or run...but I >don't want to... and I am 50 years old, so why the heck should I, if I >don't want to!! My goodness, I lost five years of my life to this >disease and that was only the time lapse between my adhesiolysis of 1995 >and this one in 1999...I have been battling ARD for 14 years total and >too darn many surgeries! > >What I CAN do now is touch my toes, sit in a chair for over 10 minutes, >ride in a car, I can actually hop in and out of our van, get in and out >of bed and the bathtub, go shopping alone, eat in a restaurant, dance, >eat " normal "...AND even nasty fatty foods, have Bowel movements...get >up at 6am...go to bed at 10pm...sleep like a rock, as I am on the go all >the time, that is when my husband lets me sleep!!! :-) ( Bev winking >here!! ) > >Now, some of those things may not sound too significant to others, nor >to you Kathy, but to me they were all things I could NOT do for those >five years...for those five years I lived on about 22 pills of various >kinds per day. Were they prescribed that way, no, but due to my pain >levels I took them when I needed them, and over a five years period of >taking pills like that you tend to burn out your esophagus and stomach >lining, thus you begin to build what is meant by the " Related " in >Adhesion Related Disease!! > >I added GERD ( gastroesophageal reflux disease ) to my already growing >number of diagnosis's. I started to show signs of liver and kidney >toxicity due to the overwhelming amount of medications flowing through >my system...but so what, with no indications of any medical intervention >for me for my ARD, what difference did it make how I would die >physically as I was already slowly dying inside! This is just NOW >starting to clear up and I am off the Prilosec ( and I learned how to >deal with GERD through the IAS support group here!! ); but this was NOT >related to my ARD though...based on the Drs. I saw. ( Bev laughing at >this absurdity, man IF I knew what was causing all this, why couldn't >they see it! Talk about..well never mind! ) > >Then the bowel problems started, not only the chronic pain, constant >gnawing to sharp pains in my abdomen, but that ever present low back >ache ( had to be a back or disk problem, the nuerologist said, I won't >tell you what I said to her, but I never did have any tests done by her, >you can bet!! ) ( I shudder as I think about it and this isn't too >pleasant to be thinking back on either, maybe THAT is why ARD patients, >who have recovered, don't do this, hmmmm!! ) > >I could tell when the stool was actually trying to pass through problem >and painful areas in my intestines ( even though I didn't know at the >time that narrowing and very severely attached intestines all pulled out >of whack, wrapped together like a string of wieners and dropped into a >sack and encased in adhesions PLUS my lower right intestine was upside >down and crossed over my entire abdomen and attached to the oposite wall >is the best way to describe what Dr. Reich separated!! ) This is what >was causing it at the time. I DID know there was something slowing and >almost stopping my stool from passing through my intestines though >without question!!! And the pain was so overwhelming that I would get >nauseated just from trying to go to the bathroom! And to add insult to >injury, pain medication has the side affect of constipation, ( Yup, just >like a good marriage my friends, to have and to hold!! ) Sooo, now add >that to stool that already has a few obstacles in the way and I can tell >you it was nothing short of an Olympic maneuver to even have a bowel >movement when you're living with ARD!!!!!! Once completed...I would have >won the GOLD no doubt!!! So you start to take laxatives...then you start >to go from constipation to loose stools...but that's ok, that's " IBS " >Irritable Bowel Syndrome "...But this was NOT related to ARD though, >based on the Dr's I saw. ( Bev laughing at this stupidity now, as it >was getting pretty deep everytime I went to see my Dr.or Dr's office, >heck, I left wondering why I even went in the first place!! ) > >Then, suffer chronic pain 24 hours a day seven days a week, taking pills >constantly, vomiting constantly, carrying a plastic bag, for obvious >reasons, everywhere you went...IF you did happen to go out, ( which sure >wasn't much in my case!! ) forget sleeping as even though you took five >sleep pills and a pain pill every two hours throughout the night, you >were never rested when the morning sun came up, and you saw it come up >as you beat the sun up every morning due to lack of sleep from pain! >Roll over in bed, forget it...pain! Lay on your back, forget it, sleep >with four pillow behind you, so that the adhesions didn't pull so much >when you moved, might offer some relief, but never for too long....so >you're so tired all the time....but that is simply " Chronic Fatigue >Syndrome " you know...and you know who said it too!! NOT from ARD >though!! ( Bev laughing here!! BUT they were right on this one, it WAS >chronic fatigue all right!!!) > >Now, before there was an International Adhesion Society, it was each man >for himself...to figure out what was not only wrong with them, and that >was NOT an easy task as many many Dr's as well as surgeons have told me >that simply because you have had umpteen surgeries for adhesions, that >doesn't mean that adhesions cause pain or even problems for that matter. >( And one of those claims was made to me at the Mayo clinic in >Minnestota!! ) > >I credit my medical background and stubborness to actually saving nme >from accepting more surgical procedures as they sure were offered every >time I went to see a Dr. Had to be a surgical case as nothing ever >showed up on diagnostic testings! Have to have a " look see " ( >diagnostic surgical procedure ). I stopped that fast as it didn't take >me long to figure out that this wasn't the answer...my pain always >returned and even greater pain levels resulted following that surgery >that was supposed to help me...and still no reasons for that new pain. >Always starting over...doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out >that, if all diagnostic testing results in negative findings, and a >person has a history of adhesions, well, maybe it IS adhesion related >pain and problems...and maybe not, but in my case, no surgeon was going >to ever touch me again unless they - at the very least - KNEW about the >word adhesion, could show knowledge in the area of adhesions and prove >to ME that they could actually offer me something different in a surgery >to help me...as well as offer me a real chance to get well, if that even >existed in the world! > >And it did exist...many times as I lay on our couch suffering, I would >say to my husband that it irritated me that NO ONE seemed to be looking >into how to fight adhesions. It was like I was left to drift on a raft >in a sea of no return...so alone and just waiting to die...and he would >always answer me this way, " Honey, there has to be someone out there >who IS doing something about adhesions. We just haven't found him, >thats all. Something will come our way, just trust that!! " > >Once this society was formed and functioning, due to the efforts of Dr. >David Wiseman and others, on January 1999... >the world opened up! Cat lines, postings, conversations with others who >suffered adhesions, my GOD we were everywhere!! Helen, Anne, Laura and I >laugh when we talk about how we thought we were the only ones who >suffered with adhesions, this rare disorder...elusive disease...and when >I say " only ones " I mean we thought that each of us was the only one >with this disease...then there were four, then five, then a hundred and >now thousands...talk about choosing the most fitting introduction for >this society..." You are Not Alone " ! > >Then a name popped up, a surgeon who WAS trying to figure these >adhesions out! A surgeon who WAS trying special surgical techniques to >help us...a surgeon who DID actually understand and actually " think " >like an adhesion! And a surgeon who in fact could offer me the best >chance for a RECOVERY from an adhesiolysis - by NOT suffering reforming >attached adhesions after the surgery. Too good to be true? Well, all I >can say is...this has been the longest period of time I have gone >without that 'ol familiar pain starting up again, and I take each day at >a time, little by little my fears are going away, I am starting to be >filled with real thoughts that I am cured, I enjoy life to the fullest >and maybe, just maybe...that most precious surgeon, my dearest Dr. Harry >Reich..did the job the right way! > >I am off now to go get groceries, and then bike riding with my husband >after we go out to dinner with our daughter...and we are first time >grandparents, so I'm going shopping all afternoon for baby Jacob...BUT I >must add that Dr. Reich cannot do everything with his adhesiolysis. You >see, just before my surgery with Dr. Reich, my husband asked him if he >thought I would be able to cook and bake following my adhesiolysis with >him. Dr. Reich said he couldn't see a reason why I couldn't cook or >bake...and my husband was so happy, as I had never been able to cook or >bake BEFORE I had adhesions...so my husband thought Dr. Reich was more >of a GOD then I did...and I sure did think that and I still do. > >Dr. Reich...you're my hero! May you and Dr. Redan continue to touch >these lives as you have touched mine...let no man put under what GOD has >joined together!! The Dr's to watch for are: Dr. Reich, Dr. Redan, Dr. >Korell and Dr. Semertzides - as these surgeons have shown a knowledge >that is unsurpassed by any others when it comes to ARD. And many, many >people are a walking testament to what these Drs. will do for adhesion >sufferers through their surgery! > >So, you see Kathy, you now have hope, a path in which to follow, and >most importantly a chance for recovery, and I AM a true testament of all >that my dear!! > >In friendship and peace > >Beverly >
>>----- Original Message ----- >From: Kathy L. <kjlu9857@velocity.net> >To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@obgyn.net> >Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 10:41 PM >Subject: Dr. R and R > >Thank you ladies for giving positive feedback about these two doctors. I >am in the process of trying to have surgery by these doctors in October >or November and it is good to see that there have been successes. I am >not naive enought to think that all of my problems will be solved, but I >do think that this surgery will take away the pain that is unbearable; >the pain that keeps me from functioning each day and enjoying life. No >one is going to feel 100% everyday, but we all want some sense of a >normal life. > >You are all wonderful, caring people, thanks again! >