Re: My Appointment
From: toni welsh (twelsh1@hotmail.com)
Thu Oct 26 08:59:10 2000
At Wed, 25 Oct 2000, Kathie wrote:
>
>Hi Toni
>
>Thank you so much for replying to my message - you say that you have
>constipation. My doc told me that he thought I had chronic constipation
>but he seemed to talk about it as though it was separate from the
>adhesions. I have regular motions but often experience quite a bit of
>pain when going to the bathroom (low abdo) I also have intermittent low
>left sided pain that is crampy/pulling sensation and it is this pain
>that becomes more severe when going to the bathroom. (this is different
>to the pain I experienced with the partial b/o's). I was tender over
>(he tells me) the ascending and descending colon areas hence the
>diagnosis of constipation. To be truthful I was a bit offended at this
>diagnosis and thought he was being a little dismissive of my symptoms
>but having seen the messages posted here it seems many of you with
>adhesions also have this problem. He wants me to take a combo of
>laxatives and see him again in two months. In the meantime he has
>ordered a blood tests to check for a range of things from IBD to
>anaemia. He says if the pain gets worse with the laxatives I have IBS
>(but he considers this unlikely - already tried antispasmodals (sp) from
>GP which didn't do a thing). If it goes away then its constipation, if
>its the same then he wants to do a barium enema and a colonoscopy
>(lovely - even better than the rectal exam this time - uhhh!). I have
>very mixed feeling about this part of the appointment - if its just
>constipation then so what - why not just let it be, I really don't want
>to start on the laxatives route. If it isn't I really can't handle the
>thought of a barium/colonoscopy. At the moment I just have his letter
>to my GP etc in my pocket - I wish the whole thing would just go away!
>It was really good to hear from someone else in the same boat - not that
>I would wish these problems on you! Do my doctors comments sound
>reasonable. Is it normal to have constipation with adhesions? I felt he
>was tellling me I couldn't be eating a healthy diet - which is ironic
>because I love veg/salads/fruit... and am pretty hot on eating the
>right foods etc.
Kathie,
I have been on the laxative route for over 2years now, and now I do not
have a bowel movement without taking one. I am so sick of all this, but
the only thing my gyn saiys, is it worth one more time, talking surgery,
he has referred me to a general surgeon, but he knows I am mot ready for
another surgey. In 98 I had 2 laparotomies, and on e laparoscopy in
alittle less than 5 months, and the last surgery, I deveoped an ileus,
and I was sick for 2 days. He says everytime a surgeon touches the
bowel, it slows it down, I still know and my gyn beleives that adhesions
on my bowels, IS causing my pain. If I could just go to the bathroom.
I have heard as the years go , the adhesions may become more painful.
Take care Kathie.
Toni