At Sun, 3 Dec 2000, Anne Hayashi wrote:
>
>Welcome Home Robin!
>So glad all is going well! I cheer as I read the emails
>coming in from fellow travellers, knowing that each of you is making
>progress on the road to recovery. We formed an
>incredible friendship with all who went, and with those
>who acted as our hosts in Europe. Thank you Elke for
>being an incredible friend in Duisburg. Many thanks
>to you, Sylvie, and your family for hosting us on a wonderful weekend
>journey to Belgium. And Mark, many thanks for making the trip down from
>Holland to join us.
>To anyone I missed, and there are many, bless you and
>thank you for helping us on this incredible adventure.
>
>I just wanted to add a few postscripts on "adhesions", to what others
>who made the journey have written.
>I was one who did not show any new or adhesion reformation
>on second look after 7 days.(My adhesions attached bowel and bladder to
>abdominal and pelvic wall.) To what can this be attributed? I am
>guessing DR. Korell's incredible micro-surgical technique (uses
>primarily state of the art ultra-sound scalpel) NOT laser which can be
>destructive; the use of prednisone at low dosage levels 3 weeks prior
>to surgery (to impede an inflammatory response); the
>use of Intergel (in my case). You may be asking the question "Would
>this have happened anyway?" My response
>is that on 2nd and 3rd look after a surgery done in 1997 in the U.S. by
>Dr. Kresch, my adhesions had increased 120% and 150%, respectively. I
>am a severe case and never in my wildest dreams expected this kind of
>diagnosis. After 7 days, the peritoneum was healing well, and that is
>the 1st time in 35 years.
>
>A larger question is whether I am pain free, at this point.
>The answer is "NO". However, it is also important to
>know that due to a scar revision, and a failed attempt in 1997 to fix a
>defect in the pelvic wall (from an old drainage tube), my left
>abdominal, and pelvic walls are severely scarred. This is a problem
>that is not so easily addressed, and this is the area where you can get
>entrapped nerves, scar tissue that contracts, etc. The only pain I feel
>comes from this area. Dr. Korell told me immediately when I had my
>first consultation that I had two problems, and the above I should try
>to live with for 3 to 6 mos. before making an attempt rectify. If I
>cannot live with it, I will return to Duisburg. I write all this
>because it
>is important to know that laparotomies can cause the
>above kind of problem, all happening above the periotoneum.
>The adhesiolysis freed up the tissue under the scarred area but not in
>the wall itself.
>
> Many thanks fellow travellers for your friendship, your
>support, and your caring! Best Wishes to all of you for
>a pain free holiday, and healthy 2001.