At 12:54 PM 12/3/00 -0600, you wrote:
>Dear Anne,
>I am sorry to hear that you are still not pain free. I hope with the
>new year, that something new will come out to help you. I enjoyed
>soooooo much meeting you & Masa & of course the others also, but you
>really touched me with your radiant smile & possitive attitude! Elke
>kept me from being too lonely after the rest of you went home. But all
>that I met in Duisburg has touched my life in a way that I never thought
>possible. I will never be able to forget my time with everyone!! I am
>ever so blessed by meeting everyone. My life will never be the same
>again, I have faces to put with names & the pain that each has & each
>have touched me in a different way. Thanks to all for making memories
>with me & for me. I hope that all have recoved from the long trip. I
>also hope that Mary is doing better, if anyone knows an up date on her,
>I would appreciate hearing. Thank you Anne for letting us know how you
>are doing.
>love to all
>Robin
>
>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.
>