Re: New member/bladder adhesions?????

From: jenny low (jenklow@hotmail.com)
Sat Mar 17 02:24:31 2001


Dear Tami,

Welcome to the family. I found the website in January. Everyone has been a wonderful support to me. These are definitely people who understand you and know what you are going through. They are the best listening ear that you can find.

I had a totaly abdominal hysterectomy last June. This was after having adhesions surgery twice and another laparotomy before that. I also had endometriosis. I thought having the hysterectomy would take care of all the pain I had had in the past. It didn't. I had surgery Feb 16. I am still in pain and actually more so in this past week than I was before the surgery on Feb 16. I am not sure where to go from here. I am really considering pain management although I have not discussed it with my doctors. I call Monday to make an appointment with my surgeon to see what he, his colleague, and my gyn saw on the scans. The radiologist said I had diverticulitis. But my GI in December said that my colonoscopy and CT were normal. I had a CT a week ago and that is the one the radiologist said I had diverticulitis. The GI said that I didn't fit the profile for one having diverticulitis and I was really too young(34). So when I told the surgeon this, he said that was right and said that he would get together with the other docs and decide what to do. So I have been waiting. I will call Monday to make an appointment. I am ready to do something. I have gone from 2 pain pills a day, to having to take 2 at a time every 4-8 hours. So something is not right.

Anyway, I really wanted to welcome you here. Please add your name to the adhesion quilt. My name is on there under Jenny Low. Feel free to write any time.

Love, Jenny

>From: "Tami Torres" <tamitorres@hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: adhesions@adhesions.org
>To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
><adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
>Subject: Re: New member/bladder adhesions?????
>Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 23:33:27 -0600
>
>Hi fellow pain members, my name is Tami and I just joined this group.
>First
>to say I am so glad to find out I am not alone in this. I have been
>suffering with this disease for about 10 years, before that 10 years of
>endometriosis. I have two beautiful daughters, who are 7 1/2 years apart.
>I had a complete hysterectomy 5 years ago and have had 3 surgeries since
>for
>the adheisions. My hysterectomy lasted almost 6 hours due to massive
>adheisions, the doctor couldn't find my ovaries, bladder, ureters or much
>of
>anything else. Anyway, it's been 2 years since my last surgery and I
>haven't gone back to the doctor. I know what he will tell me. It's that
>time again. I am in terrible pain again. Almost constantly. I am just so
>very tired of this. At times I just can't take it any more. To make it
>even better, I have to be kept awake while under going surgery. I have to
>have an epidural while its being done. My bladder feels like its the size
>of a peanut. During my hysterectomy my doctor told me that the adhesions
>had wrapped completely around the bladder and was squeezing it like some
>type of vice grip or something. Anyway, just wanted to say hi, and thanks
>for listening and how much better I feel knowing I am not alone. For years
>I didn't know anybody else existed out there with this dreadful disease.
>Bless you all, Tami
>
>>From: wallamara@hotmail.com (Wally)
>>Reply-To: adhesions@adhesions.org
>>To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
>><adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
>>Subject: Re: New member/bladder adhesions?????
>>Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 17:14:55 -0600
>>
>>Hi Rose, my name is Joanne and there are many of us here who know
>>exactly what mean about adhesions around on or near the bladder. Just
>>the day before yesterday, my GYN told me that adhesions on the bladder
>>are quite common. Nice of them (doctors)to tell us that BEFORE surgery!
>>
>>Rose, I had my hystorectomy in Feb 2000, and if you look it up in the
>>archives you will find my story. I now have reduced capacity in my
>>bladder.....just 300mls immediatley AFTER being stretched under
>>anasthetc. It is healthy on the inside as confirmed by the uroligist
>>when he did the "stretch". My problem is caused by adhesions all over
>>my bladder, after 4 c-sections my bladder, uterous and abdomen were
>>"glued" together with thick adhesions. My hystorectomy took 5 1/2 hrs.
>>I returned for emergency surgery 5 days later. Because the same area
>>had been opened now five times, my muscle wall was weak, and half of my
>>bowel pushed through the muscle wall, forming a large hernia and
>>heamatoma (spelling....agh!). Because of the blood loss during surgery
>>and these 5 days, adhesions rapidly filled the empty space.
>>
>>Rose, I now experience pain before during and after urination and cannot
>>hold even a cup of urine in my bladder. The adhesions prevent the
>>bladder from expanding (the bladder is a bit like a balloon and swells
>>as the urine collects in it), therefore it can cause leackage and or the
>>urine can back up into the kidney's causing infection and can cause
>>other serious problems.
>>
>>I have been using Chinese herbal therepy, and find it has helped with
>>this part of my problem very well, I don't have the pain, and my kidneys
>>donot ache as much. (IT is wonderful to not have a constant back ache).
>>Everyone is different, and because the herbal is working for me, doesn't
>>mean that it will work for everyone. My advice is to try everything, do
>>lots of reading and research....ask lots of questions here on the board.
>>I have been able to make very serious decisions about my future
>>treatment with the help of some of the information here.
>>
>>As for seeing adhesions on a scan, I'm afraid they don't show up. The
>>only way to diagnose adhesions is by laperoscopy. This is a small
>>incision in the or just under the belly button, a small camera is
>>inserted into the abdominal cavity so that the doctor can look around.
>>Laperoscopy provides the least opportunity for more adhesions to form.
>>
>>My laperoscopy revealed that my ovaries are attached to my vagina, my
>>bladder is encased in adhesions and my bowel is adhered to the abdominal
>>wall. I am scheduled for surgery on April 9 to "clean up" and seperate
>>my organs, I was going to have my ovaries removed, but I have
>>reconsidered and will ask the surgeon to just seperate them first, and
>>only remove them if they are too damaged to remain, I am only 37yrs old.
>>
>>Don't loose hope Rose, as a support group, we will answer any question,
>>my motto is the only stupid question is a question that isn't asked. So
>>don't be afraid to ask ANYTHING, if we can't answer it, we will help you
>>find the right place to get the answer.
>>
>>Welcome to the board
>>Cheers and Hugs
>>Jo
>>
>>--
>>You will never never know.......if you don't give it a go :)
>>
>


Enter keywords:
Returns per screen: Require all keywords: