Is anyone actually listening? There seems to be quite a few STRONG opinions flying around this site. AGAIN emotions are inflamed and peoples feelings have been hurt by others comments....
Isn't this a support group? Yes Helen, Trace did her homework and found a fantastic surgeon and is currently enjoying life and her family! Guess what else Helen, her surgeon used seprafilm, oh and it was a laperoscopic procedure!
No one INCLUDING Trace has EVER suggested that everything works for everyone! She simply put a message on the board about her personal experience with this particular barrier....
I have spoken at length with Trace about seprafilm, and I know how strongly she feels about it's success. Anyone out there who reads my message, DO NOT only listen to the opinions of those on this board.........TALK AT LENGTH TO YOUR SURGEON.......MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE CONVINCED THAT THIS IS THE SURGEON FOR YOU, I am not shouting, just trying to emphasise my point :-)
When I announced that I had chosen my surgeon and had a date for surgery, I received a number of private emails asking me to consider this and that.....I did, and was still happy with my choice.
I am now just over 4 weeks post op, and EVERY surgeon and doctor who has spoken to me since my procedure knew of my desire for a laperoscopic operation. EVERY one of them has said to me, "you know Jo, YOU made the right choice! We would have had to open you up any way"
I can certainly feel a difference, I have passed the post surgery pain stage I believe, and yes, I can feel new adhesions and I still have some pain. Many of you would also be aware that I also now have some other problems .....with my liver apparently. I will not find out anything else now until I see yet another specialist in June.
For those who are still here, reading my post I chose NOT to have seprafilm, Trace & I talked about this too, I also talked to my surgeon about it. I seem to be the kind who reacts to things,......surgical dressings for example. I had a reaction to the mesh that was incerted in my abdomen to hold my bowel in.....my muscle wall is destroyed from seven surgeries in the one spot across my abdominal wall. I was nervous about this last surgery, and decided FOR MYSELF that I would not persue the use of seprafilm. It's all a gamble really anyway isn't? Only God really knows the outcome for any of us.
Who knows...perhaps if I had insisted on using a barrier, my results may have been different. One of the specialists in Sydney said to me that its easy to use a "retroscope" (hindsight) and see what would be best, but since a retroscope doesn't exist yet, we will have to content ourselves with making individual, informed decisions. I agree!
PLEASE don't discount someone's post, or comments on personal experiences.....every one of them is of the utmost importance to everyone who reads the messages on this site, and trying to make choices of their own.
So to sum up Helen and to anyone still here! I agree with you, the choice of surgeon DOES make the difference between success and failure of surgery, but I also believe equal consideration to surgery style, tecnique, as well as medications, barriers etc etc also are overwhelming factors in the outcome too. Please, I respect your postings and your role on this site, your support and dedication is not in question, however I think that when you reply to a post, you should be aware of how it may be perceived by the original author, take their feelings and views into consideration.
I haven't had much response to my posts lately, I have a core of people with whom I am in contact with and I thank them for their support and good wishes. It is a site that is growing daily, and if we all responded to every post....*giggle* we would sit at our computer ALL day every day just trying to keep up! BUT please, whether you agree with me or not I would love to hear from you.
Cheers, love & hugs to all, Jo
At Sat, 12 May 2001, Helen Dynda wrote:
>
>Your choice of surgeon can make the difference between the failure or
>success of your surgery!!
>
>Trace chose the right surgeon; and she is doing well today. I hope that
>Trace will share the name and location of her surgeon with others from
>Australia.
>
>BE SURE to read the message I posted today on the topic:
>
>>>HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR SURGEON<<
>
>~ ~ ~ ~
>
>At Sat, 12 May 2001, Suze wrote:
>>
>>Dear sweet trace,
>>I can see how this upset you as it did to me as I read it also, The fact
>>is everyone is different and different things help us all, what about
>>saying 7 reasons to have it??
>>I had seprafilm in my last op as you said, and with my liver still
>>playing up with pockets of fluid and been inflammed its hard to tell yet
>>where I will end up. BUT my surgeon didnt give me any ideas it would
>>cure me in fact he said 1/3rd it works great for 1/3rd get some relief
>>and 1/3 might as well not have used it . BUT it sure was worth trying
>>it and I would try again tommorrow if necessary. I was cut open for my
>>surgery, and when you think about it trace wasn't and who is the one
>>pain free now??? Its not me so go figure.
>> If seprafilm is that bad why is any doctors using it?? it can work and
>>help for some!! I know trace did a lot of work and research into finding
>>her doctor seems to me like she made a damn good choice to.
>>I to like gloria have found posting on this site hard at times as you
>>often get ingored and I know of others that have felt the same, and it
>>seems to me if you try to give your story and what worked for you you
>>get slammed anyway.
>>I wish you wouldnt leave trace cause I for one know your help,
>>knowledge, and support has got me to where I am today and that is having
>>found a surgeon (through you trace) and finally at least having some
>>hope now to getting a life back.
>>
>>--
>>Suze
>>
>>niko wrote:
>>
>>> My experience in Oz was totally different to this, obviously my facts
>>> of real life are wrong. I have disconnected from this website, as
>>> these sort of remarks upset me, when you try to help. Anyone can email
>>> me privately at any time. Trace xo
>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Helen Dynda
>>> To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
>>> Sent: Saturday, 12 May 2001 1:09 AM
>>> Subject: Seprafilm.....7 reasons NOT to use...and...and only
>>> 1 reason that MAY help!!
>>> BE WARY OF SURGEONS, WHO SAY THEY CAN APPLY SEPRAFILM
>>> LAPAROSCOPICALLY!!! ||| Reasons NOT to have Seprafilm used
>>> as an adhesion barrier: 1.) Seprafilm can NOT be applied
>>> laparoscopically! 2.) Seprafilm has NOT been approved by the
>>> FDA to be applied laparoscopically! 3.) Seprafilm is brittle
>>> ( somewhat like waxed paper ) and very difficult for the
>>> surgeon to use! 4.) Any moisture on Seprafilm makes it
>>> sticky -- causing it to stick to surgeon's gloves -- which
>>> also makes it very difficult to apply! 5.) For all of the
>>> above reasons, the BEST surgeons have decided to NOT use an
>>> adhesion barrier. 6.) Any infection or inflammation within
>>> the abdominal/pelvic cavity CAN cause MORE adhesions to
>>> develop! 7.) The way each person's body accepts a foreign
>>> substance or adhesion barrier IS DIFFERENT!! Some people
>>> are ALLERGIC to adhesion barriers, like Seprafilm, Interceed
>>> and the NEW Intergel gel adhesion barrier. I know of one
>>> person, who is allergic to ALL three adhesion
>>> barriers!!! ||| ONLY ONE REASON TO USE SEPRAFILM: 1.) The
>>> FDA has approved Seprafilm for LAPAROTOMY surgery
>>> ONLY!!!!!!! THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES THAT SEPRAFILM WILL
>>> PREVENT ADHESIONS FROM FORMING ( de nova adhesions) OR
>>> RE-FORMING!!!!!!!
>>>
-- You will never never know.......if you don't give it a go :)