Re: CAT Scans
From: toni welsh (twelsh1@hotmail.com)
Tue Jun 12 05:59:51 2001
At Mon, 11 Jun 2001, Karla wrote:
>
>Rose,
>
>You are right. That is about the only way there is of telling if you have
>adhesions. In my case they did detect them on a ct scan....only because
>they were so severely inflamed it was like a softball or bigger size mass.
>
>Millie, I really do understand your fears....but for it to get to the point
>where you need a colostomy is so unlikely...you are worrying yourself
>needlessly. I have had blockages...blockages that went for more than a week
>undetected and I don't have a colostomy and I never did. It wasn't even an
>issue. I do have a ureostomy because the surgeons were to ignorant to
>realize that my bladder problems were all a result of the adhesions. Now I
>have no bladder and am in serious trouble. I have been told that I need two
>more surgeries just to attempt to repair my abdominal wall (I have no rectus
>muscle in the wall due to the multiple surgeries and therefore I suffer from
>continuous multiple hernias....another cause of blockages). They want to
>try to put in skin expanders in my upper abdomen...below the breastbone.
>This will be done in one procedure and I will have to live in Chicago for
>six weeks. Once things have progressed satisfactorily I will have to have
>the second procedure where they will do a urinary revision to take care of
>the urine blockages that are causing all of my infections and sepsis. With
>this procedure I will have to live in Chicago for six months. There is hope
>with this procedure even though it is very drastic....yes there is hope.
>However, I have been told by multiple physicians that this surgery...one
>surgery...will kill me...and I have to go thru two. When I went into kidney
>failure last month I was told that the infections were going to kill
>me...that they would not be able to reverse the kidney failure. I don't
>know when, it could be the next one....it might be two years down the road.
>I have a very big decision to make...I think I have already made that
>decision. I don't want to die not knowing ahead of time that I am going to
>die. I want to be able to say goodbye to my family and friends. If I have
>the surgery chances are if I am going to die it will be while I am
>asleep...and I won't have had that opportunity. It is not a decision that I
>am going to make easily. I am still going to go down to Chicago to meet
>with the surgeons....asking them all the questions I need to ask so that I
>might make the most informed decision. Even with all of this I have HOPE!
>
>Sweetheart,
>The doctors are not going to let you suffer with a blockage. You cannot go
>on and on with a blockage....eventually you die. It is possible that you
>suffer from partial obstructions...which I have all the time. Yes, they are
>extremely painful. But there are particular symptoms for a blockage....I
>know when I have one. I am not trying to be critical. I just want you to
>be at ease with the fact that you probably don't have an obstruction....at
>least not a total obstruction. Even partial obstructions show up on xrays
>or ct scans. As it is you have a very serious disease with ARD...don't
>bring any more upon yourself worrying about obstructions. You have to have
>hope and faith.
>
>Love
>Karla
>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Rose Lunn" <rose.lunn@eds.com>
>To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS"
><adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
>Sent: Monday, June 11, 2001 1:41 PM
>Subject: Re: CAT Scans
>
>> Well, Millie,
>>
>> I had X-rays, sonogram and CT scan of abdomen and pelvis. None of them
>> showed the adhesions! I know they can show bowel obstructions and gall
>> stones and things like that.
>>
>> After the above scans showed nothing, I had a colonoscopy to make sure
>> there was nothing new going on in my bowel and colon. Nadda!
>>
>> Only after all these tests were done was my primary care doctor
>> comfortable with me talking to my gyn about doing the laparoscopy for
>> possible adhesions.
>>
>> I don't know of any test that will show the adhesions except actually
>> going in and looking. The colonoscopy can give you good info on
>> diverticular disease. I have had diverticulitis before and that is the
>> test they did to confirm it.
>>
>> If I hadn't had to push the doctor for every test and then having her
>> dragging them out so long in between, maybe I wouldn't be so frustrated
>> with her now. Oh, well, live and learn!
>>
>> xoox,
>>
>> kcmo rose
>>
Karla,
That is what I have told Millie we talk alot on MSN, I do not want her
to worry like she is. I am very worried about her! I do not know if you
remember how I used to worry like that! I had to stop worry about the
fact about having a total obstruction. It was driving me nuts! I too
have been told I have had partial obstructions, but I have gone on with
life. You have been through so much, and you seem so strong! How do you
do it!? I hope we can get Millie to settle down, I have been where she
is, and I HAD to stop worrying! Take care of yourself!
Love,
Toni