JEAN
Quote of the day: Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. "Walk beside me and be my friend."
>----- Original Message -----
From: "Ginny Halpern" <gingin99@home.com>
To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS" <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 11:13 AM
Subject: Re: Do I have adhesions, does it sound familiar??
My heart goes out to you, and since my adhesion problems seem to have worsened after my hysterectomy in 1982 (at age 29) and my bowel was adhered to the bladder and spine, I can tell you only what I know. Adhesions don't usually go away. If they are there at all, and lay in filmy layers across your organs, you may never know you have them. It's when they are thick, gummy and more like rubber bands than a flimsy coating of saran wrap that you develop pain. Doctors argue that "Adhesions cannot cause pain because scar tissue has no nerve endings." Most unfortunate is their unwillingness to realize tthat as soon as the adhesive tissue binds with healthy organ tissue and a pulling on and even a displacing of the organs occurs the nerve endings in the organs create the pain sensations.
If a bowel is "glued" fast to the spinal column and you move a certain way, naturally there will be pain, a pulling sensation and all other types of discomfort. Ditto with bladder involvement, bladder to bowel,means that the adhesions are quite low in the pelvic cavity which can even press on nerves that run into your thighs and legs. (as in my case)
You sound like a prety logical candidate for adhesions. The bowel regimen the doctors have suggested is an excellent way to keep your bowels from obstructing. There's also a theory that having regular peristaltic movement in the bowel will help to "snap" the adhesions. But as far as using Metamucil to take away the pain that most all of us inflicted with ARD had or has, I don't think it's the answer.
I am on pain management and have been for 6 yrs. If you don't obstruct, but if the pain is so severe that it is affecting your life I think you might benefit from talking to a pain specialist about your options for relief. Your choices aren't limited to swallowing narcotics. There are nerve blocks that can help and other pain management techniques.
Please feel free to write me at my address: gingin99@home.com
My prayers to you!
Ginny
IAS Support person, Pennsylvania
At Mon, 11 Jun 2001, al wrote:
>
>I had a laprascopicaly assisted vaginal hysterectomy. Then two vaginal
>heamatomas drained. Then my small intestine dropped down and adhered to
>the vaginal vault, this was cut and the small intestine relocated and
>the colon put in its place. I have since had a subacute bowel
>obstruction, this was very painful. The doctors were reluctant to 'go
>in' again, a colonoscopy was done this found no problem in colon.
>
>This has all happened in the last two months. I feel like i have been
>thrown into something i know nothing about. My theory is that a problem
>with colon wouldn't have shown as the bowel had been prepared and it was
>empty, my problem occurs when it is full. The pain in my lower back and
>front is great. It's as if someone has sewn my bowel to the abdominal
>lining, it pulls. I can feel bowel movements, it hurts to sleep on my
>side, I can't walk around the block with out pain. Doctors told me to
>drink "Metamusil" three times a day, eat lots of fibre.
>
>When does the pain end?
>Do adhesions stretch, as this is what i have been told?
>Should i ask for a second oppinion?
>HELP