<< I can't stand to feel so sick for so long. It's awful. I have been sick on and off especially since my surgery. And of course since April of 99. Can't blame it on my last surgery that's for sure, but I bet bacteria can get in there after surgery, am I correct.?? >>
Well-l-lllll-ll...
It's like this. MOST bacteria are everywhere, all the time. In the air, in the water, in your body, in the operating room. At their normal levels, we never know they are there. BUT when they multiply, that is when they can wreak havoc.
Bacteria are opportunists. They look for opportunities to multiply -- poor hygiene and stress are the #1 ways in which bad bacteria get their nasty little feet in the door, so to speak. Having surgery places a tremendous stress on the body at all levels -- especially the immune system.
The surgery itself is unlikely responsible for the bacterial overgrowth of H. Pylori you now have. You may have developed an overgrowth of harmful bacteria as a result of the stress from the surgery. It's not a cause-effect relationship, but one of antecedent-consequent.
FWIW, many doctors now blame Crohn's disease on harmful bacteria. More research is needed to prove a direct relationship. If that is the case, then treatment options could change drastically. I watched a bowel re-section in a guy who had Crohn's disease on the Discovery Health Channel not too long ago...they did it all laparascopically. Just amazing how they got the tools in there and how they got the foot-long piece of diseased bowel out. (With a giant ziploc bag squeezed through the belly-button!) They had a fancy stapler they used to re-attach the healthy bowel segments to each other too. The healthy bowel looked supple, pinkish-white and shiny. The segment with Crohn's looked rough, like a raisin, much thicker and stiffer, too. I like the way they do those programs on operations, very interesting and informative. The fellow who had the procedure was able to go off most meds post-op too. Hope he didn't develop any adhesions down the road!!
Stress is the #1 thing that can bring the immune defenses to a screeching halt. It's like putting a "Welcome" mat out for the bad-guy germs. So let's all get our leotards on and do some meditation, enjoy dreaming up some relaxing mental images to shed stress and keep our bodies operating at maximum potential. Lotus-blossoms, chocolate wafers hovering in the air, clear blue skies, a slight cool breeze carrying the scent of honeysuckle along...NO WELCOME MAT HERE, you nasty bacteria!! <G>
Feel better Karen -- it's good to see you on-line! :D Take care --
Love,
Lynda M. in AZ
"It was involuntary; they sank my boat." - John F. Kennedy, when asked how he'd become a hero