Kimmi&Dave wrote:
> Hi,
> I have seen so many psychiatrist and you know what they tell me, You are
> reasonable depressed. Nice hon.
> Primarily though the doctors what you too see psychiatrists because living
> in chronic pain takes a huge toll on your mental condition. Almost everyone
> who lives with chronic pain is depressed. Depression causes more pain. Pain
> causes depression vicious cycle. So for all you are told they should meet
> with a phych. Most are not questioning if you are a crazy, they are
> concerned that you may not mentally be able to handle it. But believe it or
> not they say that chronic pain patients are very strong. Stronger than the
> normal person who has a bout of pain.
> Living with chronic pain is extremely difficult, I know I suffer with
> terrible depression and anxiety. If they got rid of the pain most likely my
> depression would go away.
> I have tried at least 10 different antidepressants to help with the
> depression and anxiety none of helped.
> Another thing is low dosages of anti depressants suppose to help with pain.
> Personally have not found this to be true for me, but some say it
> helps..Hugs hon
> Kimmi
>> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ginny Halpern" <gingin99@home.com>
> To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS"
> <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2001 8:35 PM
> Subject: Re: Trusting our doctors:Sally is RIGHT ON!
>
> > Everyone:
> >
> > I think Sally has hit the nail on the head. We suffer from a
> > debilitating, very stressful medical entity that is so misunderstood and
> > even neglected by the medical profession that we are subjected to
> > extremes.
> >
> > I have recieved many, many letters from you asking why you are being
> > told once you've had a laproscopic exam and been diagnosed with
> > adhesions to seek psychiatric assistance. It escapes me as to why
> > surgeons are telling women, typically between 25 and 45 that "adhesions
> > do not cause pain" and therefore, are directing you to seek ongoing
> > therapy. (mental "cleansing"!!)In effect, you are being told your pain
> > doesn't exist in your belly, only in your brain.
> >
> > We can all sit here on the chat board and talk about the multiple
> > surgeries we have had, the various conflicting diagnoses we are getting,
> > the refusal by some pain management doctors to treat us long term with
> > opioids for unmanageable pelvic pain, and the discussion of horror
> > stories from ER visits where we have been accused of being drug seeking
> > junkies, "bored housewives" and people suffering with hypochondria and
> > other insipid opinions.
> >
> > The bottom line remains, we have a valid, debilitating condition that
> > has resulted either from too many operations performed by surgeons
> > trying to cure the incurable with more cutting or by surgeons attempting
> > to get us off their backs (we are the bane of the surgeons's world
> > because we never go away, never heal completely and always have a degree
> > of pain)
> >
> > I have watched this board evolve from a few dozen of us last year to
> > hundreds, looking for answers and for help and I have yet to see ANYONE
> > announce that they are totally free of pain, have been treated like a
> > human being with a legitimate illness and have found a resolution to
> > their concerns.(Yes, I have seen remarkable responses from a very small
> > % of you who have had positive results from Dr Redan and others like
> > him)But most of us are still floundering for help and for validation.
> >
> > By the way.............if you try to sign up for Social Security
> > benefits based strictly upon your adhesions related disease and the
> > subsequent pain and inability to control bladder/bowels, etc, you may be
> > surprised to learn that we are still not considered a valid disease
> > process as far as SSI is concerned. It doesn't matter if you wet your
> > pants every few hours and can't work without Morphine.....ARD isn't a
> > "known disease" according to Social Security.
> >
> > If you are an alcoholic or drug abuser you stand a better chance of
> > being accepted for Social Security disability benefits than if you have
> > adhesions! Believe me, I KNOW. I am fighting this right now, for
> > myself.
> >
> > I guess we can all continue to talk about this and share stories, which
> > is a wonderful chance to release the frustration, and the
> > anxiety.....OR...we can start petitioning someone to do something.
> >
> > I DO NOT know who to petition first, right now,, but I promise you I
> > will make this my project if even a few of you offer me your support.
> > I only want to know if even some of you are willing to work with me on
> > educating doctors, surgeons, pain specialists and all others who are
> > treating us like we are freaks, giving them the info they need and the
> > resources they need to better educate themselves.
> > I've got to tell you folks, over a year I have read the same concerns
> > the same questions and the same responses from you and from your doctors
> > and I have seen very few of you who come back and talk about the
> > "excellent, respectful, professional" treatment you have recieved every
> > time you complain of adhesional pain. Except for the few of you who are
> > lauding Dr Redan, I am not seeing a shift in the overall response to our
> > disease.
> >
> > Sally, you are 100% correct. We ARE AT THE MERCY OF THESE DOCTORS/ They
> > do NOT know what they are doing with us and they are as frustrated as we
> > are, but now, the most current suggested surgical process is to remove
> > all organs from our otherwise healthy bodies and hang bags and tubes?
> > GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!!!
> >
> > I am willing to petition Washington DC if necessary, and I will go there
> > alone! But I need your support, your thoughts and your ideas.
> >
> > You can talk all you want about this ache and that pain and the way you
> > are being ignored and lambasted but if you refuse to offer me the data I
> > need, I can only tell you I send my hugs, my best wishes and I sign off
> > this board for now.
> >
> > I need to know how you are recieved in ERs when you have a pelvic pain
> > crisis. How your family doctor is treating your ongoing pain. How the
> > surgeons are directing you once they've established that you have
> > adhesions. What you are being told as a long term prognosis after
> > surgery. If your pain is being managed sufficiently. If you are being
> > told to (in effect) get lost after your inscision has healed.
> > I need data before I can go to bat for you and for me.
> > Help me help you?
> >
> > We can't be cut open every few months, fed pain pills and told to see a
> > psychiatrist as a final solution. We need to be recognized as people
> > with a disease process as valid as diabetes or cancer.
> > I need your input......Please.
> >
> > Ginny
> >
> > gingin99@home.com
> >
> > At Tue, 20 Nov 2001, Sally Grigg wrote:
> > >
> > >Sometimes we trust our doctors too much. We don't really have many
> > >choices, but sometimes we can just say NO. And go looking for a doctor
> > >who isn't so quick to cut. We're in a no win situation with the medical
> > >care situation as it currently functions. Since they don't really know
> > >what they are doing, we are at their mercy. And we are in such pain,
> > >that we'll say yes to just about anything to alleviate the pain. It
> > >would be better most of the time to take pain pills until the
> > >researchers find a cure and they will. I have faith. Love to all, Sally
> >
>