First, as you probably read in a previous message I sent, they thought it was my gall bladder so whipped it out. Then I found out I had these so-called rare ureteroceles at the end of my ureters where they enter the bladder so that was fixed but I still have the pain.
I'm not 100% sure but it could be another kidney stone, the symptoms fit but it still doesn't feel the same as it did before.
Mark (my GP) called tonight to see how Shane's broken toe was (he broke it last week) and asked me how I was. I told him he didn't want to know. He asked me if I still had the rib pain and when I told he did he said that a patient of his had left a machine with him that he could give to another patient if it would be of benefit to anyone and that I should try it out to see if it would help me.
Apparently, this machine you get hooked up to "deadens" the nerve endings or something so the pain signal is not transmitted. I thought I read just yesterday something similiar to this but can't find the message now. Does anyone know what it is and if it is beneficial? I have fibromyalgia too so it may help in the department I don't know.
So no, I still don't know what this pain is I guess I could go to ER have an IVP and find out if it is a stone but I really don't cherish the thought of spending hours there in pain. Daft isn't it? You're in pain and need to get pain relief but the one place that can give you that pain relief is the one place you don't want to go too. Hope you understand that?
If I do get any answers I'll be sure to let you know, OK? I see my Urologist Feb 1st but if this pain gets any worse obviously I shall be trying to get in to see her earlier.
I know what you mean about ruining your life. Unless you have actually been through all this pain like everyone here has others just don't seem to understand. It's like arthritis one day I could be perfectly fine and the next I can barely walk and they think I'm putting it on. The only one to understand why that happens would obviously be another arthritis sufferer.
My biggest fear though is I don't want to be like my mother. I know that sounds harsh but she was the typical hypochondriac when I was growing up. She'd read medical books and then go to the doctor and tell him that she had some disease or something. Whereas in contrast all my ailments have been medically proven but I still feel like the docs. look at me like I'm a hypochondriac too.
I think Mark might think this pain I have is nerve damage too at least that's the impression I got during our last few conversations. He's putting the machine in his car tonight so he doesn't forget it and so I guess I shall have to call Joanne (my daughter's chiropractor who's working in an office connected to Mark's surgery) because Mark said she would be the one to hook me up so that I can try it.
What baffles me though is back in 1971 after I had had my appendix out I started getting really sharp pains whenever I would stand up from a sitting position and I remember the strange sensation of feeling something tearing as I slowly stood up and if I tried to stand up too fast it would really pull. They sent me for a barium meal and it was then I was told that I had adhesions behind the scar but that there was nothing they could do for me. Eventually, the pain did subside and disappeared.
I thought nothing of it until I had my total knee replacement 5 years ago. I knew something was wrong right away because even before I left the hospital I just could not bend my knee no matter what I did. Sure it hurt like hell and I ended up in tears many times but as time passed by it slowly dawned on me that something was wrong. My physiotherapist just did not know what to do as she had not come across anything like this before. Finally they decided that it was adhesions and because of that I am unable to bend my left leg now.
Then when I had my gall bladder removed I was told it was full of adhesions. Next I had pelvic surgery where it was decided that they would remove my right fallopian tube because it was also full of adhesions. Surely, with this track record and the fact that the adhesions were the cause of my disability don't you think there would be a chance I have adhesions elsewhere? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out!
You know what? I think I will go to the hospital and then when they rule out kidney stones I shall go see Mark, lay all this on the table and ask him why he thinks it isn't adhesions. Maybe that would be the best thing to do at least then I would know either way whether this pain is a stone or not and if it's not then they'll just have to find out why this pain won't go away.
It'll be just my luck that this time around it WILL be a stone. <grinning through her teeth).
As for the vaginal and rectal pain I have so many surgeries down there that it wouldn't surprise me if I'm chocker block full of adhesions. I can see it now my rectum will be stuck to my ovary and my vagina stuck to my tailbone. I'm sorry I know it's not funny, pain never is but if you don't laugh then you'll never stop crying will you?
Keep you chin up OK? I know it's depressing to be constantly in pain and no-one seems to know what's happening but the only thing that has got me this far is a postivie attitude. Don't get me wrong some days my body has been racked with tears and I have not stopped crying for days but I always feel much better afterwards.
We're here for you, I'm new here too but I can already feel like I have gained a lot of sisters in my life.
Take care
-- Jayne
>----- Original Message ----- From: Hchalm@aol.com To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS" <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 8:58 PM Subject: Re: I have a question - Jayne
> Dear Jayne: > > So have any doctors had any suggestions as to what the right-sided rib pain > is? I don't think it will ever go away and nothing shows on any ct scans, > etc. It has ruined my life. When Drs. Reich and Redan did the adhesiolysis > they said they didn't see any adhesions in this area, which is what I thought > was the worst of my pain, only to awake from my surgery with the pain in this > area even worse than before the surgery. My Pain Specialist tried treating > it as nerve damage and prescribed a pain patch. He said if it was nerve > damage the patch would help with the pain, but the patch didn't help so he > said it must be adhesions. No one knows, and it seems I will have to live > with this the rest of my life. Then there is the whole abdominal pain that I > deal with also which I said I get pain in the vaginal and rectal area along > with lower back pain. I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, as the > saying goes. > > Jayne, how do you deal with this, pain management? Are you going to continue > with pain management the rest of your life, or have you thought of any > alternative methods? > > Love, > > Hell-yun >