Hello everyone,
My name is Mary Lou, I am 57 and I am a nursing
instructor. just found out about this site a few days
ago and although I now have a self-diagnosis, I am so
depressed to read about the severity of the pain all of
you are suffering, and the lack of anything helpful
except pain management.
I realize that I have had adhesions for decades.
Severe pelvic pain started in 1972, which was treated
by ruling out pelvic mass by x-ray, and then having
psychological therapy for years, with no let-up in the
pain. In 1977, I got married and stop using birth
control (IUD, which probably caused the initial
adhesions) and found out that I was infertile
because of adhesions of the fallopian tubes. I had
unsuccesful reconstructive surgery for that , and we
adopted two children (from Mexico and Korea). Both
turned out to have severe learning problems and our son
is also an addict, since age 11!. He is in recovery
now and doing so-so but at least doesn't live with us
any longer. Living with an active addict child for 9
years and another with chronic depression and suicidal
episodes nearly did me in. Both are children are now
stabilized and function fairly well most of the time.
Three years ago, various women friends of mine I met in
Alanon (Support group for family and friends of those
who suffer from the disease of addiction began having cosmetic surgery
of
various types. They convinced me that I should do
something for myself after the years I spent sacrificing
and trying to save others from themselves (an impossible
goal). They asked, "What have you always wanted
but couldn't get? I responded, "A waistline". Thus, I had
a cosmetic procedure called a abdominal and back lift,
and have been in pain since, but it was tolerable
until one month ago, when it became unbearable. The
incision goes all the way around my torso, and it is
all adhesed!!!!!!!!!Someone wrote on this message board
that it felt like a turtle had bitten her side, latched
on and wouldn't let go. Only for me, it feels like 16
turtles, all the way around. I have tried a variety of
meds and now take Amitryptline to sleep through the
pain at night, and just survive during the day going
from adivl to tylenol every three hours. As I am a
college professor, and have to be "on", it is getting
nearly impossible for me to continue acting as if I am
"OK". I retreat to my office whenever I can, and lie
on the floor, which does help the horrible pulling
pain, I exercise (water aerobics, stretching, walking
on treadmill, and I also use a product called Sambra
which is just a lotion like "Deep Heat" that provides
a different stimulus to the painful area (that of
hot and cold). The worse thing about all this is that
I DID IT TO MYSELF!!!!!!! by having elective cosmetic
surgery. It sounds so petty compared to some of you
who have had so many surgical procedures for diseased
organs. I should have stayed a middle-aged woman with
no waistline; it was such a mistake, and I have such
regret. Now I have constant pain to the point that
I am totally worn out.
I have had suicidal thoughts from time to time. From
reading the posts from others, I think maybe I should investigate
getting
better pain control. What recommendations do you
have for me, if any?
Thanks,
Mary Lou