Re: Surgery or Medicine????

From: clare (csheedy@netcom.ca)
Mon Apr 1 16:54:53 2002


Hi Caroline:

Yes, indeed, it is difficult to stay positive when you suffer from chronic pain. If you are in pain and feel you need help, then speak to your doctor again, or get another doctor if you can do so. Surgery can cause more adhesions, so it is often best to avoid it if you can.

Here are some things that I do to help deal with the pain. Visualization - I imagine that I'm anywhere else but here. Deep breathing exercises - slowly to the count of ten and then repeat (slowing your breathing down seems to slow the pain down too). Watch your diet - write down what you eat and drink for a while and then how you feel - avoid anything that seems to cause pain. Lay down - that usually makes me feel better. Come to this forum and vent (sorry gals).

I sometimes get shortness of breath, but only for a few minutes at a time. I often get stabs of pain when I exhale. I wish I knew why!

Please don't get too discouraged (although it's hard). There is a product being used in Germany called Spraygel, and if it works the it may help some of us. Keep asking questions, and hopefully someone will be able to help you. Best wishes.

At Mon, 1 Apr 2002, Caroline wrote: >
>Hi and thank you for your reply (thank you to Sally too!)
>
>I'm confused b/c my doc does not really want to do surgery, and is not
>all that interested in pain management. I feel more and more desperate
>for one or the other. We've ruled out major things that would be on a
>CT/MRI or basic blood work up, so operating is not critical. I'm not up
>for a perpetual cycle of surgeries either, but if it would help then I'd
>love some relief. If not, has anyone heard of any non-surgical way of
>handling this chronic pain problem? They know that I have endometriosis,
>and w/the three abdominal surgeries there is a strong suspician of
>adhesions. Is it even worth finding out for sure or is it better to
>just try to live w/the way things are now? I don't know the answer
>anymore!
>
>As for the shortness of breath,logically I am not convinced that it's
>anything other than anxiety - but my husband and friends all agree that
>it doesn't appear to be an anxiety problem. I don't show other normal
>symptoms of it, other than being REAL sick and tired of pain...
>
>As I keep reading the archived posts, I feel more and more discouraged
>that there isn't any real hope to feel better, and the best thing to
>work toward is finding a way to live with pain and discomfort - even if
>it means never fulfilling some physical goals. Certainly there are
>worse things in life. And I am blessed in many ways. It is hard to
>wrap my brain around the possibility that there IS no 'fix'. What a
>bummer!
>
>It's good to know that this board exists -
>
>--
>Caroline
>

--
csheedy

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