At Thu, 16 May 2002, Jo Eslick wrote:
>
>Hi Shali,
>
>I hate the diagnosis IBS, I have discussed it and had heated discussions
>with doctors, surgeons and specialists about this "so called disease",
>it is a sham, it is a name they give a group of symptoms, and when they
>do the colonoscopy or endoscopy and everything INSIDE looks fine, they
>say well then you have IBS!! That is the crock of "Bull ****" my general
>surgeon gave me last year..... guess what Shali? When I had my recent
>surgery they found my bowel so caught up in adhesions it took FIVE & A
>HALF hours JUST to clear the right side of my body & bowel of adhesions,
>unlooped my bowel that was wrapped around the top of my vaginal vault,
>which on scans gave everyone the impression that I had an ovarian
>remnant cyst, which kept filling with fluid causing me unbelievable
>pain.
>
>I had surgery because I declined so much in hospital and after doing
>every humiliating test they could on me, my sweet wonderful doctor sat
>down and said it was time. He knew very well that I was determined to
>go down the pain management path, but my body simply couldn't deal with
>the pain any more.
>
>I still have three and a half hours of surgery ahead of me to finish
>clearing the adhesions they couldn't get to this time around. I
>suddenly have a bowel that works! OK, there are a few places that it is
>a bit touchy because there are still adhesions causing problems. Shali,
>don't accept everything every doctor tells you....seek answers for
>yourself, I have been teaching myself to listen to my body. I close my
>eyes and I focus on the area where I have pain and I just feel it,
>listen to it...and that is how I know that it is REAL and not some
>paranoia that I have picked up after a few stressful, life-threatening
>surgeries.
>
>Yes Shali I am on my soap box, and I apologise for sounding aggressive,
>it isn't directed at you, this aggression...it is directed at the
>frustration I have with doctors who think if they give a patient a name
>of an illness, they will leave their office happy, because *sigh* at
>least you know it isn't all in your head!
>
>Experiment with your diet, strip it down to the bare basics and slowly
>add a new food each week.... note any changes to your bowel movements,
>level of nausea etc... and soon you will have a pretty clear picture of
>what foods you can tolerate. Because of the adhesions messing with my
>bowel so much, I have grade three esophagitis and now require medication
>for that too! IF nothing is found wrong INDSIDE your bowel, then outside
>the bowel is probably where the problem lies….. and in my case that is
>exactly what was found.
>
>When my Gastro surgeon told me I had IBS I gave him my theory, and he
>had to agree with me that on many occasions, it is an over used
>diagnosis when no other explanation for the patients obvious discomfort,
>pain & nausea can be found.
>
>Please Shali….. do some more research, that is why we call it ARD –
>ADHESIONS RELATED DISORDER because the adhesions play havoc with normal
>“freely floating” organs, causing everything from mild irritation to
>severe, constant and debilitating pain. Adhesions constrict the cladder
>causing incontinence.... there are just so MANY problems & disorders
>that can be directly traced back to adhesions...IBS is NOT the
>underlying problem..... ADHESIONS are causing your bowel to manifest
>these symptoms. As my surgery proved this time (as it has proved other
>interesting things previously) even what can be seen on a scan may not
>be what they find when they actually do a laperascopic procedure to
>resolve a health issue that has become serious enough to require
>surgery.
>
>Please understand I am not attacking you Shali..... my interests in
>this board are only to hekp others find the right path and to empower
>each of us to have a more pro-active participation in our treatment and
>our future health.
>
>My wish for you Shali, is peace and happiness.
>
>--
>Love and gentle hugs,
>Joanne Eslick
>Founder Australian Adhesions Support Group
>http://www.bombobeach.com
>Australian Co-ordinator of
>International Adhesions Society
>http://www.adhesions.org
>
>--
>I am not a medical person, and all my messages are based
>on personal experience. I am a fellow adhesions sufferer
>reaching out to help others.
>