I know how you are feeling and we all understand what you mean when you say you are glad that you aren't alone... that you have found us and this site, but you still feel alone with your pain.
I am glad that you have started seeking answers for yourself and doing a little research, it always helps to understand what is happening inside us because only you can describe how you feel to your doctors and if you understand a little about the nature of the disease, then you can give them better descriptions of pain, side affects etc. I know that after I started to interact with fellow sufferers here on the board, my attitude to my treatment and doctors changed forever.
I now have control of my treatment and can talk to my doctors and other healthcare workers in a logical and sensible way. It helps take some of the emotion out of a consultation and leads to better communication, which leads to better treatment and hopefully a better quality of life.
If you would like to talk to other men with adhesions, I have several contacts who are keen to communicate with other male sufferers too. If you are interested, then please visit the Australian Adhesions Support Group and leave a message in the "Note Pad" section of the site under the title "BBQ Pit", it is our new men’s area and will be looked after by a fellow Aussie Phil Marr from Western Australia who is currently waiting for surgery. He is very keen to talk to other men.
http://www.bombobeach.com also has a "How to Cope" section which may be of some help to you too, there you will find some ideas and suggestions to help you deal with pain day to day. Something which I think we all need to try and do to, is live each day as it comes, make the best of it and not let the idea of endless days of pain overwhelm us. It will drag us down needlessly, there are simple every day pleasures we can all be thankful for, whether it is the love of a special pet, children our life partner, a special friend or relative.... we should all be able to find something bright in our lives, and that is were we need to focus our energy, the things that give our life meaning.
I hope my message helps you in some way Steve, and as I said, I will be happy to put you in touch with other men suffering with this horrible disease.
-- Love and gentle hugs, Joanne Eslick Founder Australian Adhesions Support Group http://www.bombobeach.com NSW 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.