Re: questions

From: clare (csheedy@netcom.ca)
Fri Oct 18 18:38:43 2002


Hi Toni:

Welcome to the IAS forum.

If I'm reading your post correctly, you've had 5 laparotomies? I know that you'd like to request a laparoscopic surgery, but that may not be possible. It would take a very skilled surgeon (like Lillian's) who is very knowlegeable to enter an abdomen/pelvis with 5 previous laparotomies via a scope.

The fact that it's been 15 years since you've had a surgery is great news, and this may be why your Dr is looking for causes for your pain other than adhesions. I assume that your kidneys, uterers (sp?), bladder and back have all been checked thoroughly? Although, with a prior small bowel obstruction and so many surgeries I'd bet it's adhesions too.

The pain that I experience is (I believe) from both the adhesions and endometriosis. It is a tugging, pulling type pain that is accompanied by abdominal distension, and when it gets real severe any jarring motion is bad, even to put my foot down to walk. I also get a pain when I sit down that shoots from my butt to my belly button, and eventually it even hurts to breathe. Then, thank goodness, over a period of some time, it will begin to subside. During one of these episodes, my b.m. become pencil thin, and are accompanied by a right sided pain following a b.m. (Sorry of that was too much info!)

As a patient, you have every right to request anything that you feel may improve your quality of life. More importantly, as a patient you have every right to educate yourself as much as possible about your situation, and about problematic adhesions if you suspect that you have them. A great way to research adhesions is right here on this forum using "Helen Dynda" as your search term - a wealth of information will appear! Jo Eslick, Nancy Hale, Karla Nygren, Sally Grigg, Lillian, Rose and many others have a lot of helpful information too. My own research and personal experience has found that surgery helps some people, and for others it makes things worse. Surgery appears to be a very personal decision - we seem to put it off until we just can't take it anymore :o)

The more you know about adhesions, the better you will be able to deal with your situation. Knowledge is so empowering! Please write back if you have more questions.

Wishing you pain free moments, hours and days.

--
Clare

At Fri, 18 Oct 2002, Toni wrote: > >Hi everyone...I have been silently reading everyone else's posts and >decided it was time to post my own. I am 42. I had 2 c-sections, 1 >hysterectomy with left ovary removal, 1 small bowel obstruction, 1 >gallbladder removal; all done abdominally not lap. It has been 15 years >since I have had surgery and over the last couple years it has been to >where it is affecting the quality of my life. A lot of times I can >ignore it, but not anymore. I also have been put through the wringer of >diagnostic testing. But noone has mentioned the possibility of >adhesions even though I look like a road map. I am having sharp pain in >my lower left quadrant that normally shoots down into the pelvic area >and is now traveling around my side and to my back? I also have frequent >UTI infections (at least 5/6 yearly). Daily I get this horrible >contracting feeling that reminds me so much of the beginning stages of >labor. I tell everyone it's like I'm giving birth to my bladder. I >have been trying to deal with this on my own, going to doctors then >giving up, then going to doctors. I am now seeing a surgeon who has run >the upper GI and ultrasound (normal) and now wants to run on Thursday >(again) a colonoscopy. Does this sound like adhestions, and if this >colonoscopy is normal, do I have the right as a patient to request a >lap? Thanks.


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