When it comes to adhesions, what her doctor told her is NOT true!! Once adhesions have formed...they do NOT "slow down" - at any age!! Also: adhesions do NOT grow unless an adhesion-causing incident is present (endometriosis) or occurs (such as pelvic inflammatory disease, seat-belt injury or other trauma to the body, etc). I have shared these comments in an email to Ebony.
Since Ebony is from Australia, I have given her the website for the Australian Adhesions Support Group; and I have informed her she is always welcome at the International Adhesions Society website.
~ ~ ~ ~
Re: Adhesions; From: ebony (baileysb@netconnect.com.au); Mon Mar 24 22:01:15 2003
ON FRIDAY 21 MAR LAST WEEK I HAD SURGERY TO REMOVE ADHESIONS FROM MY BOWEL, OVARY AND BLADDER AS THEY WERE FUSED TOGETHER WITH ADHESIONS. THIS IS MY THIRD LOT OF SURGERY IN 3 YEARS.
I HAVE BEENS SUFFERING FOR 9 YEARS BUT HAVE ONLY BEEN DIAGNOSED FOR 3 YEARS. IN THIS TIME I HAVE HAD MY LEFT OVARY AND FALLOPIAN TUBE REMOVED, MY BOWEL "CLEANED UP"AND AM NOW LEFT WITH PELVIC ADHESIONS FROM THE SURGERY THAT HAS BEEN PERFORMED.
I AM 31 YEARS OLD. I AM LUCKY TO HAVE MY 2 CHILDREN WHO ARE HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL.
MY DOCTOR AND SURGEON HAVE TOLD ME THAT I NOW HAVE ENDOMETRIOSIS ON MY REMAINING OVARY, I HAVE NEVER HAD IT BEFORE.
IN 6 WEEKS TIME I WILL HAVE A KIDNEY TEST TO SEE IF MY KIDNEY IS PERFORMING. I HAVE HAD KIDNEY PAIN BEFORE THE SURGERY BUT DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIONS IS MY PELVIS WERE UNABLE TO GET A GOOD VIEW OF THE KINDNEY..
MY SURGEON WAS HAPPY WITH THE PROCEDURE, BUT ITS NOT HIM IN PAIN FROM ADHESIONS...HE SAYS MY APPENDIX IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION BUT DUE TO THE CLOSENESS OF THE ADHESIONS IN MY ABDOMEN HE IS WORRIED..SO I DON'T NEED THEM DO I? HE SAYS IF YOU WERE A "NORMAL"PATIENT HE WOULD HAVE TAKEN THEM OUT BUT BECAUSE OF THE ADHESIONS HE WONT RISK IT...
SO WHAT DO I DO? WAIT TILL I HAVE AN ATTACK..WHEN WILL THAT BE? 2 MONTHS, 4 MONTHS WHO KNOWS? THE PAIN FOR ME IS DEBILITATING AND FOR MY FAMILY AS WELL.
UP UNTIL MY LAST 3 THEATRE PROCEDURES I HAD NEVER HAD SURGERY BEFORE. MY SURGEON BELIEVES THAT MY ADHESIONS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A CYST ON THE OVARY THAT BURST WHEN I WAS 6 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH MY DAUGHTER, I REMEBER THE PAIN IT WAS EXCRUITIATING AND WOKE UP IN ONE OF THE MAJOR HOSTPITALS IN MELBOURNE. I WAS GIVEN MUSCLE RELAXANTS AND TOLD BECUASE I WAS SMALL FRAMED MY BODY WAS JUST ADJUSTING TO PREGNANCY.
I WAS HOSPITALISED 9 TIMES IN 9 MONTHS DURING THE PREGNANCY ONLY TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER 4 WEEKS EARLY BY NATURAL DELIVERY. I HAD MY SON 4 YEARS LATER.5 WEEKS EARLY AND NATURAL DELIVERY. THE PAIN I HAD WITH MY 2ND PREGNANCY WAS INDESCRIBABLE. I HAD LESS TIME IN HOSPITAL ONLY FOR THE REASON THAT NO DOCTOR OR NURSE BELIEVED THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH ME (BESIDES MY SMALL FRAME!) 5 DAYS AFTER HAVING MY SON I WENT DOWNHILL. MY SON BECOME SICK AND WAS HOSPITALISED IN THE ROYAL CHILDRENS HOSP. BUT I KEPT ON GOING.
FINALLY 6 WEEKS LATER ON MY FOLLOW UP VISIT TO MY GP I MENTIONED THAT I WASNT ABLE TO HAVE SEX WITHOUT PAIN, HE ASKED HOW LONG THAT HAD BEEN, I SAID 6 YEARS, HE SAID LETS SEND YOU TO A SPECILIST. GOOD MOVE...BUT BEFORE THAT NO ONE BELIEVED ME OR WANTED TO LISTEN. I DIDNT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ADHESIONS UP UNTIL 3 YEARS AGO. NOW I NEED TO FIND OUT ABOUT ENDO.
I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY MY SURGEON NOT TO BECOME PREGNANT, I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE MY SON, (MY FIRST LOT OF SURGERY FOUND ADHESIONS IN AND OUT OF MY UTERUS, OVARY BOWEL AND TUBE.) THIS DISEASE IS MAKING ME SLOWLY BUT SURELY INFERTILE.
IF I WAS OVER 35 THEY WOULD HAVE ALREADY GIVEN ME A HYSTERECTOMY, BUT DUE TO OESTEOPORSIS AND ADHESIONS AND ENDOMETRIOSIS I WILL HAVE TO SUFFER FOR A WHILE YET.
SOMETIMES I FEEL DOWN AND DEPRESSED ABOUT THE WHOLE THING AND THEN OTHER TIMES I THINK IM NOT GOING TO LET IT BET ME, BUT I KNOW IT WILL PHYSICALLY BUT I WONT LET IT MENTALLY.
MY DAUGHTER WHO IS 9 HAS SEEN IN AT MY WORST IN PAIN AND MY SON WHO IS 4, DOESNT UNDERSTAND WHY HIS MUM IS IN PAIN AND HAS STICHES.
THE WAITING GAME IS UNBEARABLE AT TIMES AND EVERTIME I HAVE ANOTHER EPISODE OF PAIN MY BODY DOESN'T COPE AS WELL AS THE LAST TIME.
MY DOCTOR SAID THAT ADHESIONS SLOW DOWN IN YOUR 50'S AND 60'S, OF COURSE BY THE TIME I AM THAT AGE I'LL PROBABLY HAVE NOTHING LEFT, BESIDES MY MAJOR ORGANS TO KEEP ME ALIVE. I WONDER WETHER HIS REMARK WAS MEANT TO GIVE ME SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LIVE NOW, ENJOY MY KIDS, HUSBAND,WORK AND SOCIAL LIFE.
UNLESS ANYONE HAS FELT THE PAIN OF ADHESIONS AND ENDO, THEY HAVENT THE FOGGIEST IDEA WHAT PAIN IS!! I HOPE THIS SHEDS SOME NEW LIGHT ON THE TOPIC
THANKS..