Hello to the USA-----!!!! No place compares, except maybe Germany!
I know many of you are wondering about Melissa. First let me say a big
hearty thank you to all that prayed, sent messages, called Dr. Kruschinski,
asking about Melissa (he told us each time) YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!
Thanks to all that sent letters of encouragement for Melissa's surprise book
of inspiration! You should have seen the frenzy at the office RIGHT before
leaving
for the airport! Miranda, (daughter) and I were 2 wild, crazy women,throwing
pages
everywhere, sticking cute little stickers on the e mails, scanning in photos
of Melissa's
family and dogs for collage pages, making a cover, etc.and all the while my
husband
was being his usual self--saying we had to LEAVE. (Why do men do this??) We
were
not stressed until he started in--then everything got chaotic--lost the keys
to the car. etc.
That REALLY made him happy! We got to the airport with a good 10 minutes to
spare before boarding. No problem! Anyway, I have not been able to read any
posts,
(internet down) but, thanks especially to Anthea, Carolyn, Tonya & Lynn.
You are the
ones I know for sure that I need to say thanks to!! I will thank everyone
else personally as I am able to read this messed up service! UGH! Anyway,
the book was WELL worth the effort!!
The look on her face was GREAT!! She cried, cried and cried. Put it down to
stop crying, had it an hour later and cried and cried again. It was such a
big encouragement to her, reading all the nice letters from her family and
so many of you, writing as if you had known her forever! I know you know her
pain--and that makes an unfortunate, but common ground. I had to tell
her all about each one of you as she read!! lol...and now, she is ready to
look at the adhesion sites and post a message! She felt as if she knew each
one of you, and cried with many of you.Thanks to everyone!
We are home, slept a few hours (much needed)--it is 2:00 am here and I am
wide awake once
again, so came to the computer and UGH..it has gotten all messed up
since I left.......can't get on any sites, read the boards, can't reach my
Aussie
friends at Bombobeach. I am attempting to post a message on the IAS and
hopefully it will post.
I don't know where to begin, but I know women want all the details! Here
goes:
We arrived in Frankfurt after a 9 hour flight. Melissa had developed one of
her
typical migraines in flight. She was in total misery, getting close to the
throwing
up stage. We found our lady waiting, just as we had been told, with an
EndoGyn sign.
(Melissa laughed at this--saying, "Well, everyone knows WHY we are here!") I
am going
to encourage Dr. Kruschinski to change his sign to "Babes Arriving from
America".....lol.....
The EndoGyn sign lady had a beautiful face and smile and knew quickly
Melissa was very
ill. Her name was Steffi--she was a trooper, grabbing luggage and helping so
Melissa could just get to the car.
We arrived in Seligenstadt at Dr. Kruschinski's office just as another
American couple
had arrived. We were taken to the apartment and given an hour to rest (throw
up, etc....!!!!!!)..........then Michaela, the nurse, arrived and told
Melissa she MUST get up and go for EKG, blood tests, etc., as surgery was
scheduled for the next day.
So, off we went, Melissa vomiting several times at each lab, Klinik, etc. I
felt like
the mom from hell.......you all know how you feel when your child is
suffering and
you know YOU are the one that got them into this! I knew Melissa was in a
fog,
because of the pain and we were just leading her in and out of each place. I
will
say that the lab and Klinik, both, came running with anti-nausea medications
in an
effort to help her. Neither worked---but it was comforting to know they
CARED!
Next we were to meet Dr. Kruschinski to discuss surgery. We arrived back at
his
office and upon meeting him, and he, seeing Melissa's condition, told us to
"go rest and we will discuss in the morning before surgery".........wow! Now
this is
a guy I like. We all know, most USA doctors do not adjust their schedule to
meet your
silly pain!! (Sorry, couldn't resist)
Melissa was a little better the next morning and we promptly discussed
surgery.
I have to say this was the first time I felt total confidence prior to
surgery. Dr. Kruschinski
is warm, kind, caring and confident in his skill. He assessed Melissa's
history (that
is such a mess) and assured us that she would go home from Germany ADHESION
FREE. He is very open, does not rush through any of the discussion, smiles a
lot,
(don't we like a doctor that smiles???!!!----that in itself is SO exciting),
he exudes a
human compassion for the patient. He shakes your hand many times (something
I
really liked and appreciated)........he also never excluded me. He has the
ability to explain
everything in detail to the patient, but was never offended if I, (the
non-patient)
asked a question. (Most of you know the stigma that a mom of an ADULT
patient carries
in the USA)............. At each conclusion, he shook Melissa's hand and my
hand. Each and
every time, we were treated with respect and dignity and were given ample
opportunity
to ask questions.
Being that Melissa has been ill since age 13, and knowing that prior
surgeries have not
helped, Melissa went to Germany, for the most part, because of the old
snorting, pushing
bull behind her (me)....lol.....she had reached the conclusion she would
always be sick,
no one would (could) help her, was not convinced that adhesions were here
problem
(even though we have photos of severe pelvic adhesions with bowel
involvement, that
were lasered "out" (????) in her prior US surgeries).
Dr. Kruschinski performed surgery, finding and removing adhesions from the
large and
small intestines, liver, diaphragm, stomach, and pelvic area. SprayGel was
applied to
all areas. Photos of the adhesed areas were provided, along with photos of
the blue
SprayGel areas. For those that may not know, Spray Gel is applied after the
adhesions are taken down by adhesiolysis. On her second look, 7 days later,
one other area was found and a
little more surgery was required. Again, photos were provided of this
surgery. The rest of the
second look photos showed an AMAZING, healthy looking, bowel, tissues, liver
etc. I look at these photos over and over. The difference is unbelievable.
Her insides look shiny, healthy and well!
We were so afraid her female organs had been destroyed by adhesions (first
surgery in US showed severe adhesions of the pelvis, with all reproductive
organs adhered together, bowels attached to bladder, uterus, and fallopian
tubes that were so adhesed they bulged; unable to empty). Her pelvic areas
look almost completely normal now!! The area looks healthy and it is
wonderful to see normal looking organs, no nasty saran-wrap type adhesions,
no bloody sores, etc. like we have seen in the past. Dr. Kruschinski has no
doubt she can conceive!
How does Melissa FEEL? She has not had a migraine since the day of
surgery!!YEAH!! (she had previously had DAILY headaches---many turning into
migraines); she has not said, "I feel sick",
or "I feel sick-I shouldn't have eaten" (we had previously heard that EVERY
time she ate),
and has not felt nauseated since surgery!!!!! HOORAY!!! Melissa had dealt
with nausea
every day for the last 13 years! Dr. Kruschinski said the nausea and
headaches are a
result of the adhesions on the stomach, liver, etc. She has also began
sleeping completely through the night after surgery; a welcome relief! And
yesterday she told me, "It's weird, but I
feel like it is easier to breathe".........(adhesions on the diaphragm made
simple breathing
a more struggled effort)...........on the flight home she told me that
something" was definitely
"different" in her stomach since surgery. She said, "I realize my whole
belly is real relaxed and I
can no longer feel my intestines inside---is that normal?" Then she added,
Can't you feel
your intestines?"---"I could always feel mine and now I can't."
Because her intestines have been wrapped up in adhesions for so many years,
she thought everyone could "feel" their intestines!! She is adjusting to new
sensations (pain-free)!! I can tell it will take a little while for the idea
and sensation of HEALTH to become Melissa. She has little recollection of
early, pain-free childhood. The misery had gone on so long, she is having to
take this new feeling in bits and pieces. I will gladly allow her that time!
I will finish up by saying there are no words to express my gratitude to Dr.
Kruschinski!! A "thank-
you" seems so inadequate! A hand-shake and a hug are not enough either! How
can I express thanks to someone that has the skill, knowledge, ability,
compassion, and GIFT to give
me back my daughter? Nothing in this world can adequately express what I
feel, or what our
family feels. He's the best of the best!
I have learned through our experience/trip that it is not Germany, the
AbdoLift or SprayGel that has restored my daughter. Germany is only the
country in which you must go to reach Dr. Kruschinski! The AbdoLift and
Spraygel and equipment he uses are only the tools! Yes, they are all
necessary and must come together for surgery and we all thank God for the
AbdoLift and SprayGel, and proper equipment (that US doctors do not have),
however, I know in my heart, you can place the proper tools in another
person's hand and not get the same results!!! We all know gifted people that
can paint a picture on a canvas, but just because we place a brush in
another's hand and even give them proper instruction, we know we won't have
the painting of the artist!! Dr. Kruschinski is a gifted artist of his
profession!!
He has the eye of an artist to see the detail of the adhesion pain! He has
the mind to understand the sufferer's pain! He has the skill to apply the
technique in the proper fashion to get the RESULT that is so desperately
needed! I believe his mind, his eyes and his hands are a gift from God that
many people have prayed for! We all know too well how many doctors have
TRIED (and many times with good intentions) to "rid" the ARD sufferer of the
pain---but, how many can say they went into surgery KNOWING the doctor would
give them his 100% effort to remove pain caused by adhesions? Dr.
Kruschinski was as,(or more), excited as I, to hear Melissa say her pain was
gone! I loved his enthusiasm and anticipation of the end results! He came in
after surgery, smiling, and asking, "How do you feel--only surgery pain,
yes??" I LOVED THAT!!! As soon as he shook our hands and left, I was over
her bed saying, "Only surgery pain, yes!!!??" We were both laughing. She
was sore and couldn't decide how she felt! Dr. Kruschinski has a zeal I have
NEVER seen in a doctor in the US. (And we have been to COUNTLESS). He passes
his enthusiasm to the family member and the patient. He KNOWS he removed the
pain, pulling, tugging, nausea causing, migraine resulting, (and a host of
other symptoms in different people) horrible adhesions! I love a person that
loves their work and goes forth with zeal, gusto and EXPECTATION of RESULTS
from that work! It is his business, his life. Dr. Kruschinski gives his all,
going beyond expectation, running after hours, calling and checking on each
patient. He is a master of his profession. A skillful artist indeed. And to
this artist, Dr. Daniel Kruschinski, my hat is off, my tears haven't stopped
and I must say I will forever be grateful! Our family is SOOOO grateful
too!! Many tears were shed yesterday at the airport!! (Hey, they REALLY
missed us)
Sincerely,
Karen Steward
P.S. Melissa is on NO pain medications......now, how about that???