A little bit of better news to share

From: Tracy [Administrator] (tracy.joslin@adhesions.org)
Tue Sep 2 23:15:21 2003


I thought it might be helpful to some of our members/readers to hear some good news that I received after my own surgery this summer.

In mid-June I had what is somewhere around my 20th surgical procedure (I've quit counting) over a 19 year time span. Being still very young, this is not exactly a great track record, but one that I hold due to severe endometriosis and adhesions. I've worked with the same doctors over these years in my current home town (Texas) and find I am very fortunate to have their knowledge, skill sets and patience.

For the first time in 19 years I heard these statements from my doctors after the surgery: "the pelvic was clean of endo and adhesions" and "the abdominal/chest adhesions were not nearly as bad as we expected based on your prior surgeries". Never before have I heard these words.....ever.

The endo has resided everywhere you can think of and in a lot of other places it should not - liver, diaphragm, etc. The adhesions have taken on a life of their own, partly from the endo, partly from multiple surgeries and my body's ability to just keep making the tissue or at least allowing it to grow.

Over the years they tried most everything to help with my stubborn adhesions. Intergel was removed from the market in the months prior to my surgery, otherwise, it may have been used.

It seems Sepra Film has become my body's most accepted adhesion barrier and after two applications ('97 & '99) there has been some success in reducing the quantity of the adhesions. To go a longer time period than ever before with a lesser amount of adhesions that before is a HUGE accomplishment for me. Many of my surgeries were laps. The last 2 ops were mini-laparotomies. The surgery this summer was a full laparotomy straight down the center -- they found a hernia to repair (ouch). Now my husband thinks that I will fall apart at the seams where my horizontal and vertical incisions all meet. [he is such the funny guy!]. Could the fact that CO2 was not used in the last couple of surgeries have some impact? How long will the Sepra Film help this time?

I've been through a lot myself with all of this over the years and I know that one of these days we will find something that will work for me. I do not expect this to be the end of my dealings w/adhesions or endo - - my doctors and I know my body all too well. But we do feel it may be a little bit longer this time before I have to have another surgery. Its taken many years to get here - a lot of pain, a lot of crying, lack of money and a lot of everything else I never anticipated I would have to deal with -- but the fight is not over yet. I'm fortunate in that I am always pain free after surgery -- a lot of practice at getting myself prepared mentally for feeling better maybe, even though I know there will be a "next time"?? In these later years I am able to go a while longer before things get me down, but the diseases are always in the back of my mind.

I'm not sure what else we have done differently to achieve this outcome besides create havoc with my hormone replacement regimens and I do take GLA supplements to help w/the inflammation (approved by my doctor).

Not everyone gets the same results w/the variety of adhesion barriers out there, and if someone else went to my doctor - he may not be right for that person. We all go through this disease - uniquely. With my surgery in mid-June, I took time away from my IAS duties for a much needed recovery period. Getting out of the hospital after only 48hrs was a huge coup. I still do not know why they look at you funny when you walk the halls at 4am w/your IV pole tagging along behind you -- could I really look that funny?

My energy has been slow to come back, but I'm getting stronger each day and am now 10 weeks post-op. I don't know what the future holds and in time, the familiar pain will probably return, but I try not to dwell on that just yet.

Until then, I'll just be sitting here putting extra virgin olive oil on my incision w/a cotton pad twice a day to minimize the appearance and hope that nobody mistakes me for a salad :)

--
Tracy Joslin
IAS Administrator
tracy.joslin@adhesions.org

Neither the IAS, Synechion, Dr. Wiseman or any other representative offers medical advice. Always consult a qualified medical professional.


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