Severity of Adhesions

From: Anita (arivera@covhlth.com)
Thu Sep 9 11:02:28 2004


Hi, all. I have only posted on this board a couple of times - - probably over a year ago. I read often, though. Anyway, I've searched the archives and haven't seen anything that really answers the questions I have. How do you know the severity of your adhesions? So many of the posts I read seem to talk about "my right side" or "my upper left quadrant" or something of that nature. I literally feel like they are all across my belly - possibly in the shape of an anchor or something like that. Like a big "smile" about an inch in width above my hysterectomy incision line, then a line up the midline to the navel with more circling the navel. Also, does the sensation of the adhesions indicate the severity? I don't have a lot of cramping pain, but rather a tight burning, hot pain (the only way I know how to describe it)that often feels like it's just below the surface.

Just a little background - - I had a hysterectomy in January '03, which was the worst thing I've ever done - - at least for me. I had never had adhesion problems to this point even though I had a lap appendectomy about 7 years prior. I felt adhesions very early on after my hyst - about three weeks post op. It was a definite pulling to the left. My gynecologist went back in July '03 for what was supposed to be a lap lysis of adhesions. No such luck - - they were so bad I had another open incision. I don't fault my gynecologist - she's a good surgeon but not one who specializes in adhesions. As we all know there just aren't many of those out there. Doctors will often offer to go in and take them down just to give some immediate ease of pain. I'm doing my best to hold off on any more surgery until I can get to Dr. Gerhart. I know from this site that the more surgery I have, the more adhesions I form. To this point, I've thankfully not had a bowel obstruction but I hydrate myself to the point that I'm practically waterlogged, take Kristoloce daily, and a daily dose of Fibercon. I think the worst thing is that I never experienced any type of pelvic pain before January '03. It makes it difficult to deal with now. Thanks.

--
Anita

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