first, i'm a male, this doesn't just affect woman. i had surgery for a
ruptured appendix 10 years ago (august, 1995). spent 2 1/2 weeks in the
hospital, more surgery for a bowel obstruction that developed AFTER the
appendix surgery, then spent more time there as a serious infection
developed post-op. 3 weeks later and 42 pounds lighter i went home. 911
type abdominal pain day after day until 6 months later (march, 96)
emergency surgery for a fully blocked bowel. you guessed it, adhesions.
you can re-read the description of the first surgery and the second was
basically exactly the same. since then i have lived with abdominal pain
so bad that my life changed completely. i had been fully employed,
coached high school baseball and football, coached national usa boxing,
all of this stopped on the dime. i had further surgeries to lyse the
adhesions all of which started with an attempt at laporoscopy - all of
which required the same incision site used for the first two surgeries
be used again. this site by the way started at the base of the center
of my ribs-traveled down as far as you can go without changing my
sex-and then traveled all the way over to the outside of my right hip.
the last surgeon i spoke to from brigham and womans hospital in boston
massachusetts told me never to pursue surgery again for the purpose of
eliminating the adhesions as the damage is far to invasive. i was then
told to seek therapy to aid in learning to live with the pain and find
the best approach to pain management possible. i've since been to every
major pain clinic in most of the new england area and all have come up
empty including the possible use of every pump available. i've been on
a pain medication regimen since then that is slowly killing every
functional part of my body (mind and soul). i am on more medication
than you could ever believe including 160 mg's of Oxycontin 3 times per
day - and this is not the only pain medication i take. well, i'm now 48
and the sweetheart of my life has just left me. she always swore that
this would not come between us but.... in sickness and in health, for
better or for worse, till death does us part. i guess they was just
empty words. I now have no options but to separate myself from all who
remind me of my wife and two wonderful college age boys. i simply can't
take the reminders of the way it was. I wish all who face this problem
a far more successful run at it than i had. goodnight and goodbye.
--
Bill Murphy
New Hampshire
[moderator note: personal address info deleted for privacy]