My personal opinion on the above subject is related to that "God complex" that many doctors have...They do not want to admit that any of their "fine" work would ever have such horrible consequences. My own surgeon, who was otherwise very good, would often comment, during subsequent exams I had, on how little scar he left behind (on the outside), and when I learned on my own about adhesions, and asked him about such, he was dismissive to the point of arrogance. Nevertheless, he did refer me to a gastroentorologist who confirmed their presense. I suspect most surgeons are very knowledgeable about adhesions, but since their profession pays the bills, they are disinclined to warn patients about these consequences. - - My (deceased) sister who had Stage 4 ovarian cancer and survived it for close to 13 years is the one who told me about adhesions. She had so, so many surgeries and after every one, the adhesions would get worse, while more and more of HER was being taken away....She was some sort of medical "phenom" at the time, and I think that's why doctors told her about the consequences, which I guess she was willing to accept. I guess most of us are...the more surgeries you have the more adhesions you WILL have. What bothers me to this day is that no one seems to be talking about it, except on sites like this. For instance, it seems that when a person fills out one of those questionaires at a first time visit to a doctor's office and you check that you have had surgery, or surgeries, the next question SHOULD be: "Do you have a problem with adhesions?" - But it is never there, as if it's something WE, the patients, should be ashamed of...But maybe, just maybe, the more we talk about it, the more atttention the medical profession will have to acknowledge, and thus deal with, the problem - and some research person SOMEWHERE may come up with a reasonable, if not complete, solution. Just sharing...Anyone else every feel like this? Jan Spartanburg, SC
>----- Original Message -----
From: geniebene@comcast.net
To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 8:24 PM
Subject: Re: WHY do so many surgeons not believe in adhesions causing
PAIN???
Kat, We are obviously all living proof that adhesions and ARD does exist! The last surgeon that told me adhesions are painless....I asked him when was the last time he had surgery. His answer...NEVER. I asked him then, when the last time he experienced a bowel obstruction or organ failure due to strangulation from adhesions...his answer again...NEVER. I then proceeded to tell him that I would appreciate then before he made such profound statments of certainty that he either complete his research or base them on personal experience because I wasn't going to sit there at be patronized by a doctor who was clueless to true life experience and based his statement from a textbook. I left him standing there stunned when I told him as I left that I'd be sure to send him MY BILL for consultation since HE was the one to learn something from my visit. I was never billed. Just thought I'd share... Don't know anyone in So. Cal...but I'm sure they must be doing some type of ARD research up around LA or San Diego. There is no cure for this as we know...and you can't see them on any scan/xray from what i've been told over the years. The only time they suspect they are there is when they do a flouroscope type scan and everything moves together...that usually means your organs are adhered, at least from my experience. That still doesn't mean they will operate, unless there is a risk of function loss, etc. Good luck!! jeanne