Re: Abdominal adhesions and swelling

From: Kay (lilcloverfairy@aol.com)
Mon Aug 17 19:13:04 2009


Hello!

Thank you for your reply and information!

The pain in my ribs is due to the massive swelling. i too look around 6 months preggy with the swelling and it's all located in my upper abdomin/under ribs. I've lost around 30 pounds and even my loosest pants are a bit snug on the waist. It helps one to feel so attractive, let me tell you. LOL In any case, I've had this happen on and off since about 5 years ago, following my Gall Bladder removal. We had thought that with the great pain I was having, that there might be a stray stone in a bile duct, and voila! Nada. Years went on without another "attack" and all was well. Around Jan or Feb of last year, I was dealing with some pretty stressful situations, I get this horrible pain in the center of my chest and then the swelling and band of pain around my entire chest area for a couple days, then it subsided to just major pain for a few weeks. Within that time, I was stubborn to call my dr. seeing how we couldn't find anything with the last procedure, and I refused to call. then I caved. Once I called, he was out of town on vacation for another week, and then I was able to see him about a week AFTER his return. I held tight and finally saw him. He ordered tests upon tests, had to get to the bottom of it all. Nothing showed in my blood work, CTscan, U/S or MRI. Here we are in 2009, and I noticed a coincidence of pain with stress. The pain would last for weeks, nearly 1 month then stops as if nothing had ever happened. Right now, I'm on the tail end of an episode with having more blood work done to rule out anything going on with my liver or pancreas, and my 2nd CTscan. All of which, again, had shown nothing but pure 100% health. Desperate for pain management and with him hearing that everything that I've taken on my own hasn't worked, he sent me home with, Lyrica. Like everything else, it helped for about the first day, for 15 minutes. I forgot to mention, after my testing last week, he had called me with the results, and said, "You have mild IBS(have known this for years and no serious probs with it) and Adhesions. Once I did my research, it all clicked in my head. He then prescribed a high fiber diet, no dairy of any sort, and no carrots or apples. I followed his diet plan for a few days, the pain remained, and gradually got worse.

So sorry for that horrible "paragraph" ^^ haha

So, here I am, trying to get to the bottom of things and desperate for answers. I have a 3 year old son that understands pretty well that mommy is sicky in her tummy, and it just kills me to be so attached to the couch and not being able to pick him up. He's the sweetes though,... he gives mommy "magical kisses" on my tummy and tells me to feel better. :) If I lift anything with any sort of weight, I'm thrown into an episode.

Also, I've come close to vomitting, though I show no bundling or anything wrong with my intestines. Before I realized that I should be eating very small portions at a turtle's pace, I would find myself eating a regular portioned meal, then all of a sudden, finding myself feeling food slowly come up into my throat, and being full for the rest of the day. Get constipated, then finally having a movement that would then turn into yuck. So, right now, I'm happy with apple sauce and graham crackers with water. Lots and lots of water. Anyway...

I see my dr on Monday, the 17th, at 11:30. I'm axious to see what he says. I have my trust in him, he's excellent at what he does. I just happen to be the patient that gives him a run for his money, and tests everything he has learned. I have a feeling that the next step might be to go in to see the severity of adhesions, if indeed that is what it is. I also know that it's a double edged sword going in like that as that's what got me here.

Again, Thank you.

-Kay

At Wed, 12 Aug 2009, IAS Admin wrote: >
>From: adhesions@adhesions.org [mailto:adhesions@adhesions.org] On Behalf Of
>HERB F DIXON
>Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 9:06 PM
>To: adhesions-request@adhesions.org
>Subject: Re: Abdominal adhesions and swelling
>
>How long have you been dealing with swelling? Exactly where is the
swelling? >I have Gastroparesis, I swell up and at times I look about 6 months 
>pregnant. The last time it was really BAD, I tried the new Blueberry
squares >cereal. Within 1/2 hour I was so huge! Couldn't button, or zip my pants
>closed, my shirt was sucked in and stuck like glue, very attractive! The
>only place I had to go was to see my hair stylist for a haircut. I just
tied >a sweatshirt above my belly and went. She could not believe what she saw.
>Then on top of it nausea, and the pain of my skin being stretched out. I
>read an article about adhesions in the paper, the doctor said that " when a
>band of adhesions wraps around the intestine, it can obstruct the passage
of >undigested food. The part of the intestine laying before the obstruction
>becomes distended with fluid and partially digested food. That’s the cause
>of crampy abdominal pain and vomiting." I thought that part was pretty
>interesting, but he goes on to talk about "obstructions make bowel
movements >and gas passage impossible. The intestine can become so distended that its
>blood supply is cut off and it can rupture. Prior surgery is the chief
cause >of adhesions, but.. not the only cause. Infections within the abdominal
>cavity can also cause them and so can abdominal radiation." This doctor
that >wrote all of this is
> Dr. Donohue, Orlando, Fl. 32853-6475. He also said that the "abdominal
>organs ( including the large and small intestine ) don't like being pushed
>around. No matter how careful the surgeon is when he/she enters the
abdomen, >its inevitable that moving structures, to expose the trouble spot gives
rise >to deposits of sticky protein called Fibrin. Fibrin, in turn, invites the
>laying down of collagen, another protein, the stuff of which scars are
>made. Strands of collagen form thick bands that bind adjacent organs, or
>encircle the intestines. Those scar like bands are adhesions". Now that I
>have given you a lesson in adhesions LOL!! I don't know what causes the
pain >in your ribs. Have you ever seen your doctor when you have been in this
much >horrible pain and swelling? I wish I could help. I really wanted to pass on
>this info about adhesions from the doctor. You take care. Cheryl D.
>
>From: IAS Admin (Tracy) To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
>Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 6:24 PM
>Subject: Abdominal adhesions and swelling
>From: lilcloverfairy@aol.com (Kay)
>Subject: Abdominal adhesions and swelling
>


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