Just stumbled across this site, searching for ways to stop my adhesions growing back (my naturopath swears by Vit E capsules and Zinc).
My story:
- When I was 22 (1988) I was admitted to hospital with suspected appendicitis. After lots and lots of investigations whilst I was in acute pain, they decided to take my appendix out and have a look around. They found a cyst on my ovary, burst it, and took the appendix out.
- About a year after this I started to develop 'bowel urgency' which was then to be diagnosed as IBS (via barium enema -yuk, and then a colonscopy). The urgency to use my bowels (due to diarrhoea and pain), gave me huge anxieties and panic disorder... My GP who looked at the barium enema xray, said there was a piece of my bowel that looked like it had lost its spasicity (???? adhesions is my thoughts now ?????)
I went to doctors on numerous occasions with my complaints, but were always fobbed off that it was in my head.. it was IBS.. deal with it. IBS is the diagnosis they give once they have ruled out every other possibility.
I ended up having a laparoscopy about a year or so later and found that I had cysts all over my ovaries, which they 'golf balled', which I think meant to laser each one. They told me at this stage they were looking for a new thing called endo, but I didn't have it.
- About seven years later (1996) I get diagnosed with panic disorder and start taking anti depressants, which alleviate (but not fix) the bowel condition.
- 1999 I fall pregnant by accident (even though they told me I would have problems falling pregnant) and decide to keep the baby. Apart from the baby having a SUA (single umbilical artery), all was well until labour. Labour was intense from the moment it started. After a c-section for not progressing, they told me it was probably because baby was posterior... maybe this was adhesions too!!!
Meanwhile bowel still plays up... anxiety and depression aren't great.. continued lower back pain (for as long as I can remember, not sure when exactly it started).
- 2004 miscarry, trying to get pregnant
- 2005 pregnant, again no major dramas until labour starts, and immediately I am thrown into a full 10/10 pain coming and going every 1-2 minutes, until they could organise the c-section (early - was planned for the next day). Notice after c-section that they seemed to cut another cut right beside the old one (you'd think they'd go over the top of the old one??). They also tie my tubes during this procedure, as requested.
Meanwhile bowel still plays up... anxiety.. depression.. back pain.. period pain worse than ever.
- 2009 June I have an endometrial resection (also called an ablation apparently) where the inside lining of my uterus is laser cut and pulled out. Had this because I was experiencing very very heavy bleeding, anemia, and hard clots.
- 2009 November - I have this really bad left flank pain, really really awful. Think it's my back. Go to the chiro who can't give me any relief no matter what he tried. Only lasted 6-8 hours. Came in waves, like labour pain.
- 2010 Jan to Nov - Pain reoccurs, sometimes monthly (pre period), or can subside for 2-3 months. During this time the pain was so intense I called ambulances and was taken to emergency at hospital. Nothing relieved my pain except for 'tramadol'. Morphine didn't touch the edges. Sometimes I'd be in hospital 4-5 hours, up to 24 hours.. depending how severe the pain was, and how long it took to get under control. Meanwhile the hospital is running every test and can't find anything (keep looking for kidney stones mostly).. they think I'm a drug user I'm sure. No understanding at all. Keep going back to your GP for follow up and further investigation...
My GP sends me for all kinds of tests, including colonscopy, gastroscopy... I take intensive chiro for the next 18 months as it was thought it was my back.. I see a naturopath and work intensely with her for 6 months, going gluten free and dairy free (which helps a little with my bowel, but nothing else).
Finally my GP says to go to a gynae for a lap to see what's in the cavity. The pain is between my hip joint and my pubic bone, radiating around to my back/glutes and down inside of left leg), when it is happening. I have residual pain in that area and my back for almost 2 weeks following an attack.
- 2010 December - Laproscopy shows uterus stuck badly to bowel. Adhesions removed with assurance they won't come back. Gynae says that it looks as though the 'laser' was held in one position too long during the ablation of my uterus. This could have caused the uterus to heat up and cause adhesions onto my bowel. I asked him to look at my c-section scars for adhesions whilst he's in there, and he tells me they are clear.
- 2011 Jan to Dec - no pain!!! Bowels still a little sticky every now and then, but ok. I put this down mostly to my gluten free/dairy free diet.
- 2012 January.. it's back with evengance .. I spend two full days in hospital until they get pain under control.
- 2012 March - Have just had a hysterectomy, leaving ovaries. Gynae agreed to perform a 'sling' to stop my bladder incontinence, as well as do a cyto.. (bladder investigation??), and finds my bladder is really badly adhered to my 2 previous c-section scars, so has to remove the adhesions before he can start the sling then hysto surgery. Says it was so messed up, and had been that way for years. Took over an hour just to separate the bladder from the c-section and bowels. Puts in the sling. Goes to do the hysto and finds that the uterus is stuck to the bowel just as badly as 15 months previously. Divides and removes as much adhesions as possible, and then performs the hysterectomy (via lap and vag).
Tonight whilst reading other posts, I realise that the adhesions could have been there from 20 years ago... and my IBS may in fact had been that in the first place!
So I'm really really really interested if anyone can give me any advice to stop this crap from coming back. At least my uterus won't be adhered to again once it's gone, but my bowel/bladder may always have problems??
Thanks if you made it this far! Andrea - aged 45 yo Australia