I have been dealing with horrible abdominal pain intermittenly throught
most of my life. I am 37. In my 20s, I had a few episodes of abdominal
pain that were so bad I was on the floor doubled over. But it happened
probably about 5-7 times during my 20s. I had a child at 21, then not
again until I was 31 & 33. After the 3rd pregancy, I lost all my weight
quickly except my belly always was sticking out. I am a marathon runner
and very healthy otherwise, couldn't figure out why I was so bloated
everynight and filled with trapped gas. Was told it was IBS. Then came
the attacks of belly pain, way more frequently than it had every
happened. I was hospitalized with the most escrucating abdominal pain
EVER 1 year after my 3rd child. I was vomiting and hospital told me I
had a full bowel obstruction. It cleared on it's own but they kept me
for tests. CT scan, small bowel follow through x-rays,
colonoscopy...tested me for intestinal disease. They could not find
anything wrong with me and concluded it must be adhesions as a result of
my ruptured appendix surgery and subsequent infection which I suffered
22 years prior. My surgeon wants to go in with a camera and cut the
adhesions and he is confident it could help. My gastroenterologist says
NO to surgery and I just have to live with it because surgery could make
it worse and says most obstructions should clear up on their own, and if
I am vomiting go to hospital. I am thinking of surgery now beacuse I
can't live with this anymore. I frequently suffer partial blockages (I
know the symptoms) which have caused me to miss work and cause
unimaginable pain. And even if I am not in pain, most nights after
dinner I get very bloated and full of trapped gas, then I wake up with a
flat stomach. It's so embarrassing being that I am a thin woman. My
questions are: 1. Should I get the surgery ? 2. Has anyone else found
the sumptoms of adhesions only got worse after pregnancy ???