Hi Michele:
It really does seem what to do with adhesions is a big dilemma and your fate seems to depend on which doctor you happen to meet up with-from the one who insists that adhesions don't cause any pain to the one who won't operate until the last possible moment to the one who can empathize with what you are going through and really tries to help. That's why I posted awhile back on it had to be decided on an "individual" basis. That no blanket statements can be made on adhesions like "more surgery only causes more adhesions to form". I guess you just have to find a doctor you trust. If you're not satisfied, I guess you just have to move on and keep looking. Sounds like you've been through that. I went through 5 doctors (all gyns) before one diagnosed my endometriosis, which he did in 5 minutes. Not all docs treat bowel obstructions the same. Apparently they are not all that clear cut. I work in a hospital and what I see is that they stick a naso-gastric tube down you and wait to see if the obstruction resolves itself, as they sometimes do. They don't always operate and even when they do, its not always right away. I waited 9 months before my gyn would do a lap but the surgeon I saw for the second one was willing to do it right away. I don't think a bowel resection is that big of a deal as far as operations go. They are even doing some laparoscopically now. I never had an actual resection. When my gyn discovered the adhesion that tied my small bowel to the abdominal wall he thought he was going to have to schedule a laparotomy but kept working on it through the scope. I am not in severe pain. For example, I wouldn't bother taking narcotic pain meds for the pain I have because I think the side effects of the pain meds would be worse than the pain itself. I have annoying chronic pain with no diagnosis. The kind that makes you nuts, constantly analyzing what makes it worse, better, where is it located, on and on and on. Ibubrofen (in an adequate dose) works for me. I plan to go back on it as soon as this diagnostic work is over and try to forget about this for awhile. The curious thing is that when my problem first started ibuprofen did not work, leading me to believe that maybe I do have two different problems. However, I may not have been taking enough. I probably should try to do things to tune myself out. If they work for you, great. I tend to obsess over the problem. I do genealogy as a hobby so that helps, but it involves communicating with other people. I think sometimes I expect too much from them probably because I am relying on them for more than genealogy, if you know what I mean. But when I get on to something exciting, it does take my mind off of it. I also got into exercise, but now I have to worry if that is aggravating the joint, if that is the problem!!! I also keep reminding myself that it could be so much worse, although I realize that is very subjective. What's worse for me might be preferable to someone else going through what they're going through. Ugh. It's this waiting game I can't stand most of all. Always waiting for the next appointment to come up and then the results of the tests. Then wondering what next. Do I call and start this all over again? (you know its up to you because they are never going to call you) I had a period of time for about a year and a half after I was treated with Lupron when I had no medical problems at all and it was wonderful.
Chris S.