Re: Bad Days again-Ruth

From: Christine M. Smith (smithy@maine.rr.com)
Mon Jun 21 10:27:42 1999


At Mon, 21 Jun 1999, Ruth wrote: >
>At Sun, 20 Jun 1999, Christine M. Smith wrote:
>
>>Hi Ruth:
>
>>Welcome! Do you think any of your symptoms are because of what adhesions
>
>>are doing to your sigmoid colon? I realize it may be hard to
>
>>differentiate what part of the pain is coming from what part of your
>
>>pelvis but the reason I ask is because this is my specific problem.
>
>Chris
>
>I'm sure adhesions is what's causing my pain. I have had this pain so
>much and it is different then other pains. I got scared when the
>surgeon did a sigmoidoscopy and stopped it because he couldn't get
>through because of what he termed a 'very significant mass' in my colon.
>So I had to have a barium enema and a CatScan. The BE showed I have
>diverticulosis. Diverticulosis will not cause 24 hour pain 7 days a
>week. An attack of diverticulitis (which I believe I have had several
>that Dr's passed off as stomach flu) is totally different. (Even more
>painful) The CT showed my sigmoid kinked (at the spot we the surgeon
>thought I had the mass), looped and they think the smalle bowel is
>wrapped around it. I didn't get the full CT because I had an allergic
>reaction the the contrast solution I drank the night before. So I only
>had 1/2 of one dose in me for the CT. I was supposed to drink the full
>contrast the night before for the large bowel, then drink some more in
>the morning for the small bowel and have an IV for the other organs in
>the pelvis. But what little I did have showed the kinks, loops and
>displacement. My surgeon of course said there is no guarantee surgery
>will do any good (he believes that is what is causing the pain) or that
>the adhesions won't come back but right now I'm willing to do the
>surgery because I'm back to the point where it is hard to function day
>to day. My kids deserve a mother who isn't grouchy all the time. The
>surgery usually gives me 4-5 months pain free, then I fell it starting
>to come back. Then it hits a point (where I'm at now) where I just
>can't tolerate it anymore.
>
>--
>Ruth
>

Hi Ruth:

I found your post very interesting and have made a mental note to bring up this possibility when I see my pcp next. This is why I went to the colo-rectal surgeon because he knows colons inside and out (I would think) so naturally was disappointed when he didn't suggest any kind of contrast studies. In fact, he thought it could very well be due to a joint/bone disorder! I asked him "Don't you think my sigmoid colon pulled over and stuck to the right wall, plus folded back onto itself and looped down into the pelvis could be causing my pain (assuming of course that it went to the way if was. They were supposed to have fixed this during the 2nd lap)" His asnwer was "No, I really don't think so. I have seen colons that look like they are tied in knots." During my colonoscopy apparently it was very painful so they gave me more meds. I don't remember a thing about it. I asked the colo-rectal surgeon could it have been painful because it went the opposite direction than the doctor doing the colonoscopy would have expected and shouldn't he have noticed that?" He didn't really answer the part about that's why it was more painful (it was going the wrong way) but he did say the doc doing the colonosocpy might have gotten the general impression that the colonoscopy was hard to pass but not sure why. Well, my question is then why didn't he make note of that and not write it off as "completely normal." This is when the colo-rectal guy said about seeing colons in knots and that wasn't necessarily a cause for pain, or even "abnormal." It was 2 months after the colonoscopy that I had the first lap. I will definitely bring this up with my pcp next tiem I see him!!! I can't tell from your post if you've already had this problem with your sigmoid colon fixed and the adhesions came back and did it to it again. Can you fill us in with the chronological order of events? Thanks

Chris

Chris


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