Re: HELP ME PLEASE...............Karla's post
From: Helen Dynda (olddad66@runestone.net)
Fri Sep 15 18:48:41 2000
At Fri, 15 Sep 2000, Karla wrote:
Deb,
As far as your disability goes.....put yourself through a job interview.
Ask yourself questions that an employer would ask you. Write your
reasons for not being able to do things down. Be very specific. Don't
just say you have severe pain. Explain your pain. Put it down that you
must lie in a reclining position. How do adhesions affect your life. Do
you take narcotics for pain? Write this all down. If you are on
narcotics you really cannot even drive to work. I don't know what type
of job you have....you have to analyze the work that you did and why you
cannot continue to do it. Write everything down. Then sit down and put
it all together. Bring it to your physician and give it to him. Have
him write a letter using what you have told him, telling the people at
your state agency (for disability) that you cannot work and then have
him go into the reasons why. Once he writes it and gives it to you, if
it isn't good enough....have him do it again. It has to be very
specific. If you are suffering from depression let him say that. We
all are suffering from depression and if that is what it takes to get
disability...oh well. I worked with a friend who actually wrote a
letter for her doctor. She brought it in and he signed it right then
and there. They did, of course copy it onto letterhead, but they didn't
even bother retyping it.
I used to work for Social Security and reviewed claims. I have also
applied for disability two times...successfully. However, it was Bev
that filled me in on the letter from the doctor. She had sat in on a
meeting with an attorney (he had been my attorney the first time I
applied, but this was not when she was involved) and he educated her on
how to apply for disability. The other suggestion I have is..... go to
your library. There you should be able to find books on how to get
disability. I don't know the titles, but I do know they exist. I know
of people that have used them....each one successful. Too often people
will tell the adjudicators they can't work because they have severe
pain. That is very subjective and you need to let them know just what
you mean by severe. If you have any questions let me know.
As far as your surgeries....don't allow yourself to get into that cycle.
It may turn into something that you can't get out of.....like me (read
my story on the quilt if you haven't already) and as you already know
surgeries are your worst enemy given that they only make your adhesions
worse. You need to think about visiting a qualified adhesion
specialist. This may cost you some money, but isn't your life worth it?
Many people will take out loans for a new car, or a new house, but would
never consider it for their life. Dr. Redan and Dr. Reich have
recently opened the adhesion center in Scranton, Pa and they are the
only surgeons that I would consider going to. They use a technique that
is very time consuming and meticulous. I do not really know of anyone
that was disatisfied after they went there. Basically noone has gone
and come back still in pain....or had their pain return at a later date
as might be the case in the reformation of adhesions. Some others are
going to Germany, where Dr. Korell uses intergel when he goes in. He
also does a second look procedure a little more than a week
later...where he goes in and looks for reformed adhesions. As expensive
as this may sound, it can actually be cheaper to go to Germany than to
go to Scranton...depending on what your insurance pays. The trip to
Germany costs approximately $6,000 including your airfare, hospital
costs, Dr. Korell's fees and the cost of your room for the additional
time that you are there. (You would be hospitalized for 5 days, but be
there about two weeks or more)
There is help available. Don't sell yourself short and submit to
surgeries with doctors that only think that they know what they are
doing. Educate yourself about this disease and before you allow them to
cut you open again ask them about the technique that they use.
--Karla
>----- Original Message -----
From: dstevens
To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2000 10:43 AM
Subject: HELP ME PLEASE
HI! My name is Debbie and I have the same concerns as many of you do!
First how does one know when to actually go through another surgerical
procedure and with whom? I had adhesions removed in 1988 and was
painfree until 1998! At that time I had a Labroscopy that removed major
sheaths of adhesions (pictures shown had no view of any organs as the
adhesions were so thick!). Then 2 months later I had a hernia
operation, the doctor used the Sepramesh to patch it. I had some relief
for a couple of weeks, not painfree-just relief, then I had increased
pain! Eventually I had a laproscopy which I had my right ovary removed
and more adhesions removed!! I was put on Lupron therapy as there were
signs of Endometriosis. I was told I could be on Lupron for only 6
months when it was terminated the pain became excrutiating again. Then
this past Nov I had a hysterectomy done, which should have killed the
pain as I was told that my left ovary was completely imbedded in my
pelvic bone!! The doctor did use Interceed to help stop future
adhesions! But unfortunately I had no relief!! Now I have been without a
job for almost a year as the pain has held me from being able to do much
activity, be it sitting, standing, or walking, the only position that I
have relief is in a lounging position with my legs up!! Now my question:
Will I ever be able to rid of this problem and get back to a normal
life?? My pain specialist is considering placing a SynchroMed Infusion
System in my body! The problem I see with this is the knowledge that
I'll be returning for miny surgeries every couple of years to replce the
product when the battery dies!! Currently I am fighting to get
disability and have been worned that it will be a hard fight. They give
me an attitude with the assessment as we know the old school says
adhesions don't cause pain!!!! If one goes through another operation,
which can cause more adhesions, how can it be diagnosed that it's
adhesions causing the pain unless they go operate again to see if that
is causing the pain??? As I see it, I'm getting into a cycle of
operations to see if I still have adhesions and if whatever barrier is
useed actually worked!!
Please help give some confidence or support that if I do have another
operation the pain will subside!!
Thanks
Deb
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