Re: Having surgery in Germany was a unique experience for me!!
From: toni welsh (twelsh1@hotmail.com)
Thu Feb 1 08:31:55 2001
At Thu, 1 Feb 2001, niko wrote:
>
>Dear Helen,
>
>Thankyou for sharing your story, I was very interested yet sorrowful at your
>outcome so far. I say so far because, I know you are a fighter. You proved
>that by not stopping at "all in your head" theories.
>
>You have helped most of us on this board, with information and myself
>personally in finding a doctor in another country.
>
>So, I would like to see you find the answers to these questions you asked in
>your letter. You should send a copy of this letter, or an updated personal
>version, to Dr Korrell and maybe this will give you those most needed
>answers.
>
>Ask why the 100% Adhesion free diagnosis was given, yet the pain persisted.
>I know that you have alot of respect for Dr. Korrell, it totally flowed
>through your words. You would not be second guessing his medical expertise
>in any way, but you do have a right to try and find out, how your body is
>working, as best as you can. I'm sure if worded right, like your letter
>describes below, no hard feelings would be felt, other than a doctor
>informing his patient of his findings will evolve.
>
>Please keep us informed of your progress, I know I speak for all of us,
>because we care alot.
>
>Love Trace xo
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Helen Dynda <olddad66@runestone.net>
>To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@forum.obgyn.net>
>Date: Thursday, 1 February 2001 7:34
>Subject: Having surgery in Germany was a unique experience for me!!
>
>>I am now 12 weeks post-op following my surgery. But before I say any more,
>>I think it is important that I first share some information about my
>>particular adhesion problem; because NOT all of us are affected by
>>adhesions in the same way!!!
>>
>>My adhesions resulted from a laparotomy, which I had in 1970. Five days
>>after my surgery, I felt the return of pain! And it took 27 years before
>my
>>chronic pain was actually diagnosed as being caused by adhesions from that
>>1970 surgery!!! Throughout all of those years, I continued to search for a
>>better reason for the cause of my pain than the "it's all in your head"
>kind
>>of diagnosis that I had been labeled with by so many doctors.
>>
>>Finally, in 1996, I joined the Endometriosis Association ( EA ); because
>>that was the only way I could purchase their educational materials. I
>>purchased practically everything that was available; and, as a result, I
>>finally found a clue!! I learned that a diagnostic laparoscopy is the ONLY
>>way that endometriosis can be diagnosed!!! There is NO other diagnostic
>>test for endometriosis!!
>>
>>Through the EA I was given the names of two endometriosis specialists in
>the
>>state of Minnesota. To make this long story short: I finally found a
>>Gynecologist, who suggested a diagnostic laparoscopy; and as a result of
>>this procedure, I was finally diagnosed as having "massive adhesions
>>attaching my omentum to my abdominal wall -- the entire length of my
>>laparotomy incision and four inches across!!!" The resulting adhesions had
>>attached my omentum to my abdominal wall...as if these two surfaces had
>>literally been bonded together !!!
>>
>>The location and extent of the omentum/abdominal wall adhesions presented
>a
>>difficult surgical situation for the surgeon. Did I have any intestinal
>>adhesions? If I did, there was only place in my right lower quadrant that
>>occasionally gave me excruciating pain, when I had to move my bowels; but
>I
>>did not experience any problems with bowel obstructions, constipation, and
>>all of the other intestinal adhesion symptoms I've read about on the
>Message
>>Board. So this was the extent of my adhesion problem.
>>
>>Dr. Matthias Korell performed my adhesiolysis procedure on November 7, 2000
>>at the Klinikum Duisburg at Duisburg, Germany. Since my ovaries were
>>non-functioning, I requested that Dr. Korell remove my ovaries at the same
>>time. Prior to my surgery I had given Dr. Korell permission to apply
>>Intergel adhesion barrier at the conclusion of my surgery -- to help keep
>my
>>omentum separated from my abdominal wall; but he didn't...and I really am
>>not sure why. I realize now that I should have discussed this with him the
>>day before my surgery. Dr. Korell probably had a very good reason for not
>>using Intergel. I have learned that some people react to Intergel by
>>developing inflammation.
>>
>>Dr. Korell performed a second-look laparoscopy on November 14th -- 7 days
>>after my adhesiolysis. As a result of my second-look, Dr. Korell said that
>>NONE of my adhesions had reformed -- that I was 100% adhesion-free. That
>>was great news for me!!
>>
>>I am now 12 weeks post-op; and I would like to be able to say that I am
>>pain-free or that I'm feeling less pain every day -- but I'm not. Instead,
>>I'm experiencing MORE pain than I had before my surgery -- a constant
>>"burning" pain, which radiates throughout my entire lower pelvis and out
>>towards both hips. I continue to take the very same medications as I had
>>taken before my surgery: Amitriptyline 100mgs ... Tegretol 200 mgs ...
>>Monopril 10mgs ( for high blood pressure) ... and thyroid medication.
>>
>>I am beginning to wonder if seven days after the first surgery isn't too
>>soon to do a second-look ... at least for me. I wonder about this because
>>when I had my diagnostic laparoscopy in August 1997, I didn't feel the
>>return of pain until on the 10th day. I don't understand how I could be
>>"100% adhesion-free" following my November 14th second-look -- and still be
>>experiencing pain!!
>>
>>Before I decided to go to Germany to have surgery, I knew there would be
>NO
>>guarantees as to the results of an adhesiolysis procedure. When I chose to
>>have Dr. Matthias Korell as my surgeon, I knew that I had chosen one of the
>>best laparoscopic adhesion specialists in the world. I also had learned as
>>much as I could about adhesion-related disorder ( ARD ); and I was ready
>>to have this surgery -- with the hope that I might be able to become
>>pain-free. But, unfortunately, that didn't happen!
>>
>>I do not blame Dr. Korell for the failure of my adhesiolysis procedure;
>>because I know that each person's body reacts differently to surgery. My
>>adhesions were located in an area that is very difficult to keep
>separated.
>>Maybe, perchance, I'm being a little premature by saying my surgery was not
>>a success. Time will tell, I'm sure.
>>
>>Right now, I am uncertain if I will give surgery another try. If I decide
>>to pursue another adhesiolysis, I would definitely return to Germany. The
>>total cost of having surgery in Germany is much more reasonable than having
>>surgery in the USA -- even though my husband and I had to pay for
>everything
>>ourselves!! Medicare does not pay for out-of-country medical care!!
>>
>>My trip to Germany for surgery was a unique experience!! If I had never
>>taken this chance to go to Duisburg, Germany to have surgery, I would never
>>have had the experience of taking a flight to Europe ... of taking a taxi
>in
>>Germany ... of learning how to use German Deutsche Marks for making
>>purchases ... of shopping in a German grocery store ... of visiting a
>>Muhlheim Craft Fair ... of taking a bus tour of historical Cologne, Germany
>>.. of traveling to Belgium by train ... of being the victim of a pickpocket
>>.. of having to make a police report at the police station at Ghent,
>>Belgium ... of touring a castle at Ghent ... of enjoying a guided tour of
>>the historical places in Bruges, Belgium.
>>
>>I would never have met the wonderful people I met: Dr. Korell and his
>>secretary, Carmen, and others at the Klinikum Duisburg ... and the many
>>friends I met for the very first time: Beverly Doucette from Wisconsin ...
>>Paul Lewis from Florida ... Mary Pomroy from Canada ... Masa and Anne
>>Hayashi from California ... Robin Massengill from New Mexico ... Laura
>>Newman from Maryland ... Jim and Lynne Brown from Northern Ireland ...
>Jon,
>>Sylvie and Sarah Verheyden from Belgium ... and Marc Remijn from the
>>Netherlands. I now have a face for the email address of each of these
>>special friends!!
>>
>>I also had the privilege of meeting Elke Chadwick and being invited to her
>>flat. Elke is a very special person, who certainly qualifies as an
>>ambassador of goodwill for the city of Duisburg, Germany!! Elke went out
>of
>>her
>>way to extend her hand of friendship to all of us, who had surgery at the
>>Klinikum Duisburg. It was a real privilege to meet her as well as many
>>other people ( sorry, I can't remember their names! ) associated with the
>>Klinikum Duisburg -- as well as a some people we met at the Nurse's
>>Residence, where we lived from November 3rd to November 21st. I can truly
>>say that I felt at home in Germany; because the German people went out of
>>their way to help us feel welcome in their country!!
>>
>>I have been totally honest about the results of my surgery; but this was
>MY
>>surgery! So please don't judge the the possible results of a surgery for
>>yourself by the results of MY surgery. It is common knowledge that our
>>bodies do NOT respond in the same way!! What causes a reaction in one
>>person's body, causes NO problems in another person's body.
>>
>>There aren't any surgeons in the world who can guarantee that their
>patients
>>will be adhesion-free following surgery!! But your best chance for a
>>successful adhesiolysis procedure is with one of the following surgeons:
>Dr.
>>Harry Reich, Dr. Jay Redan, and Dr. Matthias Korell. These laparoscopic
>>surgeons are very skilled and very experienced in performing adhesiolysis
>>procedures -- and they are recognized as being the best adhesion
>specialists
>>in the world as a result of the success they have been having.
>>
>>I had my surgery performed by one of the best; but, unfortunately, I was
>>not one of the lucky ones. At least I tried; and that is all a person can
>>do at a time when surgeons cannot guarantee the results of surgery for
>>adhesions.
>>
>>In Friendship,
>>
>>Helen Dynda ( Minnesota )
>>
Helen,
I was sorry to hear about your continued pain, I thought you were
feeling better sine you were adhesion free, you have been s God send to
us, and we all love you. I do not know what we would do without you,
you are a caring person, and I was sure hoping you would come home pain
free.
We love you Helen,
Toni