Dear Millie - Luckily I have not had a bowel obstruction, but many of the others here had and still do. Alot of doctors do not want to do surgery for partial obstructions because of the risks involved. They try to wait until it is a complete obstruction, sucks doesn't it?! I believe that the PA doctors will do surgery before then. I live in Tennessee so I am not close to them. What they do is read your medical records and then let you know if they think they can help you. I was told by Dr. Gerhart that a third of the patients they do surgery on gets near total relief, a third feel 50% or greater better, and a third get hardly no noticeable relief. He said that the way they keep their statistics so high is that they only do surgery on those that they really believe that they can help. It would definitely be worth getting all your records together and sending them to them to see what they think. You can e-mail
Dr. Redan at jarlap@epix.net and tell him about what's going on with
you. I had a total abdominal hysterectomy in November 1997 because I was
told that it was the only way I could rid myself of pain. Well, bulls###!!! I have had surgery 5 times since then for pain caused by adhesions. I met a Dr. today that hypnotizes people that are in chronic pain and have tried everything. We "interviewed each other" and both agreed to try it Friday. He said that it will be a year long process. He has wonderful credentials and has even been on Oprah for helping an anorexic lady. I am skeptical, but hold out an ounce of hope. I have tried surgeries, tons of different types of drugs, pain blocks, spinal blocks,GI doctors and acupuncture only to be out of work because of they pain that I am in. Even when I take the pain medicine it only dulls the pain and alters my mind to the point that I still can't function. I pray that this will work for myself and my families' sake. I hope that you find the answers that you are needing. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you. And tell your doctor that laughed you of that I said he is a cold hearted, insensitive, ignorant @#!!#@++**!!!!! I am sure that everyone else in this group agrees with me haha. There are doctors out there that know about adhesions and know how bad the pain is. Hang in there and remember that I am here for you!! Teresa