Re: Question from an old visitor
From: toni welsh (twelsh1@hotmail.com)
Sat Feb 17 19:44:43 2001
At Fri, 16 Feb 2001, Merri Ellen wrote:
>
>Hello to all and hello to Helen!
>You probably don't remember me as I have not posted here for quite a
>while. I found this board in 1999 when I had what I thought was an
>adhesion flare-up, as I call it.
>
>You encouraged me to pursue all avenues of diagnosis and I did. (Very
>grateful for your encouragement to pursue that)I wanted to label it an
>adhesion problem, get a surgeon to go in/stop the current pain, and then
>move on. Well...1999 I was given a diagnosis of Fibromayalgia in
>addition to my adhesion problem. Treatment for that squelched many of
>the symptoms that had plagued me for years. Then in 2000 I started to
>feel a variety of symptoms that included pain but did not feel like the
>adhesion variety. Anyone who suffers that pain knows that it is very
>specific and you are not likely to mistake it for a tummy ache or a
>tooth ache! Flu hit in December 2000 and I never recovered from it.
>January 2001 my primary dr. decided to run a Hepatitis panel and
>discovered my problem: Hepatitis C. During my adhesion lysis, total
>hysterectomy, gallbladder surgeries I was given blood transfusions that
>probably exposed me to the virus. The blood was not properly screened
>until 1992.
>
>I am returning to this board to see if there have been any improvements
>in the adhesion lysis technique as I will have to have a biopsy of my
>liver. The last surgery revealed that my adhesions had wound around my
>bowel and had "secured" themselves to my spleen and liver. Although
>they were removed in 1987 I am fearful of the progress they might have
>made since that time. Although my vow at the time of the last surgery
>was: "NO more surgery...I would rather die!, the condition of my liver
>may cause me to rethink that position.
>
>My prayers are with each of you...I can empathize with your pain.
>Helen...my biggest thanks go to you for your encouragement to me. It is
>a dangerous thing to self-diagnose, just because we have had this pain
>so many times. I was basically demanding for them to listen to MY
>diagnosis and DO something for me. If I had not followed through I
>could have put myself in more danger than I am right now. Listening to
>my dr., putting up with testing that made no sense to me, being
>pro-active in my healthcare decisions and accepting the fact that I may
>have OTHER health problems besides adhesions...may just have saved my
>life.
>
>--
>Warm Regard,
>Merri Ellen
>
Hi Merri Ellen,
I sort of remember you, I have been on this forum since the year it was
found, I do not know if you remember me. My story is on the quilt. My
sister just had a hyterectomy, 2 weeks ago, and she was diagnosed after
a biopsy with hepititis C , she had blood transfusions many years ago,
she also has crohns disease. The drs have not really saod what you do
for this. Have you been diagnosed with it too?
When they went in to do her surgery, the gyn and general surgeon did
what they had to do, she also has a colostomy. She has recovered very
well from all the hysterectomy, and it was done laparotomy, like mine
was a very large incision.
I have been having my troubles, I saw my gyn on thursday, and he thinks
still that my situation warrants one more try, and he let me know he
would go in with a general surgeon. I feel better about it. I hope you
are all okay, and I have to get caught up as we just bought this
computer today. I will talk to you all later.
Take care of yourself,
Toni