I read your posting about having to wait for Dr. Redan to help you. I can understand your frustration. I had to wait at least 3-4 months after an exploratory lap in July last year before Dr. Redan could operate. He told me that there would be risk of losing my bowel and other complications. I just tried to be patient and got all of my business in order. Then I concentrated on preparing mentally for another surgery. I used guided imagery tapes, contacted our local hospital for information on relaxation, etc. I know it's easier said than done since we are usually in a lot of pain while waiting, but it did help me. Good luck and let us know what happens.
Take care,
-- Kathy L.At Sat, 3 Mar 2001, Millie wrote: > >Dear Helen, >You are right. Dr. Redan said something about sometimes it can take up to 3 >months to heal from a TAH. Yes, I had the full length incision. I'm not mad >at Dr. Redan. He was so very nice to email me 3 or 4 times with answers to >my questions. He also was very good about returning my calls, which I >thought was really nice, because so many times your own Dr. doesn't do that. >I guess I'm just afraid of being a "casualty" from the TAH, because of the >symptoms, and the stories of some of the women who weren't so successful >with their surgeries and adhesions. Then I watched my mom suffer 4 long >months from triple bypass surgery complications. >What do you think of going for pain management? Is it worthwhile? >Thanks for your help. >Millie
>>----- Original Message ----- >From: "Helen Dynda" <olddad66@runestone.net> >To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS" ><adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com> >Sent: Friday, March 02, 2001 10:22 PM >Subject: I feel so left out because Dr. Redan said he couldn't help me >now.... > >> Dear Millie, >> >> You said: "I feel so left out because Dr. Redan said he couldn't help me >> now." >> >> Millie, I assume your last surgery was a laparotomy ( open abdominal ). >If >> that is true, then Dr. Redan really cannot do laparoscopic surgery for you >> until your laparotomy incision has thoroughly healed. >> >> Why can't he? Dr. Redan has thousands of hours of experience to know that >a >> laparotomy incision must be thoroughly healed before he can can perform a >> laparoscopic surgery. Your laparotomy incision must be at a specific >stage >> of healing before he can even consider doing laparoscopic surgery for you. >> >> Before a surgeon can actually perform laparoscopic surgery, he must >> insufflate the abdomen with carbon dioxide...a gas that will expand the >> abdominal wall so the surgeon is able to easily view the internal organs >and >> so that he/she will have room within the abdomen to do whatever surgical >> procedure may be necessary. >> >> When carbon dioxide is insufflated into the abdomen, this gas actually >> expands the abdomen...making the abdomen look like that of a woman about >> ready to give birth!! If the scar from your laparotomy incision is not >> healed completely , surgery at this time could be very risky for you. It >is >> for your own protection that Dr. Redan wants you to wait. In the >meantime, >> it would be for your own good, if you could understand that Dr. Redan has >> your best interests at heart. >> >> Instead of dwelling on a "poor me" outlook, while waiting for a future >> appointment with Dr. Redan, use this time to learn as much as you can >about >> adhesions. The distraction of actually learning as much as you can about >> adhesions, will begin to dominate your thoughts; and you will be >surprised >> at how much better you will begin to feel. This is actually a >psychological >> technique...and it really works!! >> >> KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!! >>