>----- Original Message -----
From: J-M & Deborah Leclerc <dasjejm@home.com>
To: <adhesions@adhesions.org>
Sent: April 26, 2001 12:03 AM
Subject: Reply to me from Real Simple Magazine........
> Hello everyone,
> I wrote an email to "Real Simple" magazine a couple of weeks ago. I have
> included the letter and their reply for you to read. I thought that maybe
> they would do an article if more of us wrote to them. I think it is worth
a
> try. Let me know what you all think.
> Love,
> Deborah ( in Canada )
> dasjejm@home.com
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Letters@timeinc.com>
> To: <dasjejm@home.com>
>
> Sent: April 25, 2001 4:48 PM
> Subject: Your E-Mail to Real Simple
> Dear Deborah,
> Thank you for sending your story suggestion about 'adhesions'. We
appreciate
> that you took the time to write to us to share your ideas. Your comments
> are important to us, and you can be assured that we will keep your e-mail
> in mind for future issues.
> Thanks again,
> The Editors
> Real Simple Magazine
>
> This is the letter that I sent:
>
> This is a "real" issue that is effecting "real" women from all around the
> globe.
> Here you will find women of "substance" and "strength" who are fighting
for
> a life 'free of pain'. We are fighting for our lives, for our families,
and
> for other women who given up or died without their stories being heard. WE
> NEED YOUR HELP to reach women who are suffering alone, in silence.
> I am writing on behalf of thousands of women around the world who suffer
> from ADHESIONS. WE need to be heard. Many women don't even know what
> "adhesions" are, so they suffer in silence because some doctor has told
them
> that their pain isn't real or that the tests didn't show anything so it
must
> be IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) which is just another way of saying "I
> don't know what is wrong with you". Until last January when I found the
> "International Adhesion Society" on the net, I too, suffered alone. My
> problems began when I was 21. I had re-occurring ovarian cysts and
> endometriosis. I was not given a choice when I had a full hysterectomy at
> the age of 24. They told me that I needed this operation in order to live
a
> "normal" life. To date I have had 20 surgical procedures. The last 10 have
> been due to adhesions which formed because of the past surgeries. I suffer
> daily with excessive vomiting, and excruciating pain. All due to ADHESIONS
> that keep coming back and obstructing my bowel and digestive system. I
have
> been on various narcotics for the past 10 years. I am only 34. I beg you
to
> help "us" educate our doctors and reach out to those other women in the
> world who suffer daily in silence. We have heard of women that have taken
or
> tried to take their own lives because they are fighting this disease alone
> and they can't live with their pain anymore.
> Please visit our web-site http://www.adhesions.org. and type in "adhesions" for
> more inf. When at the site click on "The Adhesion Quilt". There you will
> find stories just like mine from men, women, and children of all ages from
> around the world who suffer with this disease.
> A new clinic has opened in PA . I along with my surgeon (who is the head
> surgeon at our hospital) here in Calgary, Alberta, are trying to get down
to
> this clinic to have surgery there and to learn these new procedures that
the
> doctors are using with great success.
> Here is my story from the "Adhesion Quilt"......
> My name is Deborah. I am 34 years old. I am the mother of three children
> ages 16, 14, 12. I live in Alberta, Canada in the foothills of the "Rocky
> Mountains". I love to hike, rock climb, telemark ski, and mountain bike.
I
> studied "Fine Arts" in university and I currently have a studio where I
> design jewellery, sculpture, and paint.
> I have had 20 surgical procedures since the age of 21.
> The last 9 of 10 surgeries were due to bowel obstructions caused by
> adhesions(gallbladder also removed). In '99 I underwent 3 surgeries, the
> last one, for a bowel obstruction, was in Dec. I am now experiencing
signs
> of a (partial) bowel obstruction, severe vomiting, lower abdominal
cramping,
> and minor bloating. The only option presented to me thus far is yet
another
> surgery, something I would, needless to say, like to avoid.
> In Jan 2000 I had to close my retail store/studio, due to poor health.
The
> store
> had been open for only 2 1/2 years.I had saved and invested everything
into
> it. It had been my life dream to have my own business, sharing with my
> clients my own work (pottery, paintings, and one-of-a-kind pieces of
> jewellery)French linens, giftware from all over the world, and antiques.
> We (my husband and I) had worked so hard to make that store a success.
The
> last year was terribly difficult for myself and for my family. I had
> emergency surgery in June, which resulted in an 8 week hospital stay. In
the
> operating
> room I was given an epidermal to be used for pain blocking for after I
woke
> up from the surgery. During this procedure the doctor punctured the
"Dhura",
> which resulted in severe 'spinal' head-aches when I awoke from surgery.
The
> first week in hospital I had to stay in bed and under go a "blood patch"
to
> stop the (spinal?) fluid from leaking. This resulted in having another
> partial obstruction, and having to have NG tubes to stop me from vomiting,
> then another tube to feed me. I left the hospital in late July, only to
> return again to emergency on August 28,'99 (My Wedding Day!!!) with
> incapacitating abdominal pain. I was given a 6 hour pass to get married. A
> couple of days later I had my Gall Bladder removed (another 3 weeks in
> hospital). November came and I was in hospital again with another partial
> bowel obstruction. My surgeon did not think I would be strong enough to
have
> another surgery so soon, so I was in hospital with a NG tube and heavy
> narcotics for 2 weeks. On Dec 07 I returned to hospital. Surgery was
> performed but this time when I woke up my digestive system had stopped
> functioning and my bowel went into severe spasms. I stayed in hospital for
> almost 1 month, and was investigated by several "specialists". One so
called
> GI
> "specialist" thought that I should have an IV put into my neck for 6
months
> to feed me. Another doctor suggested that a psychiatrist see me,..... my
> mental state was now being questioned for.. "it was not possible to have
so
> much pain and require so many surgeries, just for adhesions... it must be
in
> my head".That was the "last straw"...those words almost broke me.
> Some days I feel like I'm going crazy......I can't stand the idea of going
> back to hospital, to be cut open again...I don't want all of those
horrible
> drugs put into my body. I want my life back! I want to be healthy for my
> children, my husband, and for me.
> In September my husband and I want to hike the "West Coast Trail", for our
> "honeymoon" that we missed last year, because of my being sick. I need to
> get strong and healthy for this!
> I am desperately searching for any alternative or advice that may be
> offered. Already, it is some psychological solace to have found this
Society
> and to find out that I am not alone!! Thank you!
> UPDATE: May 3, 2000
> Emergency Laparotomy
> In less than 4 months adhesions returned covering my abdominal wall. All
> loops of bowel twisted, and one loop, in the pelvis, of the small bowel
was
> completely twisted around over 180 degrees.
> I am now 4 weeks post-op. I am in constant pain. The surgeon thinks the
> bowel has twisted again.
> Now what do I do?????
> UPDATE: March 2001
> I underwent my 20th surgical procedure on November 18,2000.
> I am now, and have been since that last procedure, in extreme pain and
> constant discomfort. I have been in contact with DR. Gerhart in PA and I
am
> presently trying to find a way to get to this clinic. I know that I am in
> for a fight with the Health Care system here in Canada.
>
> P.S.
> Please visit these other sites for more inf.
> #1. http://www.generalsurgeryinfo.com
> #2. http://www.adlap.com
> The surgeons at the clinic in Scranton, PA are: DR.Gerhart, DR.Riche, and
> DR. Redan
> There is also a surgeon in Germany by the name of DR.Mathis Korell. He has
> been studing "Adhesion Related Diseases" for the past 15 years and many
> women from all over the world have travelled to him for surgery.
>