Re: CAT Scans

From: Karla (ifirgit@new.rr.com)
Mon Jun 11 22:28:00 2001


Rose,

You are right. That is about the only way there is of telling if you have adhesions. In my case they did detect them on a ct scan....only because they were so severely inflamed it was like a softball or bigger size mass.

Millie, I really do understand your fears....but for it to get to the point where you need a colostomy is so unlikely...you are worrying yourself needlessly. I have had blockages...blockages that went for more than a week undetected and I don't have a colostomy and I never did. It wasn't even an issue. I do have a ureostomy because the surgeons were to ignorant to realize that my bladder problems were all a result of the adhesions. Now I have no bladder and am in serious trouble. I have been told that I need two more surgeries just to attempt to repair my abdominal wall (I have no rectus muscle in the wall due to the multiple surgeries and therefore I suffer from continuous multiple hernias....another cause of blockages). They want to try to put in skin expanders in my upper abdomen...below the breastbone. This will be done in one procedure and I will have to live in Chicago for six weeks. Once things have progressed satisfactorily I will have to have the second procedure where they will do a urinary revision to take care of the urine blockages that are causing all of my infections and sepsis. With this procedure I will have to live in Chicago for six months. There is hope with this procedure even though it is very drastic....yes there is hope. However, I have been told by multiple physicians that this surgery...one surgery...will kill me...and I have to go thru two. When I went into kidney failure last month I was told that the infections were going to kill me...that they would not be able to reverse the kidney failure. I don't know when, it could be the next one....it might be two years down the road. I have a very big decision to make...I think I have already made that decision. I don't want to die not knowing ahead of time that I am going to die. I want to be able to say goodbye to my family and friends. If I have the surgery chances are if I am going to die it will be while I am asleep...and I won't have had that opportunity. It is not a decision that I am going to make easily. I am still going to go down to Chicago to meet with the surgeons....asking them all the questions I need to ask so that I might make the most informed decision. Even with all of this I have HOPE!

Sweetheart, The doctors are not going to let you suffer with a blockage. You cannot go on and on with a blockage....eventually you die. It is possible that you suffer from partial obstructions...which I have all the time. Yes, they are extremely painful. But there are particular symptoms for a blockage....I know when I have one. I am not trying to be critical. I just want you to be at ease with the fact that you probably don't have an obstruction....at least not a total obstruction. Even partial obstructions show up on xrays or ct scans. As it is you have a very serious disease with ARD...don't bring any more upon yourself worrying about obstructions. You have to have hope and faith.

Love Karla

>----- Original Message -----
From: "Rose Lunn" <rose.lunn@eds.com> To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS" <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2001 1:41 PM Subject: Re: CAT Scans

> Well, Millie,
>
> I had X-rays, sonogram and CT scan of abdomen and pelvis. None of them
> showed the adhesions! I know they can show bowel obstructions and gall
> stones and things like that.
>
> After the above scans showed nothing, I had a colonoscopy to make sure
> there was nothing new going on in my bowel and colon. Nadda!
>
> Only after all these tests were done was my primary care doctor
> comfortable with me talking to my gyn about doing the laparoscopy for
> possible adhesions.
>
> I don't know of any test that will show the adhesions except actually
> going in and looking. The colonoscopy can give you good info on
> diverticular disease. I have had diverticulitis before and that is the
> test they did to confirm it.
>
> If I hadn't had to push the doctor for every test and then having her
> dragging them out so long in between, maybe I wouldn't be so frustrated
> with her now. Oh, well, live and learn!
>
> xoox,
>
> kcmo rose
>


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