Nice to meet you all
From: Mandii (minimandii@hotmail.com)
Thu Jun 28 10:56:02 2001
Hi, I recently had the pleasure of accidently coming across this message
board whilst doing a casual web search on adhesions. And boy am I glad
I did!
My husband and I sat glued to the monitor, tears in the corners of my
eyes and a kind of relief filling me.
I guess all of us with adhesions go through it, but I felt so alone in
my pain.
Reading people telling of their pain, so similar to my own and hearing
of others frustration and anguish has made me feel like I am not alone
in this, there are many of us all fighting with the same demon.
I rang my best friend and almost shouted into the phone that I had found
the most amazing site. That I had read stories saying almost the exact
same thing I had been feeling for so long.
Sorry to sound so mushy, I realise none of you really know me at all but
this is the first glimmer of light I have had in my dark world for a
long time.
All of a sudden here in front of me are a group of strong battlers who
would know exactly how I am feeling without me seeking for words to try
and explain it.
I guess I should give you all a quick run down on who I am and why I am
here.
My name is Amanda, I am a 27 year old female. I live in Brisbane,
Australia and am married to a terrific guy named Frank.
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis when I was 6 years old and when
I was 9 I had my large intestine surgically removed, followed by a
number of other surgeries. A number of years later when I was 21 I had
a hysterectomy (leaving both ovaries). Two years ago I started get a
large amount of pain in the right side of my abdomen, ultrasound showed
a growing cyst, I was taken to surgery days later to have it removed.
They found out it was to be no simple ovary removal. They discovered
the cause of my pain was not only a cyst but a large quantity of
adhesions. They removed the ovary, closed up and then I went home.
Months later I got that same pain on my left side. Another cyst on the
left ovary. Although the cyst was only small they could not figure out
why I was getting so much pain, surgery a number of days later explained
why... adhesions. It took them many hours in surgery to remove the
ovary as it was bound by adhesions to my bladder wall and end of my
small intestine.Both ovary removals resulted in a large incision having
to be made, to get around the adhesions to the source of the problem.
The surgeon actually apologised to myself and Frank for leaving the
surgery for days like he did. He said that he had no idea about the
severity of adhesions inside of me and was stunned by the pain I had
shakily dealt with.
Two months after surgery was when the pain really kicked in. It came
and went and I lived with it..with the help of codeine (which I can't
take anymore as it makes me sick). About a year ago it got worse and
hasn't settled since, it just gets worse, never better. Some days I
find it a real chore to get out of bed. I walk down the hallway to the
study and by the time I get there my abdomen is distended and hard as a
rock. Pain shoots across my back, in my abdomen and down to my groin
area. The pain when I pee, well I am sure you can imagine and god help
me if I move the wrong way.
I am very lucky to have an understanding doctor who supports me and
helps me in anyway he can. He has me on methodone at the moment. But I
am going to see him tomorrow morning as the methodone is no longer
getting on top of the pain for me. Sometimes it dulls it but within an
hour or two it is back, full blown.
I am also really lucky to have a supportive husband and a group of
online friends, a gaming group called CoFR made up of 500+ members.
Anyway I hope I haven't bored you all to death with my story. I
apologise for it being so long but I wanted to share with you all who I
am and how I have come to be here and also my thoughts on what an
amazing group of people you all come across as :) You all have so much
pain and yet the support you offer each other, the smiles and happy
cameraderie is truely a wonderful thing to see.
Best Wishes and Keep Smiling, Mandii