At Thu, 12 Jul 2001, Sally Grigg wrote:
>
>Well, It's time, if you're ready, to hear about my surgery. My husband
>and I drove to San Francisco and stayed with friends (an excellent way
>to quiet nerves), then flew to Albany, N.Y. and my mother picked us up
>and we went to her house (mini-family re-union). Early the next morning
>we drove to Scranton and checked into the Clarion, which is nicely
>done with two queen beds and microwaves, refrig. coffee pots, hair
>dryers, T.V. etc. None of which mattered as I was about to do the
>dreaded "bowel prep" I called Deborah LeClerc, just down the hall, but
>she wasn't up to a visit. If I understand this correctly, she had just
>had tons of adhesions removed from her intestines and was feeling "under
>the weather" to put it mildly. Evidently the adhesions had been on her
>intestines too long. She needs all of our prayers and more.
>
>I also didn't really feel like smiling. Anyway we'll skip the prep
>details (aren't I nice?). The next morning we arrived at the hospital
>just down the road. Scranton is nice and small and easy to navigate the
>streets although the directions provided were nice. I was feeling blue
>because I hadn't met anyone yet from the doctor's office. The nurse
>couldn't get the I.V. in. No surprise. That was the only spectacularly
>colorful bruise I had. Anyway, after they put it where I told them it
>works, that was fine. We finally met Dr. Reich and Dr. Redan. I wanted
>to make sure they had rested and eaten and was willing to wait for them
>to do these things, even though it was mid-afternoon by this point. They
>had already worked so hard that day. I wanted fresh minds and hands.
>Dr. Reich made me feel like he would never let anything happen to me
>while I was under his care. The strength of his personality combined
>with his absolutely astounding amount of knowledge about adhesions went
>a long way towards stopping my terror.
>
>They explained the whole procedure, a little hole in my belly button to
>join the others and then they expand the abdominal cavity and look
>around. They then put three little holes, two on one side and one on
>the other. I was "out" of course. They then spent three hours cutting a
>huge column of adhesions that went from my old pelvic "bikini cut" to
>my liver and intestions. My liver was also attached to my diaphragm.
>The adhesions had just started to wind around my intestines. It reminded
>me of a weed we have in the garden. They also found a few odd adhesions
>here and there. The column was the most spectacular. I have pictures,
>but the intestinal one was the most dangerous. According to the doctors
>"It was as good as it gets" meaning it went very well, I guess. They
>could find the beginning and the end of everything( which I hadn't
>realized is sometimes very difficult. They were also able to cut them
>all away without damaging my organs, which are healthy. Praise the Lord.
>
>Anyway, I stayed one night at the hospital where I had a morphine drip,
>no tylenol for this girl. Anyway, its bad for your liver. The staff
>there is very friendly and nice and make you feel at home and like they
>care. The next day I went back to the hotel (which has no windows that
>open, so its all re-cycled air) and the next day, my mother, husband and
>I drove to Albany where we had a family reunion in one day. Lots of
>hugging and kissing.
>
>Then I boarded a plane for 3000 miles of agony, flying through a
>visually spectacularly beautiful electrical storm which bounced my poor,
>sore insides around. We them drove home over the worse roads in the
>world. I used to think they were nicely paved and civilized, but no
>more. They're demons- out to get my boo-boos. Anyway, We're home, I
>hurt, I'm Glad I did it, I haven't got the bill yet (though we paid
>$5,000 upfront) and I'd do it again. I think Dr. Reich and Dr. Redan
>know how to operate on adhesions and are probably two of a VERY SMALL
>group of doctors who do know what they are doing. I thank them from the
>bottom of my heart and would recommend them.
>
>Love to everybody and as I get more energy back, I'll start e-mailing
>you personally. If you want a phone call you need to give me your
>number and I'll call you. I couldn' t have done it without my friends on
>the board. You've given me faith again in the human spirit and the will
>to live. Thank you all so very, very much. Sally Grigg 707-964-6725
-- Lisa