Jill, or do you prefer Julie? I really do understand your frustration
about not really knowing what to do and when you are ill it's hard to
deal with making decisions. At one point when I was having symptoms of
a partial bowel obstruction I was sent for the usual tests. I believe
it was the upper GI series and a follow through, anyway it was the one
where you drink the white chalky liquid and they monitor its
progression. Well, I was there all day, and never did expell it and
they let me go home! Long story short, I ended up having surgery for
lysis of adhesions that were strangling my intestines. After a couple
days I was discharged and soon after became violently ill. Back to the
hospital for acute bowel obstruction. They inserted the NG tube and I
received IV fluids for dehydration. It resolved itself after a few
days. I guess I have had such terrible experiences with obstructions I
don't want anyone to go through it. Has your physician ordered an
abdominal x-ray? An experienced physician can determine from the film
whether there is an actual obstruction or whether the bowel function is
a little slow(ileus). When I would start getting crampy and nauseated,
I would stop eating and take medication for nausea. The problem
remains, surgery is controlled tissue injury and within the abdomen scar
tissue begins to seal over within hours of the tissue trauma. As the
repairing process continues with time, the adhesions(scar tissue) become
more fibrous and very dense and strong. Adhesion problems can be
incapacitating, causing continued pain, cramping and bowel disturbance.
My personal experience stared with a ruptured tubal pregnancy and
exploratory laparotomy. From that point on I had surgery after surgery
and the adhesions got worse and worse. I even had my surgeon try
Seprafilm. I learned the hard way that finding the right doctor/surgeon
is critical. I found the best laproscopic surgeons who specialized in
adhesion removal techniques. I felt this was my best chance to try to
beat this horrible cycle that my life had become. I have done some
research into why some people scar so badly. In the majority of the
population scar tissue when damaged will stabilize within four to eight
weeks. In some patients who suffer from mixed connective tissue
disorders such as Fibromyalgia, Epstein-Barr, etc., the scar response is
amplified. I am so sorry to ramble, I just get so upset that so many
suffer and there seems to be no easy way out. Let me know how you are
feeling. Sherry