I am not 100% convinced that adhesions are to blame for my abdominal pain, because I did have related pain before I had surgery that was (I assume) related to my umbilical hernia.
Although if you think about it, I think a hernia can probably cause very similar symptoms. The hernia binds a loop of intestine much in the same way that an adhesion can.With each of my surgeries I've had several hernias removed. So I don't know if they were causing some of my pain or if it were all the adhesions fault.
After feeling this pain and working on the problem of what the pain is, and what causes it, for many years, I think the most likely scenario is that the "episodes" of pain are in fact intestinal spasms, but those spasms are in response to being aggravated by a mechanical pulling either from a hernia, adhesions, or both.
My two questions:
1) Is your pain more or less constant, or does it come on acutely and then go away after a period of time?For me the pain is 24/7. Sometimes the pain worsens, but it never goes away. Of course I just had surgery, so I'm having dull pain and not the pain I had prior to the surgery. Thank God for that! ") I pray the devil pain doesn't return. The last time I had surgery I was pain free, totally pain free for almost 2 months. What a wonderful 2 months those were!
2) Have you had any relief with the smooth muscle relaxing drugs like Levsin or Levsinex? If the adhesions are causing spasms of the intestine, this might be a way to manage the disease. At one time I used to take Levsinex when I felt "funny" feelings in my abdomen - which I usualldy did before the pain came on fullblown - and it did seem to work.I did try a muscle relaxing pill. It was quite a long time ago sorry I forgot the name of it. The muscle relaxer didn't do anything for me at all.
Ok, I have three questions: :)
3) Does the location of the pain, in your abdomen, the "center of your being," cause you much more emotional distress, than say, if you had a diseased limb? To me, there is something much more emotionally disturbing about having pain in my abdomen than anywhere else on my body. Hard to describe but I suspect some of you know what I am talking about.I know exactly what you mean about this question. I really hate having my abdomen hurt with devil pain. I could cut my finger and I can deal with that so much better than I can with pain in the abdomen. Like having the flu - I'd rather get a paper cut than have the flu and spilling all my dinner out if you know what I mean.
Get well soon to all who need it...
Oh, and one more quick point: Doctors ignore men with these "mysterious" abdominal problems too! They are not just ignoring you because you are a woman, it's at least as much that they don't understand the pain, so they think you must be inventing it.Thanks Bob, I needed to know that. My husband doesn't go to the doctors often so I can't ask him. And when I read your comments, it answered my question on how men are treated by a doctor. Why does this happen to both of the sexes? Why do doctors do this when they have no clue what's going on? Maybe one day that question will be answered. I pray for pain free days for you Bob, and I pray for an answer for you. ") Hugs and love, ~Chrissie xo's
Thanks, Bob