To Rita from Jo

From: Jo Eslick (joanne@bombobeach.com)
Thu Aug 22 19:00:13 2002


Hi Rita,

I am not sure if we have met before... I am Joanne Eslick and I live in Australia. I had to write and just let you know that your fighting spirit shone through your post and I can see the familiar pattern of fighting the pain to be normal and fighting to find a way to live with the pain until someone listens and believes that you really are still in pain!!

I have just finished writing a paper that describes my last three surgeries, the first one was April 2001, then April 2002 and the most recent, on August1. I am fortunate to feel pretty good this time, SprayGel is available in Australia and I was amongst the first patients in my state to receive it. I can't believe the difference it made to my recovery and for the first time since February 2000 I woke up after surgery only feeling surgery pain only!! NO ADHESIONS PAIN at all!! It really was the weirdest feeling, and exhilarating and intoxicating too!

I know I struggled to get recognition for my pain after my disastrous hysterectomy in Feb 2000 and it was almost twelve months of a continual track from doctor to doctor until I found someone who cared and actually believed I had pain!! I totally empathise with your frustration!

Don't give in to the pain or your employer or Doctors Rita, keep looking for someone who will believe you are in pain and keep seeking answers and relief.

I started my own web site, which has become the Australian Adhesions Support Group, but all my international ARD friends are more than welcome to visit and become members. I have a section called "How to Cope" were I have listed and described various alternative methods to help control pain in association with pain medication, or if you haven't been able to get any.... then at least you can try these suggestions!! I also encourage fellow ARD sufferers to contribute their ideas and ways of dealing with pain, because I think we can all learn so much from each other.

There is comfort in knowing there are other people’ suffering as we do isn’t there? I can remember the first time I stumbled across this message board. I cried for hours as I read the messages on the board and the stories on the adhesions quilt. There was a sense of release and comfort knowing that I wasn't a freak, what I was suffering was a very real and painful illness and it WASN'T ALL IN MY HEAD!!

If you would like to read my story, please visit http://www.bombobeach.com and over this weekend my Webmaster and I will be adding a new section that will include my story about my last three surgeries and the results from my latest surgery using the SprayGel barrier.

I am thrilled with my future outlook and now I have more time and energy to devote to helping fellow sufferers find their own peace and treatment. On Wednesday nights from 8pm to 10pm US Eastern Standard time, we meet in the chat room on bombo.... this week there were up to nine of us I think, and the transcript of that chat can be found on the bottom of the chat page in the archive section. Perhaps you might like to join us some time, it is an open invitation for anyone who reads this very long post! LOL

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers Rita and watch for your future posts here and perhaps on bombo's message board too...

--
Love and gentle hugs,
Joanne Eslick
Founder Australian Adhesions Support Group
http://www.bombobeach.com
NSW Australian Co-ordinator of
International Adhesions Society
http://www.adhesions.org

--
I am not a medical person, and all my messages are based
on personal experience.  I am a fellow adhesions sufferer
reaching out to help others.

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