My name is Tonya and I recieved this e-mail from you. I, too, had my gallbladder taken out. There were adhesions everywhere on my liver, intestines and ovaries. I had been suffering in agonizing pain for two years. Doctor after doctor said the pain was all in my head and two of them even said that I was "drug-seeking". After finally getting pissed off enough at one doctor and telling him where to go, he finally ran some tests on me to only find that my gallbladder was bad, but that didn't explain the pain I had in my bowel area, nor the pain that I had on my ovaries. Once the surgery was scheduled to remove the gallbladder and only then, did they begin to take me seriously. Once inside, they were floored!!! I had pinpointed the adhesions from point a-point b. I could tell them where the pain started and where it ended by pointing on my body. They couldn't understand how I did that. It was easy. It's my body and they thought they knew more about the human body than I did.
To make a very long, agonizing story shorter, I have had 4 surgies to remove the adhesions as the grow and become worse, but now have been tole that even one more surgery could put me over the "edge" and there is nothing I can do. I have been referred to a chronic pain clinic here in Boise, Idaho. I live with pain every single day. I am the mother of one and now have two "future" step kids to raise. I am planning my wedding in pain and thank God for my fiance. He is so caring and understanding. He has even gone to my doctor's appointments with me at times for moral support.
I have read some of your letters and many others today and am feeling a little selfish because my situation seems not as bad as some of yours, but I will be of support to all of you out there that are suffering, because I too, am suffering.
Thank you for speaking out. Until yesterday before I found the adhesion quilt site, I thought that I was the only one out there that had these problems. Then I found the site on the computer and realized that I'm not alone. God Bless all of you. And I wish you the best in finding help.
Tonya Idaho
>From: zoie15@lycos.com (Susan)
>Reply-To: adhesions@adhesions.org
>To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
><adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
>Subject: Re: possible adhesions after cholecystectomy
>Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 06:47:21 -0600
>
>Hi Rita,
>
>You are certainly like a God-send for me. I have felt so alone in all
>of this pain without any diagnosis. Of course I am still not sure about
>the adhesions being my problem BUT it is very possible and that will
>give me something to go by on my next visit to my doc. I am very sorry
>that you have had any problems at all but I would like to hear your
>experiences. Please email me! zoie15 @lyocs.com Thanks!! Susan
>
>At Mon, 16 Dec 2002, Rita Steele wrote:
>
> >
> >YES!!! I had my gall bladder removed 3/22/00. I've been in pain ever
>since. I had surgery 7/29/02 after numerous tests that came back "NORMAL".
>I've been to 15 different Drs. since my first surgery seeking pain relief.
>My last surgery proved I was not nuts (Drs. also prescribed me numerous
>anti-depressants but nothing for pain!), I had adhesions adherring my
>duodenum, pancreas, colon, intestines, etc. to my liver where my gall
>bladder was removed. The surgeon used Seprafilm in four different areas but
>I still have a lot of pain. E-mail me personally if you would like to talk
>one on one. Take care.
> >Rita in AZ
> > Susan <zoie15@lycos.com> wrote:Hello everyone,
> >
> >I am new to the board but like many of you I am sick, frustrated,
> >depressed and in PAIN! I had the lap cholecystectomy 4 years ago. Pain
> >immediately after surgery and every single day since. My surgery did
> >not go well due to adhesions from a previous surgery almost 20 years
> >earlier!! I had an appendectomy at age 11. From my understanding the
> >surgeon had difficulty removing the gallbladder due to the adhesions and
> >my lap surgery took over 3 hours! So now I am still at square one. No
> >diagnosis - only pain. I have been to 3 GI specialists now. Each one
> >performs more than enough tests (including ERCP and PH and motility
> >tests) and NONE of the tests are abnormal. My last visit included that
> >question "have you tried anti-depressants for the pain?". I feel like
> >all of the docs have thought that it was in my head at one point or
> >another. A heating pad sometimes helps - sometimes not. I am not on
> >any pain meds and haven't been. Has anyone had similar symptoms? If so,
> >please contact me. Thanks! Susan
>