Need advice, (kidney surgery and/or pain management)

From: I and J (ipnewwave@aol.com)
Mon Mar 31 18:10:52 2003

Hi: Hi, my name is Irene and am a fellow adhesion sufferer. My husband has been researching and going out of his mind regarding my suffering. He found this website, and probably has read every single persons story. My constant pain has not allowed me to be fortunate enough to be able to read everything. I have read a few and it helps to know that there are other people out there with similiar problems and I wish I had a magic cure for all of you. I had two C-Sections in 1978 + 1982- Two years later I started with right abdominal pain (under my ribcage). It mimiced Gall Bladder pain. All tests were negative, for 5 years we went from doctor to doctor and what seems like millions of tests-- everything was negative. Finally, in 1986 I found a surgeon who was willing to perform an exploratory. He removed a benign tumor off of my liver and felt that was the cause of the pain. Approximately, 2 months after the surgery my pain was back (at first I did not want to tell anyone). Of course that didn't last too long, In 1994, a surgeon proceeded to remove my gallbladder through laposcopic and had to abandon it and perform open surgery due to extensive scar tissue. In one hospital an ERCP was performed and I wound up with Pancreatitis- the doctor then shut my pancreas down for approximately 5 months (meanwhile- the pain was still there and getting worse). The doctor could not get into my bile ducts, another doctor sent us to Racine, WI to see DR. Geenen (the doctor who founded the ERCP procedure). He was able to get into the bile ducts after a very lenghty test,he stated that he stretched the ducts and said I must suffer from spastic colon. (yeah right). In 1994, a surgeon proceeded to remove my gallbladder through laposcopic and had to abandon it and perform open surgery due to extensive scar tissue.

In 1999 the pain returned- even stronger same place plus severe pain in my right flank area. ( I do have a double ureter on my right side and had considerable UTI infections). Again, we went from doctor to doctor and test after test. With of course negative results. In 2001, I started having trouble digesting food on top of the pain. Two friends of the family in PA who happen to be physicians (one a gyno and the other a surgeon) along with a urologist performed an open surgery to remove extensive scar tissue from my bowels, hepatic area, small intestines, ureters, and the surgeon stated he had to rip my kidney off of my rib cage. I was pain free for a year in a half. Guess what???? Yep, the pain has returned but only in my right flank area. We started doctors again, hospital stays and tests. The pain is life altering. I had to stop working and basically live on pain medication, which is hard and embarrassing to ask for. We went back to our doctor friends in PA- who sent us to other doctors. Today I was told that the adhesions could possibly be on my kidney and liver (probably fused together) and the surgery would be very delicate and difficult.Because of this fragile area surgery in this area sometimes are fatal.We're not sure if the doctor really wants to get in there.He stated that he would have to open me and could not do laporscopic surgery in this area and that we would do surgery as a last resort. The surgeon would prefer if I try pain management. I just want it fixed, we do not want pain management that would entail all kinds of medication for the rest of my life. Has pain management worked for anybody who suffers from adhesions?? Also, has anyone had surgery on their kidney area? Is the area really too dangerous to operate on??The doctor also stated that there is a small portion of bowel behind this area of the liver. My husband and I would appreciate any input regarding surgery on the kidney and if pain management works and what does it entail.My husband will probably be sitting by this computer all night to see if anybody can direct us in the next step. Also if possible if anyone has had a similiar problem like this and had Dr. Riech perform his way of operating and technique was the procedure successful?

Thank you and we wish you a pain-free night! Irene and Hubby

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