>----- Original Message -----
From: "Sally Grigg" <LostCst@mcn.org>
To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS"
<adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2003 2:57 PM
Subject: Re: Back From Germany
> Dear Laura, When you say Dr. K do you mean Dr. Kruschinski or Dr.
> Korrel?
> Both of them work in Germany. I'm so happy to hear that you are well.
> For so many years almost every story on this board was about pain,
> death, suffering, depression, etc. To see that people are being helped
> and are clear
> of their suffering is an answer to our prayers. When people say its
> expensive,
> I added up what my previous surgeries cost (every year and sometimes
> more - just to keep me alive) My poor husband and I work and work (we
> have an Inn, so I would lay in bed and take reservations and answer
> questions) and work and thats okay.However,I never got any better.The
> adhesions would be back within a
> week. Not one pain free day. Most experts do not take insurance
> because most policies set limits on what they will pay and my company
> (supposedly one of the best) will only allow $1,500 for an adhesion
> operation even if it takes 6 to 8
> hours which it usually did. Then the doctor has to lower his fee to the
> approved insurance level. None of them will do this of course. I don't
> blame them. At $1,500 they can't even cover their costs. They need to
> cover their expenses and support their families. Anyway, my entire trip
> to Germany cost either about the same or less than my other operations
> (except the first few)
> These first few operations were not done by adhesion experts, but by
> nice doctors who did not know what they were doing. They actually did
> major damage.
> One cut open my bladder (big time) then opened me up to sew it back
> together. He
> had to do that, no choice at that point.He is my new local Gyn. and I
> care about him as a person. He has been very good to me. However, he
> won't operate again and I don't want him to. Even though my insurance
> covered the cost, the
> outcome was not good. Still had the adhesions, the pain, etc. but now
> I had one more worry - my bladder. Thank God it turned out okay and my
> bladder healed up
> fine. Sorry to go on and on. With kindest regards, Sally Grigg
>
> At Sun, 27 Apr 2003, Laura wrote:
> >
> >To all you fellow long term suffers of the SNEAKY MECHANICAL DISORDER
> >called adhesions;
> >I am back from Germany. Dr. K. did my adhsiolysis. I had surgery in
> >the US last Nov, and an OBGYN removed adhesions in my pelvis (from
> >peritonitis) but he saw a mass in the ULQ (upper L quad) and was afraid
> >to deal with it (even tho he had assured me that he could deal with any
> >thing in the ABD cavity.) Those pelvic adhesions apparently did not come
> >back., but DR, K. found a very large mass that included an (old)
> >ruptured spleen wrapped up with small bowel and omentum that stuck to my
> >rid cage for about 6 inches. This mass was pulling the spleen and ribs
> >together. I could not lay down for about 10 years, sleeping sitting up.
> >I could not take a deep breath and had a loud friction rub left lung. I
> >also had all the bowel back up symptoms and assotiated long term
> >complications from that ( most of which appear resolved after this
> >recent surgery).
> >Don't let any one tell you that you are depressed, or that diet exercise
> >etc. will cure you. Most of us have tried all that anyway out of
> >desperation as well as many other things, and just became even more
> >discouraged when that failed to really help. These blind alleys make
> >you doubt yourself. The cruelest thing of all the MANY tests they do
> >here (and waste thousands of dollars doing) is that they can serve to
> >confuse you, but the Docs know that adhesions don't show up on them. If
> >they want to do yet another small bowel series, ask yourself if you have
> >problems with fluid going down as you walk., or do you have problems
> >with solid food going thru, especially after lying down after dinner?
> >Consider all the tests, and nuclear med. and then think of me... I was
> >labeled cardiac and got every possible work up including cardiac cath
> >and was even told I might have to have my pericardium removed. Bullshit.
> >All the while I kept saying I think I have adhesions. As a nurse, I had
> >patients with peritonitis, and alot of them got adhesions. The mistake
> >I made was suffering in silence (only my hu8sband really knew how bad it
> >was). When tests come up neg. you really don't want the Docs to think
> >you are a wimp, or even worse,a hypochondriac,menoppausal,depressed
> >feamale with stomach problems!!
> >Think of adhesions like any other mechanical prorlem, only they can
> >affect many body functions and organs and will not go away by themselves
> >and so they must be dellt with. As a patient, I had sucess with Dr. K.
> >and I highly recommend him and his wonderful nurses. I am wishing a
> >cure for all of you,
> > ALOHA, LAURA GRAY RN
>