A failed adhesiolysis motivated me to make a decision to learn as much as I could about adhesions

From: Helen Dynda (olddad66@runestone.net)
Fri May 23 17:20:47 2003


In 1996...I requested all of my medical records and operative & pathology reports from doctors, hospitals and the Mayo Clinic. Have you requested yours? You have a right to do this, you know!

August 1, 1997 I had a diagnostic laparoscopy - and *for the very first time* I learned that massive adhesions were the true cause of the unending pain I had suffered with - as a direct result of a laparotomy I had in 1970. Unfortunately, the pain of adhesions returned on the 10th day.

About 2 months after that surgery, I tried to make an appointment - but I was told by my doctor's office staff that he did not want to see me anymore. I knew Medicare (our medical insurance) had reimbursed him at less than half of his bill - and months later (on the Internet) I learned why. This is a common practice when doctors/surgeons have not been fairly reimbursed. They will find a way to dismiss a patient (in a similar way to how I was dismissed) - so they won't see that patient again - and it works!!

It was in October 1997 that I started doing research on *adhesions*. At first I used the word, *adhesions* as the search word. In 1997 and 1998 there were very few websites about *adhesions* to be found on the Internet. December 1997 my research led me to:

X> Synechion http://members.aol.com/synechion/).

As I read the information at that site, I was drawn to a list of *adhesion barriers*. Adhesion barriers? I had never heard about adhesion barriers - but then I had never heard about adhesions either!! As I read about adhesion barriers, I began to wonder if my surgeon had applied an adhesion barrier at the end of my August 1, 1997 surgery.

I was determined to find out if he had used an adhesion barrier; so I requested a copy of my August 1, 1997 operative report (from Medical Records at the hospital where I had this surgery). When I didn't see *adhesion barrier* in my operative report, I became very angry!! And that's when I made a conscious decision to learn as much as I could about *adhesions*.

It was at the Synechion website that I first saw and responded to the following invitation: "ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING the International Adhesions Society? Are you finding difficulty in obtaining suitable treatment? Do you want to speak with others with a similar condition. Do you want to promote research and awareness into adhesion disorders? We have been approached by a number of similarly suffering patients and concerned physicians and we are in the process of forming the International Adhesions Society."

This is how and when I met Dr. David Wiseman, Ph. D. , who is the Founder of the International Adhesions Society.

[ TO BE CONTINUED ]


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