my story i am sure is the same as many of you on this message board.
i am new to this site and would like to say hello to you all.....my name
is annemarie, i live in the uk..and am 46 yrs old..
i too have had 22 stomach operations....for adhesions...and perforation
in the bowels...
i too thought after my 5th op that the pain couldn't get any worse....
you and i now know this isn't true....
i had been to many surgeons that say that no more can be done for me,
then i found a programe on tv showing that a fibre called sepra
film....(rather like cling film) could be wrapped around the bowels and
scar tissue, so that they would not be able to adhere together again....
now that seemed to be the perfect solution, to me.
had that done and after a 14 hour operation, sadly it didn't work for
me....
i have started on the fentalyn patches which i should put on every 3
days but i do use every two days ....also have morphine .....
i like most who have this awful problem...have not had a painfree day
for 13 yrs....
when i saw the surgeon that opened me up...to use the sepra film....i
asked why it hadn't worked ........to my amazement, he replied.....one
of those things..i am not a bowel surgeon.(COULD HAVE TOLD ME BEFORE
!!!).....and that he did all the bowel ops that came into my local
hospital......
as i am with a self funding doctors surgery, i have been told that i
cannot go to another hospital to be helped!!!
to think i used to moan about my monthly cramps yrs ago lol
they would be heaven now lol!!!
i have an ileostomy...since aug 1990, they have twice tried to reverse
as the stoma goes back into my stomach.but the adhesions are so locked
together ..that it made it impossible to get near the double loop...that
was left for me to have a reversal......
i try to hide the pain...so my friends .and my family, don't see just
how much pain i am in..but this week it has all become too much for
me....
no one can see the scar tissue outside the body..so do not understand
what people with this complaint..actually go through,
i hate to ask for help...and don't want to be a pain to anyone...so i
keep it to myself....
if it was flu or a short term illness ......i would be okay, telling
people but as thei has continued for over 13 yrs iits not something one
wantsto hear about every day.
i say family i have one sister in the usa.and a neice, that is living
here in london with her family for the next few yrs...
they have there own problems to cope with,without me whinging on about
my adhestions,,,
is there anyone ......out there .....that knows of anyone that could
help me....
???
at 46 yrs old .....and unable to work,i have an 80 yr old body(well
inside ) ....and the pain is aging me...and feel i cannot cope...with
this pain
so if there is anyone reading this email, please contact me .....
many thanks for reading this ....also for me to have a safe place to
open up about this problem.
hopefully they will find something to help this painful illness.
god bless all of you that suffer too .