ahesions vs endometriosis
From: Cecilia (cecilia@ftbproductions.com)
Mon Dec 8 19:37:39 2003
Hi. I am new to the board. I will try and make this short, but you
know how it is. The question is at the bottom of the page if you want
to skip my history.
I have been having health problems for years. A number of surgeries in
my early 20s for a stubborn ventral hernia and had my gall bladder
removed. (I am 33 now) I have had a history of bladder and bowel
problems (all the test come back negative though) and horrible periods.
About 7 years ago I started having a heavy, pinching, tearing pain in my
low right abdomen. After the doctors couldn't find anything else wrong,
they took my appendix out 6 years ago, but it only helped the pain a
little bit. I guess that my appendix was actually a solid ball of scar
tissue. I went o my doctors for a year after that complaining about the
pain. Finally they said it is probably just adhesions (JUST adhesions)
and I was going to have to learn to ignore it. So I started doing yoga,
which really helped and I just ignored the constant pain. My periods
would hurt extra bad on that side.
About a year ago I started having more severe pain in my lower right
side (like it felt like ovulation pain that went on for 6 weeks) the
pain went my side and under my rib cage and around to my back. Sometimes
it would go down my hip and leg. I also started having constant
diarrhea and was constantly fatigued. I went o the doctor and they did
an ultrasound that showed some fluid filled mass right were the
epicenter of my pain is. They did a CAT scan the next day and found
nothing. A couple months went by and I lost weight and my part time job
and I went back to the doctor. I went to a GI and he did a bunch of
test. A colonoscopy to rule out Chrones (which he really thought I had)
or any other inflammatory bowel disease. He said I had IBS (like who
doesn’t) and sent me home with fiber pills (which do help). I went back
a couple of months later because the pain in my side and upper abdomen
was still really bugging me. He ordered an MRI and found that I still
had some stones in my main bile duct left over from my gall bladder
surgery 13 years ago. I had surgery a couple of months ago to remove
them (the surgery was done through an endoscope tube) and now I can eat
and seldom have any diarrhea. I am happy that he found that (A good DR,
makes ALL the difference in the world). But I am still having all the
pain. My Gynecologist and my GI think I should have a diagnostic Lap to
look for endo of adhesions and lyses them off. They think it may be
endo because I had the CA125 test and it can back slightly elevated
(49). Also I have pain after sex for a day or two. Mostly the pain is
just constant and nagging, then every once and a while I will get this
pinching pain in the same spot (about 1 inch right of my belly button)
that will hurt for hours if I breath in or out to deep and will make me
dizzy.
I am having all kinds of money problems because of medical bills. I
have med insurance but I have a $4000 deductible, so if I am going to
have a lap I should do it before the end of 2003. Also I deal very
poorly with surgery. My last outpatient surgery, I had a reaction to
the Demoral and vomited about every 15 minutes to 30 hours.
Here is my questions (thanks for being patient):
1) How are the symptoms different between adhesions and endo?
2) Has any of you had success with surgery for either ( I keep hearing
stories about women only feeling better for a couple of months after
surgery)
Any advice, ideas would be so appreciated!
Thank you
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