Re: At the end of my rope

From: jennifer (jl487@nycap.rr.com)
Sun Jan 30 15:05:04 2005


Hi Chrissy,

I haven't posted on this board in quite a while but wanted to repsond to you because I can relate to what you are going through. Although my mom's problems don't seem as severe or painful as your, your situations are similar. My mom was 46 yrs old and relatively healthy when she started having abdominal pain back in 2001. After several tests, she was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst (she had already had a hysterectomy 10 yrs before but one ovary was left). She had surgery to remove the cyst. To this day, we still don't know exactly what happened in the OR but the ob/gyn said that she was filled with adhesions.

He removed the cyst and she was discharged from the hospital a couple of days later only to be readmitted a couple of days later. A week and a half after her first surgery, she developed a small bowel obstruction & required a second surgery. She was very sick for months afterward and the doctors kept shuffling us around and telling us that they weren't sure why she was still sick. She lost 60 lbs and was vomiting popsicles.

After seeing several doctors and having tests done, she was told that 17 ft of her small intestine was removed during the surgery and she has short bowel syndrome. Ever since then she has gradually improved but is on many meds and deals with daily diarrhea. She had surgery in June 2003 to remove more abdominal adhesions. She was feeling much better for about 6 months and then she started having constipation/bloating. At times, her stomach bloats up so bad that she looks like she is 9 mos pregnant. There is so much pressure and cramping that she can hardly breath. So, again we went through the routine of seeing doctors and having tests done. Now her new colorectal surgeon is trying to tell us that she does not have sbs. I can't believe it! Who do you trust? They are still running more tests to see what is causing the bloating although he feels it is not adhesions. It was suggested that she might need surgery to remove her colon. We are both so terrified. This illness is so hard to deal with. Not sure what the result is going to be. I am so fed up with doctors and this health care system.

I am not sure what to tell you except to keep praying things will get better. I am so sorry that you are in so much pain--it must be unbearable. I know that just watching my mom suffer has made me want to give up. There have been many times that she says that her quality of life is gone. We keep hoping that just one doctor will be able to give us some answers and offer a solution. I'm here if you want to talk.

Please email me or post, I would love to correspond with you or anyone who shares a similar situation. Hang in there!! Keep in touch, Jenn

At Thu, 27 Jan 2005, Christina Brown wrote: >
>I have had as many others here multiple operations.
>27 to be exact.
>


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