Re: Want to chat about adhesion pain

From: Rebecca (rjtucker@peoplepc.com)
Wed Oct 19 21:04:19 2005


Dear loriroot, I'm sure sorry the chat room is not running and even more sorry to hear about your pain. I might be able to share something useful with you since I've been dealing with this since 1982. My first obstruction finally came in 1989. I've had so many since then, I've lost count. I've had six resections and adhesiolyses, and am looking at the seventh probably next month when I go down to consult at the Motility Clinic at Cedar-Sinai in Los Angeles. I've been on chronic pain management now for two years.

My primary care doc referred me to a pain specialist who was familiar with chronic pelvic/abdominal pain related to adhesions/endometriosis. He was very liberal in his orders, and I have been able to pretty much control my pain at home with only a few ER visits over the past year. I now use a Duragesic patch and Actiq troche (like a sucker) at 600 micrograms every six hours.

Since I'm severely addicted after nearly two years, I stretch out my Actiq and stop using the patches by cutting down when the pain is more tolerable. But, inevitably, I end up back on the patch and the troche every six hours.

I was, of course, getting pretty depressed about all I go through, as all of you do to different degrees. If you live where there is a pain management specialist, I would highly recommend that you start the process. It's either that or start living in the ER and listen to them tell you that you're not having as much pain as you let on.

The word "drug-seaker" is probably one that we've all started hearing after a certain point. Don't listen. You will get depressed sometimes, and if it gets bad, let your primary know. I started on Lexapro a short time ago and I felt like I was somehow "giving up" or giving in, or something, but when I started feeling so much better, I changed my mind. I can actually smile again and my life has really taken on a much more positive quality. It helped me AND my family. Hope this helped, even in a small way.... Rebecca

-----Original Message-----

Sender: loriroot@ucnsb.net (lori) Subject: Want to chat about adhesion pain

I am having a hard time finding the chat room. I had a colostomy and the reversal. I have also had exploratory surgery and a cyst aspiration. This pain is really taking a toll and there doesn't seem to be an answer. How do you cope? During exploratory surgery my doctor said my intestines look like a bowl of spagetti with cement poured in. Surgery is especially risky and not guaranteed to help with pain. How do you cope?

[moderator note: our chat room is not running at this time]


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