Re: Intestinal Pain and adhesions
From: Ms Lee (leenoga@cfl.rr.com)
Thu Nov 2 09:51:38 2006
>Anyway, with the fact that this pain could be any combination of endo
>and/or adhesions on both pelvic organs and bowel, I am not sure who to
>see for a potential surgery? Do I go to a gynecologist and a bowel
>surgeon or both?
This is merely my opinion but it makes me cringe when people believe
surgery is the answer and it is because of surgery we are all in this
adhesion hell.
At some point the surgery option cycle needs to end. Anyone with
extensive surgical history is high risk and surgeons are reluctant to go
inside unless the case is "emergent", meaning if they do not you could
die. Anyone with extensive surgical history is not the best candidate
because you risk relapsing back to where you were before surgery as well
as complications you did not expect.
At some point most adhesion suffers hit the surgical "wall" where
surgery is no longer an option. You will be refused.
I wish people would accept surgery as NOT the best option before they
have to endure the rejections. At some point we all have to "accept"
where we are at, the pain, the discomfort and the life changing
restrictions our disease places on us. They can only go in so many
times, each time they go in it gets more complicated and more adhesions
form [unless your a candidate for some adhesion barrier, something new].
Just like pain management, so many people expect 100% pain relief and
that is just not "real". Pain management is to help you get along, it
was never intended for total 100% solution even tho some get those
ratio's.
Our disease is about acceptance and so many people cannot do this and
are always searching for a miracle surgeon or drug. I am NOT saying
some have had success in Germany, but not everyone can be assured those
successful outcomes.
I know some will find my words offending, but I am one of you, my
surgical history reads like a book, and I am now suffering with
entero-colonic fistula's a complication of surgery and bowel
manipulation. If they did surgery I would be sailing the same boat I am
now 2 years later and maybe worse..so why take such a
gamble????????????????
This disease has already taken so much quality of life from us, and its
up to us what we do with the rest of our life. We can lay around and
wreck our life discouraged, or we can get support, meds or whatever so
that we will at least jump into the next day and embrace it.
I rolled the dice last in Dec 1994 and OPTED and elected for the
surgeons to go in and clean out the adhesions. Yes, they found frozen
bowel, a ton of extensive adhesions, and several loops of bowel kinked
[partials]. I got 2 years relief and became worse over time which
exceeds the pain I had that drove me to that 1994 surgery.
AND..........
I got entero-colonic fistula's, so actually the surgery made me worse
off in the long run.
Now, I accept my disease, I am pain medicated because I try to live a
normal life the best I can, I accept my new high fiber, low carb diet to
stop bowel obstructions, and ultimately I found happiness within myself
and thank God for every day I can get out of bed.
This disease has already cost me so much [I am on disability now] and
has taken quality of life from me. But I will NOT surrender or give up
any more quality of life by making bad choices.
I was limiting my world and making it smaller. I became a hermit in my
house, I gave up all my hobbies and interests...I did this.........I
wrecked my personal relationships. The disease cost me my career and
the list goes on.
NO MORE.
It took me years to change my attitude and when I did, this disease does
not RULE my life. Last week I was diagnosed with malignant melonoma
[mole cancer], this is the most deadliest cancer but my outlook and
attitude will allow me to sail thru my treatment.
God Bless You All, it sucks to be us sometimes. We all can hold on to
hope, and medical advancements to help us. But in the mean time, do NOT
throw the baby out in the bath water! :-)
All My Love :-)
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