Lou,
The problem with doctors is that they are so used to hearing so many
"TALL Tales" about pain and medical issues, and with so many out for the "Pain
Killers", that most doctors don't want to write a prescription for pain. So
many have abused it. BUT... I very bluntly told the doctor, "You can keep
your damn pain medicine, Just do the darn surgery and fix this problem and you
won't have to worry about giving me any PAIN medicine!". Needless to say, the
look he gave me was "Priceless!". He didn't expect that kind of answer. I
then proceeded to pull out a bottle of Dilaudid and showed him that I had
PLENTY of pain medicine and that it was OLD.. Because I refuse to take the darn
stuff. I can't function on it, so I have to be in excruciating pain before I
will. Once he seen how much I had, and how old it was, he realized I was
serious. He knew I didn't care one bit about what he had to say, especially
since I knew what the problem was and what it would take to fix it. I have
dealt with so many doctors over the years and have done nursing myself, so I
know their "in's and outs". I don't let them talk to me like I am
dumb-founded. And it really "T's" me off that they will try to tell you anything, just
to get your money for the visit and get rid of you. I am tired of dealing
with incompetent doctors and especially the ones that seem to think they know it
all, when they haven't even got a clue to start with.
Most people would be shocked to know it, but when a doctor needs to
determine what is wrong with a patient, most will go back to the medical books to
figure it out, but yet, a nurse can diagnose a patient in minutes or less.
Nurses deal with patients more so than the doctors. That's why a nurse will
help you more than a doctor.
Anyway, long story short, telling a doctor the problem is only the first
step. If he isn't a surgeon, then it won't matter what you tell him.
Because we ALL need surgeons. But they have to know what they are doing and be
able to supply us with the adhesion barrier. Otherwise, the surgery is
useless. Adhesions start to grow back immediately. And can reform in as little as
3 hours to 5 days. Any good doctor will know this and send you somewhere
that has the barriers in stock. If a doctor can't do that, then you shouldn't
be with him. 9 times out of 10, you probably know more about adhesions than
the doctor you are seeing. Which is a shame.
I am not trying to put doctors down, I am just stating the facts. Most
of us already know this, due to what we have been thru. Trial and error.
Hopefully the FDA will pass a barrier soon that will work for all adhesion
patients. We need it and it isn't coming soon enough. To many are suffering
needlessly from this disabling disease. I have thought long and hard about
getting as many letters with signatures from adhesion patients and then carrying
it to congress. With all the problems out there, someone needs to be the
voice for ALL of us. But it does take time to get things like this passed.
My thing, is proving that it is medically URGENT that something be done about
it NOW. This way we don't have to wait long for the help we need. Who
knows, it may get done sooner than we think. But sitting here (there) in pain
isn't getting us anywhere. We need to FORCE the change to be done. God
willing, it won't be long off. Take care and God bless us all.