Re: List of Dr.'s by state?
From: Christine M. Smith (smithy@maine.rr.com)
Thu Oct 14 23:10:43 1999
At Thu, 14 Oct 1999, Gina wrote:
>
>Hello,
>I am researching adhesions this morning because I am prone to them, have
>already had 2
>surgeries to remove massive pelvic and abdominal adhesions, and now have
>them again at
>4 weeks post-op from my last surgery. This time they are interfering
>with my bowels and
>bladder functions. Yet I can't find a single doctor who will address
>this problem. They
>pretty much all hope I will quietly go away, and have told me as much.
>Yesterday my new
>primary care Dr. told me "After 3 visits with you regarding this
>problem, I am at the end
>of my rope with you. Perhaps you should find another doc." I am enraged
>and frustrated
>to be left hanging with these potentially serious & definitely
>aggravating, painful problems
>(partial bowel obstruc., bladder adhesions & dysfunction, etc).
>The surgeon who performed the last 2 surgeries was aware of the
>adhesions, yet never
>discussed how to prevent future ones. You would think having spent 5
>hours removing
>adhesions just to be able to address the original reason he went in
>there (hysterectomy),
>would have made him want to prevent adhesions in the 2nd surgery he
>performed on me
>4 weeks later--where he found all new adhesions plus massive adhesions
>in upper
>abdomen, on bowels and other organs.
>I'm at my wits end, can't get a doc to address my problems, and already
>at only 4 weeks
>post-op they want me to "just accept" that I will have chronic pelvic
>pain for life.
>When I went in for the original surgery, I only had pelvic pain during
>my monthly periods.
>Never in between periods. Now I have daily pain, blocked bowel and
>bladder functions.
>Instead of just fixing the original problem, I now have numerous new
>ones which are
>actually much worse than the original monthly pelvic pain.
>
>To make a long story short, is there a list anywhere of Dr.'s and
>surgeons who specialize
>in adhesion prevention, repair, etc? I live in Portland, ME and so far
>am unable to find
>anyone here who will take me seriously. All of the docs I have talked
>to tell me adhesion
>prevention is useless, and that I will "just have to live with it". They
>also tell me even with
>bladder and bowel problems as a direct result of adhesions, they won't
>do anything for
>me. I refuse to accept this! I will not lose the good quality life I
>had before this "simple"
>procedure took it all away from me. I want this problem addressed, and
>resolved. I
>simply refuse to live with this pain, and fear of a life threatening
>emergency surgery which I
>feel is imminent (I am not having bowel movements, there is enormous
>pressure inside my
>pelvic area mainly on my bladder, vagina and colon).
>Sincerely,
>Gina Cipolla
>
>PS: My question: is there a list of Dr.'s, by state, that specialize in
>this? I need to find one
>as close to where I live as possible. Thanks.
Hi Gina:
I also live in Portland, Maine and I'm very curious to know who your
surgeon was. You can e-mail me privately if you want to. I would like
to know. I had a lap in 3/98 by my gyn and a second one in 9/98 by a
local general surgeon who is supposed to be good with advanced
laparoscopic techniques (long story about why I had two 6 months apart).
Neither docs used barriers, the general surgeon said none of them work
well enough. I liked the general surgeon (the gyn too but i knew him a
long time).
Chris S.