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In my November 17th message, "Adhesions>>Should you have surgery for adhesions?", the information about endometriosis and all of the reasons why a person should not have surgery for adhesions, is not only based on information from the Internet but it is also based on my personal experience.
As I was trying to read everything I could about adhesions, endometriosis entered the picture too - because of their similarities.
I do not have endometriosis; but in my story at the following website:
http://www.healthseek.com/forums/physicians/ messages/38.html
you will read that I actually joined the Endometriosis Association (EA) in order to be able to order their educational materials. So I ordered ALL of their books, pamphlets, audio tapes, and video tapes.
After reading, listening, and viewing everything I could find about endometriosis, I came upon the one clue that enabled me to have hope for the first time in 27 years! I discovered that I was definitely not a mental case - that my chronic pain was "Not All in My Head".
That clue is/was: There is only one way that endometriosis can be diagnosed -- via a diagnostic laparoscopy, which is a surgical procedure.
A diagnostic laparoscopy had never been offered to me over the 27 years that I suffered from chronic pain!
I also learned that the Endometriosis Association has a list of doctors who specialize in endometriosis. So once I had read all of the EA literature, listened to all of their audio tapes, and viewed all of their videos -- I then requested a list of endometriosis specialists from the state where I live, Minnesota.
For anyone who has endometriosis or has had endometriosis, the best advice (I am not a medical professional) I can give you is that you...
1.) become a member of the Endometriosis Association
http://www.endometriosisassn.org/
2.) click: LINKS (at the top of this web page) and then click: ENDOMETRIOSIS. You will find a lot of information here!
NOTE: The Links web page is still in the early stages of development - meaning you may find ERRORS and/or Duplications. With patience eventually these problems will be corrected.
3.) If you have endometriosis, you will find a forum for endometriosis-sufferers, which is much like the Adhesions Message Board, at the following web site:
4.) The best endometriosis specialists *do not* believe in drug therapy!! These speciaists have found that excising endometriosis gives their patients longer lasting results with less side effects.
5.) Where are the best endometriosis specialists located in the United States? Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Oregon
6.) Endometriosis is an incurable disease much like Adhesions. Just as surgeons cannot guarantee adhesion-free results following surgery for adhesions - surgeons cannot guarantee endometriosis-free results as a result of excision of endometriosis.
The body is in charge of the healing - not the surgeon. There is ongoing research to try to find solutions for both of these diseases. Intergel, a gel-adhesion barrier, is ready for FDA approval - which could happen sometime in mid-2000.
With patience there is HOPE !!
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-- The 15th century proverb which summarizes the purpose of medicine is: * To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always. *