Your suggestions offer more hope for success - for a person who is considering surgery for adhesions - than I gave in my November 17th message,"Should you have surgery for adhesions?"
Statistics have shown that about 90% of surgical patients do not have problems with chronic pain as a result of adhesions - but then there are about 10% of surgical patients whose bodies, for some unknown reason, form adhesions that can cause a lot of chronic pain. So there can be success following an adhesiolysis (surgery for adhesions) - but surgeons cannot guarantee success.
Christine made a very wise statement when she said that there are many people who do not have chronic pain problems caused by adhesions - but we never hear about them; because people, who do not have chronic pain problems, have no reason to participate in an adhesions forum.
Whether you choose to accept Beverly's information or the information I gave in my message on November 17th, is a personal decision you alone will have to make; but, I am sure that Beverly will agree, make an informed decision!! Learn as much as you can about adhesions! !!
- - - - - - - - -
At Sun, 28 Nov 1999, Bernie and Beverly Doucette wrote:
>
>All who suffer ARD know that a surgery will in all probability not be a long
>term answer for the relief of our pain and suffering, but the one thing it
>WILL do for us is buy us a little more time! Time to be off lots of
>medications, time to live and enjoy life, time to eat and sleep an little
>better, time to smile...and to buy us time for a possible cure or effective
>treatments!
>
>We do know that the Intergel study's are underway, we do know that there are
>DR's out there who ARE working to improve their adhesiolysis techniques, we
>do know that there is at the very least, recognition of our disease! And to
>have adhesions finally recognized as the dominant cause of our pain is a
>massive advancement in our disease...recognition! You wouldn't be having
>surgery if a surgeon didn't recognize and respect that you are in fact
>suffering real pain and symptoms...all associated with adhesions! Now THAT
>alone is a breakthrough!
>
> All that has come about just within this last year, and in a great part to
>the IAS bringing it into the focus of the medical society as well as those
>suffering with it!
>
>If you or anyone elect to have a surgery, then have it. It will offer you
>some time to live, as even without ARD, no one knows how long they have to
>walk this great earth, so why NOT try it and give yourself the chance to
>live as near a normal life as you can. And just what if it does work for you
>and you are rendered pain free? All that could happen .....life is taking
>chances, and for us, surgery is taking a chance.
>
>Now, that is all the positives of looking at an adhesiolysis.......but here
>is the reality of having an elective adhesiolysis......
>
> I think that part of taking that chance though, is to have your T's crossed
>and I's doted before you go into it. It is one thing to have that surgery
>and have short term relief, but what happens when you are so full of
>adhesions from surgery's that you cannot have more surgery's ( and yes, that
>happens all the time ) and are suffering pain so bad that you cannot only
>play with your child, have relations with your husband, but NO recourses
>either?
>
>As long as you have discuss all aspects of what will happen to you and your
>body following another surgery, including what happens if you present with
>pain again shortly down the road following the surgery, or what happens if
>your adhesion become so dense and you cannot have any more adhesiolysis
>surgery's due to the adhesion build up from to many surgery's. Maybe you
>should think about discussing all this with your primary DR. as to just what
>steps he will take when you can no longer have adhesiolysis surgery's due to
>massive dense adhesions and your presenting to him with massive pain! Think
>about those things as this is part of living with ARD...
>
>If you have exhausted all pain medications as a way to relieve your symptoms
>and you can accept what a surgery in all probability will bring to your body
>in your future, then have your surgery. I wonder if you are really getting
>effective medications as I lived with this for 14 years and it wasn't until
>the last 4 years that I was actually able to handle the pain and get through
>my days with the help of medications.
>
>Cyn, you really have to think about these things as it will be up to you as
>to how your future will be....you already have ARD....think about this...do
>you have time to learn about it and try to take control of it without a
>surgery? Or will it be another surgery that in all probability will only
>make you worse? Are you willing to take that chance....you've had surgery's
>before, that is how you got the way you are now...what do you REALLY think
>another surgery will do to an adhesion former? What would YOU advise me to
>do as an adhesion former?
>
>Having another surgery will buy you time, I did it in April of this
>year....I made my choice...but I checked out the surgeon, I asked how many
>laporoscopic adhesiolysis surgery's he has done, I requested his
>adhesiolysis procedure to see what made his different then my prior
>adhesiolysis surgery's as I wanted the best chance a surgery could offer me
>as to non reforming adhesion following the surgery. It took me four months
>of study, contacting references and understanding adhesion formation before
>I elected to go with it. I also met with my PCP as to what we will do in the
>event the adhesions do reform. I wanted to make sure that we all knew
>exactly where we stood if I presented with undiagnosable pain again!!
>Respect and recognition as to my disease! You can find my story in the June
>forum of the IAS....and mine was no ordinary adhesiolysis....if it succeeds
>it may just open the door for many who suffer this disabling disease.
>
>I am not against someone suffering with ARD to have an adhesiolysis, not at
>all, but I am against them going into it blind...no excuse for that at all
>now days. So cover you tail, ask questions that relate to YOUR future
>treatment sin the event this doesn't work...that is all it takes. To many of
>those who suffer with ARD have had so many adhesiolysis surgery's that they
>are now being told that they are all but hopeless in getting effective
>treatment, ..and they live in their pain...wondering if that pain would be
>less right now if the had NOT had that adhesiolysis surgery that offered
>them that same short term pain relief....I wonder that all the time..and if
>this one doesn't work...I know what I am in for..but I sure hope by that
>time, help for us has been found!
>
>Good luck to you, be sure, be safe and even in the midst of your pain and
>suffering...be smart!
>
>God speed be with you! Beverly
>>----- Original Message -----
>From: Cyn
>To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
>Sent: Sunday, November 28, 1999 10:16 AM
>Subject: Barium enama and adhesion
>
>> Hi,
>> I am having a Barium Enema tomorrow and doing all the prep things today.
>> I know what they are looking for and I am almost sure they will find a
>> blockage of some sort. I go back to the GI(he is the one that order the
>> Barium) Tuesday and then to see the Surgeon on Thursday. I know and my
>> GI knows that I have adhesion that are causing problems with my
>> Intestines, constipation and dia. I am hoping that the surgeon will
>> order the surgery for the following week and that it is NOT just day
>> surgery. My last surgery was Aug. and it was almost 5 hours long due
>> to all of the adhesion. It took the Dr almost an hour just to get to my
>> left ovary. I read the report and on the report it says, Massive
>> adhesions everywhere. I know that more surgery can and probably will
>> cause my adhesion, but I can not continue in the pain I am in. My
>> husband and I have not been able to make love in over 3 months due to
>> pain, I can not love on my 3 year old like I use to be able to because
>> of the pain. Since November of 98 I have had 3 surgeries.
>> Nov. Ovarian suspention/uterus ablation/endo
>>
>> Mar. Vaginal Hyst with right ovary removed(suspention did not work)
>>
>> Aug. Recto./cysto/left ovary removed/hernia/excesse
>> tissue/adhesions(covered)...this surgery was done by a large incision.
>>
>> So now I am looking at more surgery to "fix" all of the others. But I
>> really need it because I can not continue this way. I am like alot of
>> you, thoughts of "ending it", running away, why bother...I have been
>> through all of them. But I can't let them get me down anymore. So
>> please feel free to Email me to let me know what I am going through is
>> not all in my mind, sometimes I feel like I am losing it. Thank you in
>> advance for your help. Cyn
>>
-- The 15th century proverb which summarizes the purpose of medicine is: * To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always. *