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Happy111
Newbie
Reged: 12/18/01
Posts: 26
Loc: New Jersey
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I think a lot of people suffer from one form of this or another and most doctors write it off as "too bad, now stop complaining".
So I have had adhesions all my life, first operation when I was 12 hours old. Then many more, some self inflicted accidents, some due to the ARD. So in the 1970's when I lost 8 pints of blood (you get the auto-surgery thing after the 8th pint) and was in more pain than ever before. I was sent to bio-feedback, group therapy, 1:1 therapy, psychologist/psychiatrist, I tried it all but not acupuncture.
Now they say you just might have something there, but nothing can be done because surgery causes adhesions.
So for those who suffer ARD, and not to be picky but this seems to be a woman's club (very understandable), I would like to know how you cope with daily pain and nausea. What works and what doesn't?
I am coming to a point where some type of decision needs to be made in order for me to continue and maybe this post will bring some new fruit my way that can make life a little better than it is right now.
Currently you spend 3 to 4 days in the hospital getting your stomach pumped (decompressing the bowel) fill you full of pain meds/antibiotics/fluids, start you on liquids by mouth again and send you home, until the next time. I get lots of SBO (Small Bowel Obstructions) from the ARD.
I wish you all well and appreciate constructive advice. I have done a lot of research on this topic and I have been tortured by doctors using every test known to man. Yes they are adhesions? Adhesions are about all that they left inside me over the past 40+ years ;-)
So what works for you if you have ARD?
PS: Basically the same post on the VIP board, this one gets more views, so I was just hoping...
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D2003
Member
Reged: 12/12/03
Posts: 193
Loc: Texas
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From my understanding of adhesions, the only true 'cure' is more surgery to remove them. Yes, this does cause new adhesions, but usually they are smaller and much easier to deal with. (Especially if you have a really GOOD surgeon to do the job.) Sounds like you are getting the rough end of the pineapple with your real life doctors. Maybe it is time to go to an decent OP and get some proper pain meds to help you deal with the pain when it flares up. Although male, I've had similar problems with adhesions after some major abdominal surgery over 6 years ago now. Once it was clear there were adhesions, and it was affecting my quality of life, I went under the knife again and had them carefully removed. I still have a few, but the pain is nothing compared to what it once was. I sometimes liken it (now) to have cramps like a woman gets with her periods. It's at about the same intensity from the descriptions given to me by various women over the years. I've found that Soma actually does help a lot when the pain is really cramping. Because I take pain meds for other conditions, I don't even get the cramping that often....Just often enough to let me know that all is not as it should be down there. (I get them in pretty much the same place a woman gets her period pains from. Makes me much more understanding of what they are going through.)
I've also found by increasing the fiber in my diet has been of some assistance. Keeps everything soft and moving, even with the pain meds I take.
Ultimately, the only real long term choice is finding a really good surgeon with experience in this area, and have him/her remove the worst of the adhesions. You'll still have some both in what they can't take out, and some new ones from the surgery itself, but there will be a noticeable improvement in your quality of life, and far fewer trips to the hospital to get any problems taken care of.
It's about the best advice I can offer....seeing I am just another male on the board.
D2003
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