Hope For Those Who Suffer From Adhesion Related Disorder.

Breaking Free From Adhesion Related Disorder!

Author, Karen Steward. Copy Editor, Jill Ronsley. Doctors: Bound by Secrecy? Victims: Bound by Pain! is the inspirational, true story of a mother and daughter's 14-year journey for a cure to an agonizing and often misdiagnosed, debilitating disorder known as adhesions. Melissa Steward was like any other happy, bubbly teen before illness struck at the age of 13. Doctors gave a diagnosis of Crohn's disease and prescribed corticosteroids as treatment. However, the powerful drugs proved futile against the constant pain, nausea and vomiting that tortured the teen day after day. Believing her daughter had been misdiagnosed, Karen set out on her never-ending quest for an answer. Karen relates the riveting tale of their desperate cry for help and ultimate triumphant journey transversing the globe. Along the way, she provides a glimpse into the inner sanctum and frustrating maze of modern medicine. 

 Doctors: Bound By Secrecy? Victims: Bound By Pain! unravels the mystery behind adhesions. Since adhesions don't show up on standard medical tests, victims are often misdiagnosed, treated for illnesses they do not have, labeled as depressed-and left to suffer-often in crippling pain. Surgery is the leading cause of adhesion formation, yet patients rarely are informed of the risk. Most ARD sufferers will spend seven to ten years wandering from one doctor to the next in an effort to find someone who will validate their pain and help put an end to the suffering. Doctors: Bound By Secrecy? Victims: Bound By Pain! is a heartrending story, told with a sense of humor and wit, of a mother trying to find hope and healing for her beloved, ailing daughter. It is an inspiring story of perseverance-against all medical odds-and the final triumph over an incapacitating illness. The writing of Melissa's trying journey opens the windows of knowledge to adhesion related disorder, (ARD), forever unmasking this prevalent, yet medically hushed condition. 

*Doctors: Bound By Secrecy? Victims: Bound By Pain! can be purchased at this blog or at Amazon:

BOOK

Can't afford the book? Ask your local library to order a copy! Karen will send a copy of the book to any library in the USA for a $10 fee, plus $3 for shipping and handling!

Send $13 to: ELM Publishing, Inc. PO Box 787, Weatherford Texas 76086. *Note: this offer is for libraries only. Checks must be from a legitimate public library. Thank you!

Adhesions and Suicide

For those who think the adhesion sufferer is just a complainer, a weak person, or someone who seeks attention, think again. This is an illness no sufferer would wish on his or her worst enemy. Because adhesions can lead to complete debilitation, continual pain and suffering, as well as loss of one's "normal" way of life, the sufferer often feels complete hopelessness. This hopelessness truly takes a firm grip when the sufferer must come to terms with the manner in which medicine will deal with the illness. They don't. Oh, some may operate, yes. But the likelihood of a successful outcome...not so good. Most sufferers are prescribed pain meds and sent on their way. Such was the case of this gentleman who lived a normal life until a fall from a ladder at 62 years of age. Though he survived the fall and the many complications that resulted, he was prescribed pain meds and left to deal with the excruciating pain brought on by internal adhesion formation.

Sadly, medicine then walked out on him. To add insult to injury, he was suddenly left to figure it out on his own, to deal with this excruciating pain without the help of any pain medication. How heartless has medicine become--how low has it stooped--when a person who is suffering from a documented injury/illness is lumped in the same category as a drug seeker? Prayers for the family of this poor man. Read the story at this link: 

Adhesions and Suicide

Abdominal Pain. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You

Are you just too difficult to deal with? When it comes to certain illnesses-in this case, adhesions, you could be the marked patient, yet never know it.

As a child, I recall my grandpa talking about hobos that would step off the train as it slowed into town, their eyes peeled on the houses in front of the tracks. Time and again, these hobos would make their way to my grandma and grandpa's house. Grandma would give them a sandwich and a drink, always wondering why these beggars seemed to choose their home over the others. Her neighbor even laughed about it, telling my grandma that someone must've cast a spell on their home. The neighbor was glad she wasn't being asked for food!  Years went by before grandpa told grandma what was really going on: These beggars had marked their home. Grandpa laughed as he told about grandma searching high and low for the "mark," but she couldn't find it. 

A person who suffers from adhesions, especially if you are a severe case, often carries an invisible mark as well. 

Why would the medical world mark these sufferers? We can only speculate, but it seems these difficult cases are quickly shunned due to the risks of becoming involved in this complex medical condition.

The doctor/specialist/surgeon may feel caught in a quandary. He or she can't possibly admit they do not want to take you on, thus they look for an out. This out normally comes via suggestions, often followed by prescriptions and/or referral to a pain center, etc. Anything to get you out the door! Talk to anyone who has suffered from adhesions, or is suffering, and they will tell you about the many doctors who have said one if not all of the following: 1. You have IBS 2. You're depressed 3. Is abuse going on? 4. Are you in an unhappy relationship? 5. We need to send you out for a psychiatric evaluation; and 6. I'm sending you out for tests (which will all return "normal" as adhesions cannot be seen on standard medical tests).

Yes, there are doctors who will operate--even multiple times--as in Ryan's case. Yet, in the end, as the problem escalates, the chance to receive proper medical treatment decreases. Sadly, your condition may now be worse, (as adhesions increase in density with each inadequate adhesiolysis). Yes, you're marked. Frequent visits to the ER are nothing like frequent flyer miles! No one wants to see you. They don't care how many miles you've acquired in your journey to become well; you are not a welcome sight. You must be a drug seeker, or you just want to WHINE, or you're just so darn unhappy! 

Note: In all fairness, we recognize there are those who DO seek drugs, want to whine, and are just unhappy, however, it is downright cruel, unjust and inhumane to be treated as if nothing is wrong when you are in severe pain and have a history of major medical problems. This flippant attitude toward ARD sufferers happens all too often in ER's across the USA.

If all of the above is valid, then just what in the world is going on in the medical world at large when it comes to adhesion related disorder? In Ryan's case, pictures speak volumes! He has been operated on so many times that his abdomen became FROZEN. The more he became "marked," the more he was shunned completely.

(By most medical standards, the person who suffers from frozen abdomen will only be surgically treated if strangulation or necrosis occurs.  Click this link for full explanation)

As one might imagine, this standard medical stance not only leaves the sufferer in a nightmare existence, but the problem can now be twofold: When the doctor has a dismissive attitude, loved ones (those who already do not understand or comprehend the magnitude of this complex medical condition) may become dismissive as well. All too often, loved ones follow the medical lead and may begin to ignore the sufferer, accuse the sufferer, and expect the sufferer to just "get over it." Sufferers of this debilitating illness are now unfairly saddled with enormous emotional turmoil as well; all brought on by a medical force that demands this illness be IGNORED. 

Thankfully, this is not where Ryan's story ends. Ryan was finally able to make his way to Dr. Daniel Kruschinski. Dr. Kruschinski is highly regarded in the field of adhesions and is known for taking on these medically "marked" cases that have been shunned and often deemed HOPELESS.

Thanks to Ryan for sharing his story and thanks to Dr. Kruschinski for his continuing work to help ARD sufferers regain quality of life.  

Surgery Again?! Caution...Frozen Abdomen.

Oftentimes, "standard care" for the ‪#‎ARDsufferer‬ is more ‪#‎surgery‬. If it didn't work the first time, do it again, right? After an ‪#‎adhesiolysis‬, the ARD sufferer often reports a few months of relief from the painful-often debilitating-symptoms of ARD. These symptoms often include: ‪#‎abdominalpain‬, ‪#‎nausea‬, ‪#‎vomiting‬, ‪#‎bloating‬, ‪#‎digestiveissues‬, 
‪#‎difficultywalking‬, ‪#‎difficultybreathing‬, ‪#‎backpain‬, even ‪#‎migraines‬. Some fortunate sufferers may find complete relief after an adhesiolysis, but the majority who suffer soon find the pain and symptoms have quickly returned. In some cases, pain and debilitating symptoms only increase after an adhesiolysis. 

Thomas Edison defined insanity as doing the same thing time and again, while expecting a different result. Where ‪#‎medicine‬ is concerned, however, this "insanity theory" is in full motion-and the patient-sadly, the victim of this constant merry-go-round. Why? #1. Most people trust their doctor. #2. They are in ‪#‎PAIN‬! They desperately seek relief from this miserable illness, thus they submit time and again to a procedure that continually fails. 

Rather than medicine taking the fall for this indisputable failure rate, the sufferer is often told that his or her body simply "makes adhesions." Rather than medicine pulling its head out of the sand and taking a "we have to do better" approach, they simply continue on, while pointing the finger of failure at the sufferer. 

Many ARD sufferers report as many as 20+ surgeries, yet the pain always returns with a vengeance. 

As with many illnesses, the sufferer often becomes more knowledgeable about the disease/disorder than his or her own doctor. All too often, it is the ARD sufferer who must inform a doctor that adhesions DO CAUSE PAIN! Sadly, people die from this disorder while many in the medical profession continue to believe/claim that adhesions do not cause pain. (Most adhesions do not cause pain, but a whopping 93% who undergo abdominal or pelvic surgery will develop adhesions, with an estimated 54% from this group developing the debilitating condition known as ‪#‎ARD‬.)

Because repeat surgery for this condition can lead to a ‪#‎frozenabdomen‬, the sufferer must weigh the future costs to his or her health. The same surgeon who performs numerous surgical procedures may fail to inform the patient of the risk for a frozen abdomen. Once the abdomen is frozen, the same surgeon often dismisses the patient for good. It is not uncommon for an ARD sufferer to have a decade (or longer) relationship with a doctor, who later sends her walking papers due to a frozen abdomen. 

Case in point: Frozen Abdomen 

 

 

Adhesions: The Difficult Patient

Our family will always be thankful to Dr. Daniel Kruschinski for his brilliance and out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to dealing with adhesions. Because of him, our loved one is well after a 14-year battle. 

During those trying years, I turned myself inside out trying to find a doctor to help my daughter. She was left to suffer, often screaming in pain. We made trip after trip to the ER, usually in the middle of the night, when abdominal pain became so intense our daughter often said, "I love ya'll. I think I may die this time...." 

These stomach "attacks" as our daughter described them, were actually bowel obstructions. The only time she was medically "treated" for her debilitating condition was when these full blown bowel obstructions occurred. Though she was suffering nausea, pain, vomiting, back pain, migraines, pulling pain inside her abdomen, severe constipation, etc., on a daily basis, she was told she must learn to live with the condition. We spent those terrible years perplexed that no medical help to overcome the condition was ever offered to her (us.) "Learn to live with it. We can do more harm than good. You have to accept your illness......." No matter what doctor or specialist we sought out, these were the responses we heard time and again. (And always after she endured another round of "tests.") 

Recently, I came across an article that confirmed what I realized years later, after our daughter became well and I began studying adhesions. (During the battle, while also caring for my ill child, as well as trying to raise/care for my other children--and run a household--I had no time or wits about me to dig for an answer to the medical attitudes we encountered along the way.) I only knew to keep pushing for an answer, to keep looking for a DOCTOR! 

Once Melissa became well, thank you Dr. Kruschinski, I was determined that no little girl suffer like my little girl had. During years of study and research, I finally understood why Melissa was left to suffer: her condition was so complex, no surgeon wanted to take it on. Further, because so many people are indeed further harmed by (inadequate) surgery-adhesions return and increase-the overall medical attitude is a "do nothing" one...(only act in cases of complete bowel obstruction). 

In short, if you suffer from adhesions, you will be ignored-and insulted-along your medical journey.

For those who suffer from adhesions, the following study rather sums up why the patient rarely receives help when it comes to this very painful, debilitating, often life-threatening disorder. 

From all corners of the earth, patient stories are the same: pain, suffering, bloating, nausea, vomiting, bowel obstructions, etc., yet little to no help from the medical world. All too often, sufferers are told they should eat more fiber (terrible advice when one has adhesions!) and they should go for a psychiatric evaluation. All too often, the sufferer goes from one doctor to the next in an effort to find someone, anyone, that will take his or her condition seriously. Sufferers are dismayed and bewildered by a medical world that openly-and bluntly-disregard the list of symptoms and complaints, even when the patient explains complete debilitation.

Based on this very telling study, the ARD sufferer is the...drum roll...

DIFFICULT PATIENT.

And, what happens when you are the DIFFICULT PATIENT? Complete disregard for your condition.

It seems the medical world at large recognizes the complexity of this disorder, but refuses to admit defeat-or wrongdoing. (Surgery is the number one cause of adhesions.) Rather than an admission of defeat when it comes to adhesions, or an admission of involvement in creating this debilitating condition, the doctor will steer the suffering patient toward pain management...and a psychiatric evaluation.

The suggestion that the patient needs a psychiatric evaluation typically causes one of two reactions from the patient:

1. Maybe I am crazy...

2. What a heartless jerk! I will NEVER go back to him! I am SICK, not crazy!

When a person is in real pain, the psychiatric evaluation suggestion can be used as a powerful ploy for the physician who wishes to rid himself of the DIFFICULT PATIENT. 

See article: 
THE DIFFICULT PATIENT

Digestive Issues When Adhesions Rule The Bowel

Q: Why are there so many digestive issues when a person has adhesions?

Thanks to Christine Kruschinski of ENDOGYN for answering this question:

The bowel and whole digestive system must move to digest properly; similar to a worm. When adhesions are present, the ability for the bowel to move is decreased-and sometimes-(in cases of frozen abdomen) not even possible.

Adhesions cause  the bowel to slow down more and more. Constipation becomes an issue, which can lead to obstructions. With constipation, all the waste (the 'bad' stuff) which should leave the body, is now staying in the system. This is why patients with chronic constipation feel fatigued, nauseated, and sick. At the same time, the patient can also have diarrhea, which is also related to adhesions. Sometimes, both develop. Why? Because, if parts of the bowel have adhesions that have looped around, this can result in strangulations and obstructions. When this occurs, only very small portions of feces can pass this "tunnel." The rest is backed up and must wait and wait until it is possible to go through. Due to this "stop" in front of the "tunnel," bacteria start growing (bacteria thrive in a hot, dark and muggy environment, so this is a perfect place for bacteria to grow). This is one reason why a patient with adhesions may have bacterial overgrowth in the bowel. The reaction of the bowel when too many bacteria are present: diarrhea.

Diarrhea is the body's response to eliminate the building bacteria as quickly as possible. Diarrhea can sometimes happen in combination with chronic constipation. A main part of the work of the bowel has to deal with putrefaction. Gas is the natural result of it. So, the moment waste stays too long in the digestive system due to adhesions and constipation, the gas increases and bloating begins. This is one reason why it is so important that the patient who has adhesions adheres to a diet that eliminates foods that cause bloating. Moreover, the patient who has adhesions must recognize that most pain medications further decrease the activity of the bowel, (all the heavy ones like morphines, opioids, etc.) as well as the whole metabolic system. In short, the digestive system that plays one of the most vital roles in our body, is greatly impacted in various (negative) ways when adhesions form. 

Adhesions: The 93% Factor

Adhesions and adhesion related disorder affect many lives, though most people have never heard of adhesions. Adhesions are said to be one of the best kept secrets of modern medicine today. Unfortunately, many who are aware of adhesions continue to believe this problem is a rarity; one that happens infrequently. Statistics prove otherwise. The idea that adhesions are an uncommon occurence of surgery is one that is often perpetuated by the medical world itself.

Sufferers of this disorder often parrot the words of their doctor: "I just make adhesions."  "It's just my body." Once one delves into the study of adhesions, however, one will find information that conflicts with the theory that the patient is to blame for adhesion formation. The truth is: Anyone can develop adhesions. Adhesions do not play favorites. No one body "just makes adhesions." This is a fallacy, yet a doctor may rely on this explanation simply because it is easier to blame the patient than admit the problem arose after a surgical procedure. Because most people trust their doctor, they leave his or her office with the belief that their own body has betrayed them. 

Looking back in old files, I found the story of Robin Leeling Hale that was published in 2006. She was thrilled her story had been published, as she wanted to bring public awareness to this insidious disorder. As with many other articles, the doctor in this article erroneously states "There's currently no good way to predict which patients will develop problematic adhesions after surgery...." Robin's story clearly debunks the theory that one's body just makes adhesions. Though she may have been told by her physician that adhesions developed due to her own genetic makeup or DNA, adhesions developed after her appendix was removed during a surgical procedure. 

*Statistics show up to 93% of patients undergoing abdominal or pelvic surgery will develop adhesions. See: "Points to Remember: 

Sadly, Robin Hale passed away February 4, 2011, after seeking emergency help, once again, due to abdominal pain. 

Robin's story was published in the World Herald on Sunday, September 24, 2006. 

Scar tissue can create lasting problems


BY NICHOLE AKSAMIT 


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER 

Countless X-rays, scans and medical tests. Years of debilitating pain, nausea and bloating. Partial bowel obstructions. A divorce and a lost job. Seven abdominal surgeries. Weeks in an Ohio hospital, on the brink of death. 

Twenty-six-year-old Robin Leeling of Omaha never thought having her appendix removed seven years ago could possibly lead to this. 
Like most people, Leeling hadn't given much thought to adhesions, a kind of scar tissue that can form after almost any surgery. 

It's not something she recalls her doctor mentioning. She was young. And scarring is part of the body's healing process. But for people who scar easily or aggressively, as Leeling did, even minor surgery can lead to major problems. And, anecdotally at least, the number of people showing up in emergency and operating rooms with adhesion-related disorders, or ARD, is on the rise. 

Severe internal scars - known as dense or type 2 adhesions - can impede or connect normally free-floating tissues and organs. They can cause chronic pain, infertility and life-threatening bowel obstructions. They also can delay or complicate future surgeries. Leeling said it took years for doctors to discover the likely cause of her chronic pain and recurrent bowel problems: dense adhesions attaching her intestines to her abdominal wall. 

She thought laparoscopic surgery to remove the scars, detected two years after her appendix was removed, would be the end of it. But the surgery in 2001 offered only temporary relief. In a few months, Leeling's pain returned and worsened. For the next three years, she went from doctor to doctor, seeking answers. X-rays, CT scans, a colonoscopy, and upper and lower gastrointestinal studies offered few clues. But Leeling was nauseous and bloated. Pain ripped through her abdomen when she walked. Some days she couldn't leave her bed. Medication and dietary changes eased her pain sometimes but didn't solve the ongoing problem. 

"I had doctors tell me it was IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), depression, stress and - bluntly - that I was going crazy," Leeling recalled. "But I knew there was something more to it." Although her employer was understanding, Leeling's frequent medical absences cost her her job. Her already-eroding marriage dissolved. She wasn't well enough to play with her young son. Though she was still in her 20s, she even considered a hysterectomy after one specialist hypothesized that her pain might be gynecologic. 

Diagnosing ARD can be difficult, said Dr. Armour Forse, chief of surgery at Creighton University Medical Center. Adhesions often don't show up clearly on medical scans. "And even if the adhesion is there," he said, "there's no (simple) way to equate a patient's adhesion with the pain. So you try to rule out other things. The work-up can be very extensive." 

Medications to help manage chronic pain can lead to other bowel problems. Worse yet, in people with severe adhesions, surgery to confirm or remove the rubbery bands can cause more scarring. Doctors may advise against surgery unless or until a life-threatening complication - such as a total bowel obstruction - arises. Patient advocates, researchers and pharmaceutical companies are hopeful that greater use and newer evolutions of adhesion barriers - special coatings applied to organs and tissues during surgery - will keep more patients from developing problematic adhesions. Perhaps the most widely known - a dissolving plasticlike sheet called Seprafilm - has been shown in studies to minimize scarring and subsequent adhesion-related surgeries for some patients. Others have received FDA clearance, and more are being tested. 

But such barriers haven't yet proved useful in all surgical areas. And it's unclear how many surgeons routinely use them. Omaha colorectal surgeon Dr. Maniamparampil Shashidharan said adhesion barriers are available at every Omaha hospital, and he uses Seprafilm routinely on his colorectal patients. But several hospitals contacted said they don't have policies requiring or advocating use of adhesion barriers and didn't know how often surgeons used them. Adhesions can form anywhere in the body, but those severe enough to prompt hospitalization frequently are associated with abdominal and pelvic surgeries. 

About one in four patients are hospitalized for adhesion-related complications within a decade of their first pelvic or abdominal surgery, according to a large study funded partly by the maker of an adhesion-minimizing barrier and published in the Lancet in 1999. There's currently no good way to predict which patients will develop problematic adhesions after surgery. "Some patients develop dense adhesions," said Shashidharan. "Some don't develop any at all. I don't think anybody knows why." But an increasing number - most of them women - are showing up in ERs and ORs for treatment, said Dr. Richard Schlanger, a general surgeon and director of the Center of Advanced Wound Management at Ohio State University Medical Center. His center has become something of a magnet for patients with adhesion-related problems. 

"Basically we got involved because of the vast number of people coming in with multiple complaints of distention, nausea and vomiting," Schlanger said. "We found a common thread: In almost all these patients, they had had some gynecologic procedure or series of surgeries that preceded the pain." Schlanger said minor or type 1 adhesions are thin and filmy, like strands of a spider's web. The more problematic type 2 adhesions are like thick rubber bands. He said they tend to form after intense procedures, where there is bleeding or rupture, heavy handling of internal organs, contamination of the surgical site or anything that can cause a spike in inflammation. They can tug and torque normally free-floating structures - such as the colon and small bowel or a woman's uterus and Fallopian tubes. 

Schlanger said type 2 adhesions can develop their own blood supply and nerve fibers - one reason they may cause pain even when there's no obvious bowel blockage. Forse said he wasn't aware of any research showing pain receptors in adhesions. But a small study published in the Annals of Surgery reported evidence of nerve fibers in peritoneal adhesions as early as 2001. As awareness of adhesion-related problems grows, Schlanger said, more patients and physicians are connecting complaints of abdominal pain to fallout from previous surgeries. 

Leeling only wishes she or her doctors had been able to connect the dots sooner. It wasn't until 2004, three years after Leeling's first adhesion-removing surgery, that a Lincoln obstetrician explored her abdomen with a laparoscope and found the likely cause of her pain: more adhesions in and around her intestines. Adhesions had prevented part of her colon from pushing stool along. Part of her bowel died and had to be removed. 

"I think I actually had a partial bowel obstruction the entire time," she said. Leeling said she's spent much of the past few years working to manage her pain with medication, diet and more procedures to relieve partial obstructions. Laparoscopic surgeons in Omaha used an adhesion barrier called SurgiWrap after a surgery in March, but Leeling's pain quickly returned. She's hoping her seventh and most recent abdominal surgery, performed by Schlanger in Ohio last spring, will relieve her a bit longer. She chose Schlanger because he has treated a number of adhesion patients, uses Seprafilm and came recommended by Anthea Nesbitt, the Ohio co-founder of an adhesions support group called Bombobeach. 

Leeling was so malnourished and dehydrated when she showed up in Ohio that Schlanger kept her in a hospital bed for 10 days trying to rule out other problems and improve her overall health before attempting the surgery. In surgery, Schlanger and his team found adhesions partially obstructing Leeling's bowel in several places and inflammation throughout her abdomen, something Schlanger suggested might have been a reaction to the SurgiWrap. The surgical team pulled out and picked through her intestines, slicing off adhesions and damaged tissue. They lined her colon, small bowel, pelvis and abdomen with sheets of Seprafilm before sewing her back up. Schlanger hopes the barrier "basically will become a liquefied lubricant and just keep the bowel from sticking together." 

Leeling still has bad days and says she'll probably have residual pain and bowel problems for life. She may even require more surgery. But she said she felt better after the Ohio surgery than she had in years. 
"Ever since, she's like a lion out of a cage," said Leeling's mother, Lois Givens. "She's got so much energy. She's trying to spend time with friends. She's taking her son swimming and for walks. And she hasn't missed a day of work since we got back to Omaha." 

She's also become an advocate for adhesion awareness. She's asking local hospitals about their surgical policies and use of adhesion barriers. She's written state senators in hopes of getting adhesion-related problems recognized as a disorder in Nebraska, so that people disabled by adhesions can obtain government assistance. Leeling said part of her renewed energy comes from finally having a doctor acknowledge that adhesions made her deathly ill: "Now I'm showing everybody the OR report. It's like: 'See? I'm not making it up.'" 

(Side note) Hey, Doc . . . If you're planning an abdominal or pelvic surgery or expecting a baby (in which case, an emergency Caesarean section is always a possibility), you may want to ask your surgeon or OB-GYN: 

What's the likelihood that I'll develop problematic adhesions as a result of this particular surgery? What techniques or barriers, or both, will you use to minimize my risk?

---

Hernia and Scar Tissue

An internal scar can cause a hernia when weakness in the abdominal muscle allows the tissues of the abdomen to protrude through the muscle. This "incisional hernia" is a result of an incision made in a prior abdominal surgery. A pulling type pain may be the first symptom, as well as a visible bulge at the scar. Sufferers of this type of hernia may experience more intense symptoms when coughing or sneezing. 

Multiple abdominal surgeries, significant weight gain after abdominal surgery, pregnancy, obesity, or activities that may increase pressure to the abdomen (heavy lifting, for example) can place one at a higher risk for an incisional hernia. 

Thanks to ENDOGYN for the information regarding incisional hernia. 

STUCK WITH ENDO?

Email: I hope you can help me. My problems began at 14 years of age. It all started with a lot of pain. I had pain above my belly button, pain below my belly button, pain in lower pelvis, pain in my back. The pain increased with my monthly cycle. I also had nausea, which my doctor said was normal for many young women. The doctor placed me on birth control pills because she said they might stop the pain. It wasn't until I was sixteen years old, still in pain, that she finally sent me out for a colonoscopy. Nothing was found. A few months later, I had my first surgery. The doctor found endo. Everything was stuck together. She said my insides looked like spider webs. My female organs were glued together and she found the endo adhesions on my stomach and liver too. She did what she could, but of course there's no cure for endo. Nothing got any better. A few years later, we had hopes that Lupron would make the pain stop, but this has not helped any either. I am now 26.....

Sadly, another young woman suffers from adhesions, but believes her life has been swallowed up by endometriosis.

"Endo Adhesions," a common term used in endo forums, even at educational endo websites, can result in  many women who believe the two (separate) illnesses are one and the same. The term is a misnomer. 

Yes, endo can cause adhesions to form, but adhesions are adhesions. You may have endo and no adhesions. You may have adhesions and no endo. You may have endo and adhesions, but for the sake of your health, don't buy into an  "endo adhesions" theory. Study your operative reports, research your condition, track your symptoms. Some women spend a lifetime fighting a diagnosis of endo, never realizing they may actually be suffering from adhesions. Further, a barrel full of Lupron will never have any effect on someone who suffers from adhesions. 

 

 

 

Trading Cancer for Adhesions?

Cancer. The word causes most people to shudder. No one has to think twice about the word, its meaning, its power. Many people feel the word itself evokes the deepest sense of darkness. Some people who have beaten the perceived death sentence, later explain how the word itself actually had more power over them than the actual disease. As a friend once stated: It didn't matter what else the doctor said, I only heard cancer, cancer, cancer. 

Nancy Crick faced the cancer beast-and won. Unfortunately for Nancy, the surgery that helped  achieve victory over cancer, left her with agonizing adhesions.

Adhesions. Few have ever heard the illness. Though a very common (and sometimes debilitating) condition, few people can answer the question: What do you know about adhesions?

Most respond: Adhesions? 

Unlike cancer, no one is out rallying the world to "find a cure." In fact, most people who undergo abdominal surgery will go under the knife completely unaware that adhesions may form from the surgical trauma, i.e., the injury, which can eventually cause abdominal organs to fuse together. Statistics show up to 93% will develop adhesions after abdominal surgery. Source: ADHESIONS

Some argue that Nancy could have been helped further, MORE HERE but it seems she had grown weary of medicine and all that comes with it. (In the quest for health, healing can become a complicated matter.) Had the effort to rid her body of cancer actually resulted in a far worse condition when adhesions developed? Had she been made aware that scar tissue-adhesions-could result from the valiant medical effort to eradicate the cancer? No one knows for sure. What we do know is this:

Adhesions can make for a miserable existence. Ask anyone who has battled (or is battling) this illness. 

Adhesions: The Difficult Patient

Many who suffer from adhesions face a medical world that is less than helpful and certainly less than kind. Many sufferers feel total helpless after seeking medical help for this condition. Across ARD forums, stories are posted in the same context time and time again: the doctor blew me off, told me I needed an antidepressant, suggested I have IBS, insulted me by stating I need a psychiatric evaluation, asked if I was in an abusive relationship, insisted that I repeat the same medical tests that I've had numerous times before...

Yes, there is a pattern among ARD sufferers-all sharing the same narrative, regardless of the city/state/country one resides. 

In short, thanks to the world-wide-web, those who suffer from adhesions can now compare experiences. The public, especially women who comprise the largest segment who suffer, are learning that the medical world at large relies on a convenient system of diversion regarding those who suffer from adhesions. 

When a condition is too problematic, perhaps the hippocratic oath should be: first, divert attention.

Clearly, the medical world at large often prefers to divert the patient from the crux of the matter: pain and suffering. And in many cases, severe pain and suffering. As inconceivable as it may seem, rather than admit defeat over a medical condition, or simply inform the patient there is no help for his or her condition, the medical world often chooses diversion. This diversion can serve the physician very well. First and foremost, he or she can keep a lid on the subject of adhesions, rather than openly discussing this broad, complex, deeply involved condition (who has time for that?). Secondly, what doctor wants to begin the discussion of adhesions and risk the questions that follow? Example: "Just how did I get these adhesions?" 

When the doctor is well aware that surgery is the number one cause of adhesions, what doctor would look forward to opening that can of worms?

Lastly, insults, or making light of this painful-often debilitating-condition, and/or continually sending the sufferer out for endless tests that never produce an answer, ensures the doctor that the patient will soon look elsewhere for help. Medical diversion works. Ignore the suffering, suggest she's crazy, send her out for tests.....

Yes, it is often simpler to beat around the bush than to plow right into the middle of it. For the physician, too much is at stake.  

As we learn more about this illness, more information comes to light. Recently, I came across a telling publication. Language plays such a critical and valuable role in our lives. Sometimes we fail to listen carefully, but even simple words can speak great truths, carry heavy meaning, even provide answers to pressing questions, if only we pay attention.

Consider the following article (link below). The title alone speaks volumes and carries with it powerful meaning. I believe this one article alone provides complete explanation as to why ARD stories the world over mirror one another.

Read: THE DIFFICULT PATIENT

When we look up the word DIFFICULT in the dictionary, we find this definition:

Not easy. Requiring much work or skill to do or make. Not easy to deal with or manage. 

Please note: While many ARD sufferers are medically blown off time and again, the DIFFICULT PATIENT article also provides another telling statement: However, it is evident that continuous abdominal pain leads to evident suffering and disability.

Adhesions: Million To One Complication After Appendectomy?

Recently, I stumbled across the story of Daniel Robinson, a beautiful young boy who passed away after medical personnel failed to recognize the seriousness of young Daniel's stomach pains. 

Daniel's story reminded me of the many times when my own daughter was sent away from the hospital, even though she was suffering excruciating pain. The many times we were told, "The flu is going around....." and our insistence that it was not the flu, simply fell on deaf ears. The many times my daughter heard: "You seem depressed." The many times we moved on to the next hospital, as clearly the one we were at had no intention of helping her. The many times we gave up and went home, and begged God to intervene. 

Those memories haunt me, especially when I look at Daniel's innocent face and lovely, easy demeanor.  Much like Daniel, my own daughter has the same stoical nature. During her years of illness, she tried to keep a stiff upper lip, hiding her pain--the physical, as well as the mental--the best she could. 

First, I learned of Laynie. Now, Daniel.

As I read Daniel's story, my heart sank. Disbelief. I cried for this poor child, his family. Another child who didn't have to die, who simply needed medical help. 

My mood changed as I continued to read. I felt anger. Injustice. Inconceivably, the claim is made-even published-that Daniel's case was..."rare." The mother stated she was shocked to learn there was a one- in-a-million chance of this happening. 

Far from rare, or a one-in-a-million-chance, adhesions (and the complications that can result) are a very, very common occurrence after abdominal or pelvic surgery. So common in fact, that (See Source): Up To 93%  develop adhesions after abdominal surgery! That is far from a RARE occurrence, don't you agree? See also: Post Appendectomy. 

Please share ARD awareness with everyone you know. 

Waiting To Obstruct

Frail and weak from illness, the ARD sufferer is no different than any other person who needs medical attention. Why then is the ARD sufferer medically ignored time and time again? 

With no hope for a "normal" life free from pain, many who suffer from adhesions cannot understand why so many physicians turn a deaf ear to their urgent plea for help. 

Many sufferers are told to live with the condition, follow a low residue diet, rely on laxatives, etc. (A doctor can make things sound so simple!)

Sadly, this is not a simple condition. Far from it. Adhesion sufferers often live with debilitating pain, nausea and vomiting, on a daily basis. Vomiting can often follow every attempt to eat. Something as simple as walking can literally become gut-wrenching, as adhesions often pull organs out of place. Organs that are fused together cause every movement to become extremely painful. Internal organs that were designed to glide along inside our body as we move are suddenly tethered down, stuck to other organs, and often to the abdominal wall and pelvic floor. Basically, everything is out of place. 

The person suffering from adhesions often feels lost in a flippant, uncaring medical world, as physician after physician blows the sufferer off--desperate to rid himself of this complex, huge liability that just showed up in his office. Even the doctor who does acknowledge the ARD sufferer will likely inform him or her that he will operate only if he (she) completely obstructs. 

It is devastating to sit before a doctor (your very hope!) and be told you must live a life of debilitating pain, along with the various symptoms brought on by the disorder. After the anger subsides, all you can do is cry. 

While the physician may feel he is looking out for your best interest (as is said: surgery for adhesions only causes more adhesions), there is no comfort to be found in his foresight when you are the one doubled over in pain while your life slowly ebbs away.

When one looks at the image above, is it any wonder the medical world turns a deaf ear? Adhesions that are wrapped around the bowel and other vital organs could scare away even the most confident physician.

Thankfully, you do not have to wait to obstruct. Gasless laparoscopy, a method of surgery being performed in Europe, is helping many sufferers regain their lives. See here: ATLAS

Please share the adhesions message with everyone you meet. Warn those who are scheduled for abdominal or pelvic surgery about the risk for adhesions. 

*Image property of EndoGyn, Ltd., used with permission. 

 

C-Section: Those Left To Suffer From The Misgav Ladach Method

Misgav Ladach Most women will never hear this term, but may end up suffering the consequences of this form of cesarean section. 

After a 14-year battle to uncover the truth behind our daughter's painful suffering, in 2002, after exploratory surgery, we finally learned she was suffering from adhesions. She had been extremely ill from age 13 to age 27. Ignored by many physicians, ridiculed and berated by others', we were told she must learn to "live with it" in regards to her on-going abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, inability to eat as a normal person, inability to walk uprightly (as we later learned the adhesions were pulling the organs together, thus trying to stand upright was very painful), migraines, back pain, difficulty breathing, and repeat bowel obstructions. Unfortunately, two surgeries in the USA proved futile. In fact, those surgeries exacerbated her pain and suffering. 

Determined to find help, we continued to search the internet. In 2003, we found Dr. Daniel Kruschinski. After a mere four-hour surgery, Melissa was well. It was hard to believe. My mind couldn't comprehend Melissa living a "normal" life after seeing her suffering so many years. Our battle had been very hard-earned. Many years passed. We continued to sing the praises of Dr. K (as he is known to many) and shared Melissa's story with the hope that no other young girl/woman live a life of relentless pain while the medical world turned its head the other way.

In December 2007, Melissa had not been feeling well during her second pregnancy. She had a high-risk doctor, as she had developed preeclampsia. Though she insisted she was worse, her doctor told her everything was fine. A few evenings later, Melissa was so sick she just wanted to sleep. I knew in my heart this was a warning; I insisted we go to the ER to have her checked out. Within minutes after our arrival, she was loaded into an ambulance and sent to a larger hospital that could handle HELLP syndrome. It was the first time we had ever heard of this condition. 

We were told a highly-skilled physician was being called in, as the baby had to be delivered immediately. Little did we know that this physician-who was briefed on Melissa's history with abdominal adhesions-would perform a c-section that would leave her suffering from a hernia, further adhesions, risk of bowel obstructions, and a continual feeling that "something is wrong with my stomach." See: C-Section

Here we sit today, shaking our heads in disbelief, that Melissa would not only fight the adhesions battle one more time, but she would also face a large-difficult to close-hernia as well. 

(Melissa is back home from Germany and doing well since her surgery May, 2014)

*Image property of EndoGyn. Dense Adhesions
of the omentum to the anterior abdominal wall where the 
peritoneum and the abdominal muscle were not closed during                                                        a "Misgay-Ladach" c-section. The risk of such adhesions is not only pain and
suffering, but the danger of a bowel obstruction if the bowel enters the 
holes in between the adhesions as is seen in these images.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Your C-Section

After years of living a life free from the pain of adhesions after a trip to Germany in 2003, we had no idea things were slowly changing inside the abdomen of my daughter after an emergency c-section in 2007.

Only noticing "something strange" with her abdomen, Melissa ignored the feelings for six years. She often stated that her stomach felt "like a bowl of spaghetti." She asked her OB/GYN if something was amiss, but he stated everything was fine. Melissa didn't feel she had adhesions from the c-section, so that was a blessing, but she knew something just wasn't right. 

Only weeks ago, Melissa called me one night and said she needed to go to the ER, as she was in a lot of abdominal pain. Imaging that night revealed a hernia. We were stunned. How could she have a hernia? (In fact, I thought the doctor must be mistaken). The doctor wanted to perform surgery, but Melissa refused. We stayed at the hospital until the pain subsided. Upon release, Melissa was advised to call her doctor and take the imaging to him or her. 

Once home, Melissa contacted Dr. Daniel Kruschinski. Within days, we were Germany bound. The last four images in the link below reveal the mess inside Melissa's abdomen. It was shocking to hear that the abdominal muscle that was opened to deliver Mazie had never been sutured back.  Dr. Kruschinski was upset, to say the least. He said, "As a surgeon, you open, you close! But, it was left open, which caused massive problems inside. I see this often is USA patients." 

At this point in life, I am left speechless. I am disgusted and appalled that surgeons in the USA have such disregard for the welfare of women. The surgeon who performed the c-section was actually called in because he is well-known for his precise skill. (Go figure) Melissa had developed HELLP syndrome and her high-risk doctor felt uneasy about the delivery, thus he called in this "better-skilled" surgeon. 

Months after the c-section, Melissa developed severe anemia, which resulted in years of ongoing IV iron treatments and continual blood tests. We were told (by a specialist) that Melissa did not receive the proper after-HELLP care she needed, which would have avoided the iron problems from occurring in the first place. 

Melissa and I never dreamed she would one day end up in Germany again, needing yet another surgery to resolve new problems that could have easily been avoided. I have posted about c-sections for years on end and cautioned women to avoid unnecessary c-sections because of the risk of adhesions. I had no knowledge that women are also at risk of the abdominal wall being left wide open by a performing surgeon. As always, most of us learn through our own experiences. Sadly, this experience has been a very painful, trying one for Melissa.

Once again, we hope that by sharing this experience someone else can avoid this mess!

We arrived home a few days ago and Melissa is healing from the surgery. She is feeling well and very thankful Dr. Kruschinski was able to take care of this new problem. We are grateful. Thanks also to Dr. K for his continuing education to the public by providing imagery and explanation through the cases he receives. 

UNSUTURED

Big Pharma and Adhesions

The Endometriosis Connection-Adhesions

Why would a doctor place all focus on endometriosis when adhesions may be the actual cause of pain and suffering? Maybe it's because if you discuss this debilitating illness, you must also have an answer for the patient. But, hold on. Let's keep it simple. Don't confuse a woman who is already suffering, right?

This seems to be how many physicians think, as most dodge the debilitating illness known as:

Adhesions

Even the physician who mentions adhesions-or scarring-often minimizes the involvement. Adhesions are often skipped over and medically blown off as just one of those annoyances of endo! (And don't you worry your little head about it).

More often than not, women are steered in the direction of endometriosis, not allowed to look left or right where adhesions may be wreaking havoc on internal organs.

Many women know the feeling of being trapped in a vehicle as a male driver-determined to reach a certain destination at a certain time-will not allow anything to come between the destination and the clock running in his mind. 

Cute boutiques fly by on every side. The woman may say, "Oh, I'd like to stop thereeeeeeeeee........." as the man in control of the wheel whizzes by, determined he must beat the clock, knock down the miles. And when he reaches the destination, he will brag to any male standing nearby how quickly he covered the 350 miles. The woman trapped in the middle of this beat-the-clock game may have seen a flash of pink in a store window, but she didn't get the opportunity to walk in, feel the fabric, or notice the tiny white flowers embroidered across the hem. 

Today, it is imperative that women force the medical vehicle to stop. It is time to ask the physician why he (or she) is flying by the adhesions that are a subsequent illness brought on by one of two things:

The inflammation of endometriosis, or the surgical procedure performed to remove the endometriosis. (And quite possibly a combination of the two.)

Granted, when you slow this particular vehicle, you will likely meet resistance. Remember, the driver may have one destination in mind-endometriosis-and he may not allow anything to come between his plan and that destination. 

He or she may not want to explore adhesions with you. He or she may attempt to keep you from exiting the vehicle, preferring you not look too closely at the adhesions that are pulling organs out of place.

For more information about symptoms after endo surgery, click here: Adhesions 

Adhesion Formation Risk and Surgical Technique

Adhesions form as the body attempts to repair itself from injury. Surgery, particularly abdominal surgery, is an injury to the body that causes scar tissue-adhesions-to form. While most people will never know they have adhesions, others will end up with debilitating symptoms as the scar tissue begins to overcompensate from the surgical insult.

But, is the body actually overcompensating? Perhaps in some cases, but consider if the surgeon had handled the surgical procedure in a different manner?

While one surgeon might balk at the suggestion that technique matters, another might be "up in arms" in regards to the manner in which surgery is carried out.

It all depends on the surgeon. 

At the link below, one can see there is room for debate when it comes to surgical procedure and the risks for the patient. 

Tissue Handling

Further, while one surgeon thinks nothing of splitting a patient wide open Laparotomy, another surgeon will do everything in his power to avoid this invasive procedure Risk For Adhesions. 

Most surgeons do not inform the patient of technique, how tissue will be handled, etc. These things are rarely-if ever-discussed from doctor to patient. Thanks to the internet, the patient is becoming more pro-active when it comes to his or her health. Study, Share, Inform. Do not become another ARD statistic. 
 

Adhesions. Medically Misled?

A woman diagnosed with endometriosis may fail to receive any information from her doctor in regards to adhesion formation. Often ignored by the physician, adhesions can be a completely debilitating condition and often the cause behind pain and symptoms that are solely blamed on endometriosis. 

Have you been medically misled? 

With endometrisois affecting an estimated 176 million women and girls worldwide, one could beg to question just how many of these sufferers are actually suffering from adhesions?

Adhesions, an all-too-common illness, certainly plays a less than stellar role in the medical world. Since surgery is the number one cause of the illness, the physician is-most likely-the last person to point a finger toward this illness. Because of this, women who have never had surgery of any kind certainly fall through the cracks when it comes to debilitating abdominal or pelvic pain.

In my daughter's case, she had never had surgery. Developing crippling abdominal and pelvic pain at age 13, accompanied with nausea, vomiting, back pain and migraines--and later, breathing difficulties--it would take a 14-year medical battle before a true diagnosis would come. Even then, when a surgeon discovered adhesions as the cause of her pain and suffering during a laparoscopic procedure, he would later insist she should begin Lupron treatments to deal with "endo" pain. 

Granted, six weeks earlier, he had said she did not have endometriosis, rather adhesions. When I pointed out his error, he became....

Angry.

And why? 

Initially, I expected he had confused my daughter with another patient. But no. There was no confusion. He was visibly angry when I reminded him of his own post-op words. After a visible grimace-and an attemtpt to send me to hades by way of a heated glare-he insisted, again, she start Lupron treatments!

I was aghast. It made no sense! 

Days later, this same surgeon would phone my daughter on her cell phone and tell her to leave her mother at home when she came for her next appointment.

Nice. 

The header at this facebook page Adhesions reflects images of adhesions that were found during surgery. As one can see, organs are compromised and unable to function properly. Portions of the intestines, which should be gliding freely inside the abdominal cavity, are instead pulled and fused to female organs. One can imagine how the remainder of the intestines appear--and are unable to function. Further, we later learned that all of her abdominal organs were fused together. The stomach was fused to the liver, liver to the ribcage, pelvic organs fused, adhesions to the abdominal wall and the diaphragm encased in adhesions as well. 

Read your operative reports, follow your gut (no pun intended), and find your way to a life that is free from the painful illness that many physicians refuse to even acknowledge, let alone, discuss: adhesion related disorder. 

Adhesions. Is Your Physician Dodging This All-Too-Common Abdominal Illness?

Have you ever found yourself "roped" into a deal, only to later learn that during the sell phase, critical facts of the deal were left out?

Some people have invested hundreds, some thousands, into deals that were sold as the thing that would change their financial future. Later, that deal is thrown in a corner collecting dust. Most of us chalk it up to experience and go on with our lives, though we may be kicking our backside for failing to thoroughly explore the situation before investing our hard-earned money.

The same is true when it comes to medical situations, yet much more than money is at stake. Your very life can literally hang in the balance when it comes to illness. For those who suffer from adhesions, what you don't know can cost you everything.

Sadly, ARD sufferers-more often than not-have many hurdles to clear just to receive a proper diagnosis! Many sufferers present with all signs and symptoms of adhesions, but the medical world has long skirted this all-too-common medical illness. It is commonplace for an ARD sufferer to be "diagnosed" with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), endometriosis, depression, etc. Even after undergoing scans, xrays, and an array of other medical tests, the sufferer is often told nothing was found. Since adhesions are not visible on standard medical tests, these tests prove futile. However, even though the adhesions are not visible, the xrays may indeed be telling the story: images that reflect "narrowed" intestines are images that scream: ADHESIONS.

In my daughter's case, we saw these images many times-the intestines narrowed down so tightly that areas were almost as thin as ribbon! Still yet, though the bowel was completely encased in adhesions, physician after physician dodged the obvious. Why? Looking back, I believe adhesions are the physicians worst nightmare. The medical risks are high, as adhesiolysis is a tedious, time-consuming surgical procedure. Further, history shows the positive outcome for the patient is extremely low in most cases. 

Physicians are human beings. Most of us protect ourselves and our family first; the physician is no different. Yes, they went to medical school to help the suffering patient, but as in any business, we all have our limits. None of us are thrilled when a difficult task-that will not make us a dollar more for our effort-is dumped in our laps. It is tempting-and usually pretty easy-to pass the difficult tasks on to someone else. Statistics show the adhesion sufferer gets passed...and passed...and passed, as the average sufferer will search for an answer to his or her condition, going from one doctor to the next, a whopping 7-10 years before being properly diagnosed! Now, that's a whole lot of "skirting the issue." 

Read more from the stories of ARD sufferers: 

Faces Of ARD

 

Endometriosis. Why It Can Hurt To Be A Woman.

Many women suffer the painful effects of endometriosis. As stated in this article, It Hurts! more than 6 million women in the USA suffer from endo. 

While most women who suffer from this condition become accustomed (later accepting) to the misery after enduring a battery of medical tests-even surgery-many remain in the dark when it comes to a subsequent enemy that often lurks in the shadows: adhesions.

Speaking from experience, my own daughter suddenly became ill at 13 years of age. Debilitated by abdominal and pelvic pain, nausea and vomiting, a year would pass before we received a diagnosis: Crohn's disease. At the time, I had never heard of this illness. Determined to help my daughter, I began studying the illness. Over time, I came to believe Melissa had been misdiagnosed.

Little did I know, my suspicions would not be welcomed by the physician. In the beginning, my questions were answered with questions. "What have you been reading?" "Why would you think that?"
"Do you not accept the diagnosis?" "Don't you want what is best for your daughter?" "Why can't you understand your daughter is sick?!" On and on....I quickly learned I was not allowed to think outside the CROHN'S box.  

So, I took her to other doctors. More and more tests were performed. Years passed. Melissa, unable to live a quality life, became weary of going from one doctor to the next. I couldn't blame her-I was weary too. It was much worse for her, however, due to the pain and misery. 

During all this, we were aware she was dealing with ovarian cysts, but we were told to ignore them. As long as the cysts ruptured on their own, (though painful) this was just part of being a...gulp....

WOMAN,

so settle your little hysterical self down and keep taking the prednisone for the.....

CROHN'S DISEASE

Undeterred, we continued to fight for Melissa. We ditched the gastroenterologists and began going to OB/GYN's. I had decided maybe, just maybe, she had endometriosis. In 2002, we found an OB/GYN who agreed to do laparoscopy surgery (all other doctors had refused) and have a look inside just to see what was going on. The surgery went much longer than we had been told, so my husband and I were getting rather anxious when the surgeon finally came through the doors holding a pile of photographs. 

"Have you ever heard of adhesions?" he asked. "No," we both replied. He thumbed through the images and continued, "I didn't find endometriosis, but what I found was probably worse. This girl is covered up in adhesions! I've freed them up, so she will do fine now."

"You mean. She. Will. Be. Well?" I couldn't believe my ears!

"Yes, she will be well. A few days to recover and all will be fine!"

Little did I know then, those would turn out to be famous last words.

In the moment, however, I was beyond elated. My daughter would be WELL! Thirteen years had passed! She was twenty-six years old-it had been one long, hard fought battle! And now, to hear the word WELL.

When Melissa woke from surgery and I told her the good news, she barely gave a ho-hum. I kept trying to explain, but her emotions were flat. She said nothing. Later, she would tell me how, in that moment, she didn't have the heart to tell me that nothing had changed inside. She felt all the pain she had always felt.

I'm happy to report, our story did finally come to a good ending. Melissa IS well now and has been for eleven years. But, the journey to get to the bottom of the adhesions issues was not an easy one. 

Since that time, I have listened as many women who do have endometriosis are unaware that adhesion formation may be the actual cause of the pain and suffering they are enduring. I have heard women share how their insides look like cement from the adhesions the endo has caused, yet they continue to look for a doctor who can help them with the endo, never realizing the frozen abdomen is playing a huge role-and sometimes the ONLY role-in a life that has been swallowed up in pain and suffering. 

For more information: Images Awareness