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Questions and Answers About Adhesions (Surgical)
Hi, I have had a few questions about surgical adhesions. I am posting old posts from another website that I'd responded to at one time. It is long and detailed, but it is thorough. And, gosh, if anyone suffering from adhesions finds it helpful...WONDERFUL!
Take care, Mary
Take care, Mary
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your info. I'm not sure exactly what type of tissue buildup this is, but will see the doc. tomorrow for my checkup and ask her. I just know that I don't want the type of problems that I had with my other incisions, (bikini vs. my new vertical), and sure don't like the scar tissue I feel building up. It doesn't hurt or pull, (yet), and hopefully it won't. But if I can help in any way so it doesn't, then great! Thanks again for your help as well as your greetings. Catch you later, Cindy
Thanks for your info. I'm not sure exactly what type of tissue buildup this is, but will see the doc. tomorrow for my checkup and ask her. I just know that I don't want the type of problems that I had with my other incisions, (bikini vs. my new vertical), and sure don't like the scar tissue I feel building up. It doesn't hurt or pull, (yet), and hopefully it won't. But if I can help in any way so it doesn't, then great! Thanks again for your help as well as your greetings. Catch you later, Cindy
Yea, it's a crazy thing...those Dermoids! I read somewhere that on rare occasions, a guy can get a Dermoid too, on their testicals. I'm sure it would be a lot smaller, but geeze....could you imagine?? I bet a guy would be a basket case...haha!! Cindy
Hi Cindy,
I think my girlfriend suffers from the kind of adhesions you are talking about. But, I might be confused. When she has a surgical cut, she gets a build up of something I want to call keloids. I found this on the internet....."Scars caused by increased tissue formation are caused by a build up of collagen in the skin. These are called hypertrophic and keloid scars". ...
But, I did want to clarify since the kind of adhesions I am talking about are the kind that "GLUE" your body together inside (lovely, huh?) and not that the kind you are talking about are all that fun to have, but I am not sure if the body rolling would help in this case. I would love to think that it would. But, I just wanted to check in with you to make sure I had a good understanding of the kind of scar tissue of which you were speaking.
Welcome to the site...I do hope you find answers. Til Later, Mary
I think my girlfriend suffers from the kind of adhesions you are talking about. But, I might be confused. When she has a surgical cut, she gets a build up of something I want to call keloids. I found this on the internet....."Scars caused by increased tissue formation are caused by a build up of collagen in the skin. These are called hypertrophic and keloid scars". ...
But, I did want to clarify since the kind of adhesions I am talking about are the kind that "GLUE" your body together inside (lovely, huh?) and not that the kind you are talking about are all that fun to have, but I am not sure if the body rolling would help in this case. I would love to think that it would. But, I just wanted to check in with you to make sure I had a good understanding of the kind of scar tissue of which you were speaking.
Welcome to the site...I do hope you find answers. Til Later, Mary
the hair on my noggin is falling out, but we can grow hair in our ovaries...just doesn't seem fair!!!!!
Hello Cindy and welcome to the site! I love your name! Makes me think of lassos and blonde braids for some reason. Sounds like you are doing well and made the right decision yaaay!
We get excited about Dermoids here lol. That was sure a big 'un!
I don't know if anyone has had vertical incisions for a cyst removal, but loads of us have issues with adhesions ... We discuss it at length and we roll around on balls! (you have to look for Mary53's post re adhesions for that one!)
If nobody finds ya buried down here (it's a few days stale) re-post a new thread and you will get more answers than you ever dreamed of I am sure!
Love, Katie
We get excited about Dermoids here lol. That was sure a big 'un!
I don't know if anyone has had vertical incisions for a cyst removal, but loads of us have issues with adhesions ... We discuss it at length and we roll around on balls! (you have to look for Mary53's post re adhesions for that one!)
If nobody finds ya buried down here (it's a few days stale) re-post a new thread and you will get more answers than you ever dreamed of I am sure!
Love, Katie
OH DUH the adhesions posts are right above here!!!!! But not sure about that vertical incision, we'll find out if anyone sees this if they know anything...stay tuned....
Hi and thanks for the info. I did see about rolling on the ball. Sounds interesting. I can really feel the scar tissue building up now and despite my doc. telling me adhesions shouldn't be a problem, I am still a little wary, so want to be informed. But, this is why I chose the vertical, as I already had experienced problems with the horizontial incision, (from the caesareans), so thought I'd try something different. Plus, some younger friends who have had vertical incisions from their caesareans do 'not' have adhesion problems. Hence, my decision. Time will tell though. And yea, it was a big 'un' indeed. There was hair and a thyroid gland too. Yuck. But, when they told me what I had, I knew exactly what it was as I had seen some TV special on it. Guess the 'alien' itself wasn't too big, just lots of fatty tissue. Gross! But, living on the farm treats me to many gross things more often than not, so we had fun with it too, (lots of jokes). Anyway, as you suggested, I may try a new thread in a day or two, if I don't see too much here. In the meantime, thanks again! Cindy
Hi all,
First time posting here, or anywhere for that matter, (hope I do this right!). Found the website about 4 weeks ago and it was of great help, (thank you to all!!). A large cyst was found on my right ovary, (16cm x16cm x12cm) and I had the surgery to remove it Apr.3. It grew fast and was even a bit largeer than that, once they took it out. (It had been bleeding into itself which caused it to grow fast towards the end). It was a Dermoid and because of the size, had my right ovary and fallopian tube removed. I chose to leave the rest of it in, as we have an otherwise healthy family history of female reproductive organs, and everything else looked great once the doc got in there. Plus, as some say, the uterus has move value than being someone's potential future home. Surgery and recovery have been a breeze. But it helped that I knew a bit what to expect having 2 kids caesarean 22 and 24 years ago, (I am 49yrs.), and, needless to say, I wanted that thing out fast!! I also think it has helped because I live on a farm and to steal my dad's line...'am in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in'. (twice daily heavy-type chores every day.....fun or foolish.....not always sure..ha!) I'm not doing barn chores or riding my horses yet, but am walking a mile a day already, (something I already did, prior to surgery). But, after those two caesarean's, I developed adhesions that still bother me to this day, mostly while turning over in bed at night. (Had the bikini cut back then....like I thought I'd ever be in a bikini again!!) I asked the doc if she could do a vertical incision this time around to avoid more adhesion problems, and she did. So, my question is, if anyone has had a vertical incision for a cyst removal, did you have any problems with adhesions and if so, what did you do about it? I've had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists in the past 14 months and using Palmers Cocoa Butter really helped. But this, of course, is a large incision by comparison. I don't have any problems so far, but it's only been barely over 2 weeks. I go in for my check-up on Thursday the 20th, but I thought I'd ask around. Thanks for taking a moment to read. Cindy
First time posting here, or anywhere for that matter, (hope I do this right!). Found the website about 4 weeks ago and it was of great help, (thank you to all!!). A large cyst was found on my right ovary, (16cm x16cm x12cm) and I had the surgery to remove it Apr.3. It grew fast and was even a bit largeer than that, once they took it out. (It had been bleeding into itself which caused it to grow fast towards the end). It was a Dermoid and because of the size, had my right ovary and fallopian tube removed. I chose to leave the rest of it in, as we have an otherwise healthy family history of female reproductive organs, and everything else looked great once the doc got in there. Plus, as some say, the uterus has move value than being someone's potential future home. Surgery and recovery have been a breeze. But it helped that I knew a bit what to expect having 2 kids caesarean 22 and 24 years ago, (I am 49yrs.), and, needless to say, I wanted that thing out fast!! I also think it has helped because I live on a farm and to steal my dad's line...'am in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in'. (twice daily heavy-type chores every day.....fun or foolish.....not always sure..ha!) I'm not doing barn chores or riding my horses yet, but am walking a mile a day already, (something I already did, prior to surgery). But, after those two caesarean's, I developed adhesions that still bother me to this day, mostly while turning over in bed at night. (Had the bikini cut back then....like I thought I'd ever be in a bikini again!!) I asked the doc if she could do a vertical incision this time around to avoid more adhesion problems, and she did. So, my question is, if anyone has had a vertical incision for a cyst removal, did you have any problems with adhesions and if so, what did you do about it? I've had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists in the past 14 months and using Palmers Cocoa Butter really helped. But this, of course, is a large incision by comparison. I don't have any problems so far, but it's only been barely over 2 weeks. I go in for my check-up on Thursday the 20th, but I thought I'd ask around. Thanks for taking a moment to read. Cindy
Hey, I have to tell you that I was trying to figure out what looked different on that other web forum. I was wondering if they had removed the thread that included the "credentials." And, good for you to write them an email. What a strange week, eh? ( I love that!)....I would have been lost if not for all of you on this site. I know I have said that before but seriously, if I had posted over there and had all of this happen without anyone to run it by...(DH cares, but does not have a clue and is not terribly internet/computer savvy. He listened but I kind of got that "blank" look from him.)
Was dinner great???
We went out to dinner tonight with daughter (a Katie) husband and Mother in law. Nice night. Katie's laptop looks bad. I told you that it crashed. She did back up stuff up to a month ago. But, so much is gone. The University she attends in California is great and I know she can get extensions, but all of her assignments and all of her digital artwork was on there. The Geek Squad is trying to retrieve what it can, but they said they are baffled....and, it was a very nice laptop. Needs a new motherboard and hard drive. Under warranty but will take a month and a half to fix. So, we are looking at Apples (great for Art students) and then I would take the laptop when it is refurbished. I have wanted one forever...What are you going to do, though. She is handling it so well...only had a few tears this afternoon. She had an interview for a summer internship today that went very well. And, she had planned on taking her laptop to the interview to show her artwork....oh my.
Well, I put some info on a few posts...hormone stuff from the 13th...and, just in case you might be wondering...even though I think Ace from American Idol is very cool...the Ace I am referring to is ....ta da! Our own Ace Editor...Take care, and have a great weekend.
Mary
Was dinner great???
We went out to dinner tonight with daughter (a Katie) husband and Mother in law. Nice night. Katie's laptop looks bad. I told you that it crashed. She did back up stuff up to a month ago. But, so much is gone. The University she attends in California is great and I know she can get extensions, but all of her assignments and all of her digital artwork was on there. The Geek Squad is trying to retrieve what it can, but they said they are baffled....and, it was a very nice laptop. Needs a new motherboard and hard drive. Under warranty but will take a month and a half to fix. So, we are looking at Apples (great for Art students) and then I would take the laptop when it is refurbished. I have wanted one forever...What are you going to do, though. She is handling it so well...only had a few tears this afternoon. She had an interview for a summer internship today that went very well. And, she had planned on taking her laptop to the interview to show her artwork....oh my.
Well, I put some info on a few posts...hormone stuff from the 13th...and, just in case you might be wondering...even though I think Ace from American Idol is very cool...the Ace I am referring to is ....ta da! Our own Ace Editor...Take care, and have a great weekend.
Mary
Hi! We are having a nice weekend too, walking the dogs, working in the yard, puttering. Finally warming up here in Alberta. Dinner was nice, but it is strange without the 3 "kids". My mom got all chocked up and said "I remember hiding Easter egss....etc." They are just finishing exams.
POOR your Katie and the laptop. I've had a couple of crashes, and just about had a nervous breakdown. I go NUTS when my computer is on the fritz...and hers sounds nasty. I never back up! I live for danger! My daughter has the Apple, she LOVES it. I like using it too, so user friendly....
Hope everyone reading here is OK (I felt terrible for Christine about her mother) Love, Katie
POOR your Katie and the laptop. I've had a couple of crashes, and just about had a nervous breakdown. I go NUTS when my computer is on the fritz...and hers sounds nasty. I never back up! I live for danger! My daughter has the Apple, she LOVES it. I like using it too, so user friendly....
Hope everyone reading here is OK (I felt terrible for Christine about her mother) Love, Katie
I love that "Night, Mare"!
I sure hope Debi is sleeping better...
I gotta tell ya, GUESS what post has vanished from you know where? I also sent the owners of the site a long email explaining why I feel that if a forum is truly patient to patient, it should be just that, and no one from "HERS Foundation" should be allowed to dictate their philosphy there. People can go to their web site if they want that dominating, militant and cruel approach. I felt very hurt by their tone. (sob)
Yahoo going out for dinner with my mom and dad and DH. Are you having a blast with your daughter?
Love, Katie
PS I gotta get rollin' oh hahaahhhahaaaa (bad)
I sure hope Debi is sleeping better...
I gotta tell ya, GUESS what post has vanished from you know where? I also sent the owners of the site a long email explaining why I feel that if a forum is truly patient to patient, it should be just that, and no one from "HERS Foundation" should be allowed to dictate their philosphy there. People can go to their web site if they want that dominating, militant and cruel approach. I felt very hurt by their tone. (sob)
Yahoo going out for dinner with my mom and dad and DH. Are you having a blast with your daughter?
Love, Katie
PS I gotta get rollin' oh hahaahhhahaaaa (bad)
Hey, Katie, So glad to hear that you are sleeping better. Actually, I have heard on more than a few occasions that both products can make people sleepy...so, hey, if it works.
The power of suggestion is very powerful, too, though...but, in this case the supplement is actually doing the trick.
"You are getting VeRRRRRy sleeeepy....."
Mare
The power of suggestion is very powerful, too, though...but, in this case the supplement is actually doing the trick.
"You are getting VeRRRRRy sleeeepy....."
Mare
By the way Mary, you suggested taking calcium and magnesium for sleeping probs, and I started doing that a few days back. Well, guess what? Yep I am sleeping better! Is this just because I am very suggestible??! The Power of Positive Thinking eh! I tend to be sceptical about supplements, etc. but ... hey ... if it's working....
Cheers ;)
Cheers ;)
Thanks Mary!! I thought I had remembered reading a post about this before and was wondering how to back track through all these threads. So THANK YOU!! Congrats on your 5-yr mark and wishing you many more. Take care and God Bless!
Hugs,
Darlyn
Hugs,
Darlyn
Hey, Thanks Katie.
I edited out a piece where I wrote about bone health and bone loss and the loss I suffered two and a half years after my surgery. I wonder if it was partly to blame because I waited so long to go on the Bio Progesterone. I have worked out since 1983 doing aerobics and then adding wt. training in about 1990.
One day I fell on ice and broke my wrist badly...I guess all broken wrists are bad. I was surprised that my bone broke. I had fallen before in the past and had maybe sprained my wrist. Hmmm.
A bone density test showed I was in Osteopenia...the hip bone test. The Spine test was fine and in the normal range. They test these two spots because all bone in the body is similar to one of the two places they do the scan (spine or hip)...that is what they told me. Anyway, I challenged myself and within one year I had boosted my bone health back to the high end of normal for both tests.
I added extra calcium and magnesium (very important) and "upped" my wt. training. I do it at home with free wts. Nothing fancy, but try to do 15 - 20 min. four times a week. I think I did more during this challenge year. Upper body one day and then lower body the next and I took one day off a week. Kept up the aerobics too doing about 20 - 40 min. of pulse monitored aerobics (A big Covert Bailey fan, I am ...great aerobic author) five days a week. I actually read a book and saw a movie and had dinner twice with my husband during this period of time :) ..........
Anyway, I digress for humor. Okay, My doc was shocked. I was thrilled. You don't want to Lose BONE. NOT FUN. AT ALL.
Ok....I have to go to bed. Have to. Goodnight my dears. Mary, or as my brother used to say, "Night Mare."
I edited out a piece where I wrote about bone health and bone loss and the loss I suffered two and a half years after my surgery. I wonder if it was partly to blame because I waited so long to go on the Bio Progesterone. I have worked out since 1983 doing aerobics and then adding wt. training in about 1990.
One day I fell on ice and broke my wrist badly...I guess all broken wrists are bad. I was surprised that my bone broke. I had fallen before in the past and had maybe sprained my wrist. Hmmm.
A bone density test showed I was in Osteopenia...the hip bone test. The Spine test was fine and in the normal range. They test these two spots because all bone in the body is similar to one of the two places they do the scan (spine or hip)...that is what they told me. Anyway, I challenged myself and within one year I had boosted my bone health back to the high end of normal for both tests.
I added extra calcium and magnesium (very important) and "upped" my wt. training. I do it at home with free wts. Nothing fancy, but try to do 15 - 20 min. four times a week. I think I did more during this challenge year. Upper body one day and then lower body the next and I took one day off a week. Kept up the aerobics too doing about 20 - 40 min. of pulse monitored aerobics (A big Covert Bailey fan, I am ...great aerobic author) five days a week. I actually read a book and saw a movie and had dinner twice with my husband during this period of time :) ..........
Anyway, I digress for humor. Okay, My doc was shocked. I was thrilled. You don't want to Lose BONE. NOT FUN. AT ALL.
Ok....I have to go to bed. Have to. Goodnight my dears. Mary, or as my brother used to say, "Night Mare."
Thanks Mary, I looked and looked and looked for that post....but I was looking for BALLS!!!! he he he
Thanks for posting, gosh hope your fingers are OK! Love from,
Ace Ed
Thanks for posting, gosh hope your fingers are OK! Love from,
Ace Ed
Hi, This contains several posts that I put together. I hope I caught all the paragraphs that for some reason were "repeating." Goodnight for now, Mary
ADHESIONS:
I would like to address the problem of those nasty adhesions. I, too, had surgical adhesions. We didn't know what all the horrid pain was about. I was baffled, so was my doctor.
The adhesions were discovered during a colonoscopy. I was having tons of pain in the area where I'd had my surgery (everything, including cervix, and appendicts (sp?) was taken). Prior to the colonoscopy, I'd had an MRI trying to find the cause of the pain. I developed Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) ..(found out this was caused by the adhesions. I was a mess! During the colonoscopy, I could honestly say that it would NOT have been bad...really..and I don't want to scare anyone, but, mine was horrible and even the drug, Verstad didn't help. The problem was because the doctor found all of these surgical adhesions and they had formed particularly around the colon and were collapsing it...thus the IBS. Well, the colonoscopy actually ultimately gave me relief because it "stretched" out the colon and the adhesions. "ouch"...
At the time I was attending a weight training class. Although I'd had some relief due to the colonoscopy, the thought of having a yearly colonoscopy to STRETCH out the colon and break up the adhesions was NOT very appealing. Anyway, the pain was so bad one day that I told the teacher that I had to leave. She talked me into working with her on a massage ball (a small ball, not a pilates ball)...this has been around for about 18 years and she had just taken a class in it. Two half hour sessions of rolling on this ball (like a smallish soccer ball)...leaning my body wt. into it, literally placing the ball underneath me and "rolling" on it...slowly.....and, I have had tons and tons of relief. I could not believe it! I would lay on the pubic bone and then take about four minutes or so to SLOWLY (while remembering to take deep breaths) work my way out to where the ovaries once were...my right side was worse, and interestingly enough, that is where I'd had two cysts, one from which they had aspirated cancer cells during a tubal...long story, but, thankfully, I have been cancer free for five years...anyway! I digress.
There might be information on line if you "google"...massage balls (smaller than a soccer ball, not too hard, not too soft), instructions...classes..etc..Actually, I know you can find a website for it where they sort of teach you to do it at home. My instructor had just started to look into this, because she said as we age, we "glue together"...and that this releases much of the gluing because of all the blood, thus oxygen, it brings to the area. It seems to break things up. She intended to teach elderly people because the "gluing" is so bad as we age if we don't treat it.
It is truely amazing. I noticed a HUGE difference immediately. When I sat up after the fist time I did this (about a 15 min. session) I could feel a "FLOOD" or a Rush of blood or something! going to that area. After having pain about 40 times an HOUR for over a year and a half after my surgery, my pain decreased to only about 10 times a DAY for a few seconds. I just did this massage two days ago, because my right side was hurting again, but, I had not done a session since last winter.
It is worth looking into. You want to get the blood to the bone, not just the muscle....so it floods the tendons and gets lots of oxegyn there to start healing and breaking up the adhesions. My instructor told me to think of a steak and how the tendon is sort of splotchy with blood where it is attached to the bone...well, you want to get the blood totally to the bone so as to really break things up. Regular massage is not "deep" enough.
I told my OB/GYN about this and he was amazed. I am still amazed. Well, something to check out...Hope I don't leave anyone hanging, but at least it can put adhesion sufferers on another avenue of good old reseach to finally find some answers. Take care.
Because of the pain I was having (which was due to the scar tissue (although we did not know what it was initially) which started about five months after my surgery, they thought perhaps I had colon cancer....again, as I said in my earlier post, I had an MRI...NOTHING was found. Frustrating. Then, during the colonoscopy....there they were! The doctor just exclaimed...."WOW, you have a ton of adhesions"...you could see them ( and YES...feel them) being stretched. Please know I am not trying to be pushy...but, spare yourself years of pain if it is adhesions....see if your doctor has heard of anyone getting relief as I did thru the special massage, designed particularly to break up adhesions....surgical and/or otherwise.
Hi, Glad I could provide some interesting and helpful information. I, too, am starting to feel less alone, not realizing that many others also suffer from adhesion pain...the things they didn't tell us! Happy to be able to share my story on how I got some relief. Of course now I cannot find the name of the ball of which I spoke. I really could put in a call to my old weight training instructor( I reversed bone loss by bumping up my calcium intake and adding more weight training sessions)....anyway, I may call her to get the name of the "ball." I did just google "exercises for breaking up adhesions" ..I did find an interesting site from "OBGYN.net chat" that showed a transcript from a discussion about pelvic pain, abdominal hysterectomies and adhesions. No talk of the ball, though.
Also tried "massage therapy balls for surgical adhesions"...just play around with some words and you will find some interesting information regarding adhesions that might be helpful. Also try massage balls (again, not the big Pilates balls, or medicine balls)...I will keep hunting, too.
I expect to get an answer on the name of the ball within the next few days.
And, yes, my IBS was caused totally by my adhesions. Again, I can see where the colonoscopy might not be very bad at all, but when the doctor discovered he was actually stretching the adhesions, well, that was another story. When he suggested that I have a colonoscopy year ly to keep the adhesions stretched, I figured there had to be an easier way!!! Take care....Mary
(Radical Hysterectomy due to Ovarian cancer diagnosis, prior Severe Cervical Dysplasia, endometriosis)
Hi, I left a message for my old Weight training teacher (met her at a class at the local Community Center...what luck!) ....and, I asked her to call me and tell me the name of the ball again. In the meantime I will continue to research. I will tell you that I never ordered a ball from the website, but I picked up a smallish ball at Target in the children's toy section, and just used that a few times when the pain started to get bad again....like about every three months. Again: RELIEF. There were times that doing the procedure was not all that pleasant, especially when you are putting all of your weight on a ball and it is against a part of your body that is giving you pain anyway, but, in a weird way, it was a "good" hurt, you know? And, you could almost feel the blood rushing to that area to start to unglue, so to speak. I am not a doctor, but, as I said, I had told my doctor about this, and he was just happy I got relief. But, again, that is why I want to find the website on it, and I know there has been one in the past, so I am on a mission. That way you will have professional advice on what this thing is all about.
I have been immersed in research regarding the ball technique that I have spoken of. It is so interesting and reassuring....I cannot believe how many websites I have found and there is so much on massage techniques used to break up adhesions...just what adhesions are, how they form as the body heals from surgery or trauma, why they form, and also information on the pain caused by these lovely things (that one we knew about, didn't we?).
My old weight training instructor called today to give me some information regarding the techniques used. She said it is called "Body Rolling." Specifically, "Yamuna body logic" Bodylogic.com is the website. (However, I like to use Google so that when I type different words in, like adhesions; yamuna body logic for adhesions; surgical adhesions; body rolling to break up adhesions...you get the picture. I like to then like to click "cached" to get to the website so that the words I have googled are highlighted in the article or website I am checking out). I believe Yamuna is the first name of the woman who developed this technique. Some of the sites offer an explanation on the different types of massage, including deep tissue massage. But, Yamuna's technique talks about getting blood to the bone and the tendon and not just the muscle. Very interesting.
Oh, there is another website that my teacher referenced. It is OPTP.com and it is based in Minneapolis. It is all about fitness balls of various sizes. They sell something called the "thera cane" that they say breaks up surgical adhesions. I have never tried that item. But, I would start with the body rolling first.
I measured my ball tonight. It measured 16 inches. Again, though, I did not get the ball thru the website. I got one in a toy section and it looked similar to the one the instructor had used. It probably is bigger than the ones they recommend, but, if you think about it, it is squishy to the point where once all my weight is on it, it probably shrinks down to about ten inches. And, I just put my "front" onto the ball for the pelvic pain and not my back.
Geez, I always end up writing the longest posts. I feel like I have lived an entire life time, though, in the past five years. And, I am five years out cancer-free. Everyone's experiences are going to be unique to them, but if any of my experiences can be of benefit to women out there, I am so happy to help. I had NO IDEA that this journey would be so long or difficult, and yet, I know I have found some of the answers to feeling well. Take care, and let us know how things are going. To everyone, have a good week. Mary
ADHESIONS:
I would like to address the problem of those nasty adhesions. I, too, had surgical adhesions. We didn't know what all the horrid pain was about. I was baffled, so was my doctor.
The adhesions were discovered during a colonoscopy. I was having tons of pain in the area where I'd had my surgery (everything, including cervix, and appendicts (sp?) was taken). Prior to the colonoscopy, I'd had an MRI trying to find the cause of the pain. I developed Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) ..(found out this was caused by the adhesions. I was a mess! During the colonoscopy, I could honestly say that it would NOT have been bad...really..and I don't want to scare anyone, but, mine was horrible and even the drug, Verstad didn't help. The problem was because the doctor found all of these surgical adhesions and they had formed particularly around the colon and were collapsing it...thus the IBS. Well, the colonoscopy actually ultimately gave me relief because it "stretched" out the colon and the adhesions. "ouch"...
At the time I was attending a weight training class. Although I'd had some relief due to the colonoscopy, the thought of having a yearly colonoscopy to STRETCH out the colon and break up the adhesions was NOT very appealing. Anyway, the pain was so bad one day that I told the teacher that I had to leave. She talked me into working with her on a massage ball (a small ball, not a pilates ball)...this has been around for about 18 years and she had just taken a class in it. Two half hour sessions of rolling on this ball (like a smallish soccer ball)...leaning my body wt. into it, literally placing the ball underneath me and "rolling" on it...slowly.....and, I have had tons and tons of relief. I could not believe it! I would lay on the pubic bone and then take about four minutes or so to SLOWLY (while remembering to take deep breaths) work my way out to where the ovaries once were...my right side was worse, and interestingly enough, that is where I'd had two cysts, one from which they had aspirated cancer cells during a tubal...long story, but, thankfully, I have been cancer free for five years...anyway! I digress.
There might be information on line if you "google"...massage balls (smaller than a soccer ball, not too hard, not too soft), instructions...classes..etc..Actually, I know you can find a website for it where they sort of teach you to do it at home. My instructor had just started to look into this, because she said as we age, we "glue together"...and that this releases much of the gluing because of all the blood, thus oxygen, it brings to the area. It seems to break things up. She intended to teach elderly people because the "gluing" is so bad as we age if we don't treat it.
It is truely amazing. I noticed a HUGE difference immediately. When I sat up after the fist time I did this (about a 15 min. session) I could feel a "FLOOD" or a Rush of blood or something! going to that area. After having pain about 40 times an HOUR for over a year and a half after my surgery, my pain decreased to only about 10 times a DAY for a few seconds. I just did this massage two days ago, because my right side was hurting again, but, I had not done a session since last winter.
It is worth looking into. You want to get the blood to the bone, not just the muscle....so it floods the tendons and gets lots of oxegyn there to start healing and breaking up the adhesions. My instructor told me to think of a steak and how the tendon is sort of splotchy with blood where it is attached to the bone...well, you want to get the blood totally to the bone so as to really break things up. Regular massage is not "deep" enough.
I told my OB/GYN about this and he was amazed. I am still amazed. Well, something to check out...Hope I don't leave anyone hanging, but at least it can put adhesion sufferers on another avenue of good old reseach to finally find some answers. Take care.
Because of the pain I was having (which was due to the scar tissue (although we did not know what it was initially) which started about five months after my surgery, they thought perhaps I had colon cancer....again, as I said in my earlier post, I had an MRI...NOTHING was found. Frustrating. Then, during the colonoscopy....there they were! The doctor just exclaimed...."WOW, you have a ton of adhesions"...you could see them ( and YES...feel them) being stretched. Please know I am not trying to be pushy...but, spare yourself years of pain if it is adhesions....see if your doctor has heard of anyone getting relief as I did thru the special massage, designed particularly to break up adhesions....surgical and/or otherwise.
Hi, Glad I could provide some interesting and helpful information. I, too, am starting to feel less alone, not realizing that many others also suffer from adhesion pain...the things they didn't tell us! Happy to be able to share my story on how I got some relief. Of course now I cannot find the name of the ball of which I spoke. I really could put in a call to my old weight training instructor( I reversed bone loss by bumping up my calcium intake and adding more weight training sessions)....anyway, I may call her to get the name of the "ball." I did just google "exercises for breaking up adhesions" ..I did find an interesting site from "OBGYN.net chat" that showed a transcript from a discussion about pelvic pain, abdominal hysterectomies and adhesions. No talk of the ball, though.
Also tried "massage therapy balls for surgical adhesions"...just play around with some words and you will find some interesting information regarding adhesions that might be helpful. Also try massage balls (again, not the big Pilates balls, or medicine balls)...I will keep hunting, too.
I expect to get an answer on the name of the ball within the next few days.
And, yes, my IBS was caused totally by my adhesions. Again, I can see where the colonoscopy might not be very bad at all, but when the doctor discovered he was actually stretching the adhesions, well, that was another story. When he suggested that I have a colonoscopy year ly to keep the adhesions stretched, I figured there had to be an easier way!!! Take care....Mary
(Radical Hysterectomy due to Ovarian cancer diagnosis, prior Severe Cervical Dysplasia, endometriosis)
Hi, I left a message for my old Weight training teacher (met her at a class at the local Community Center...what luck!) ....and, I asked her to call me and tell me the name of the ball again. In the meantime I will continue to research. I will tell you that I never ordered a ball from the website, but I picked up a smallish ball at Target in the children's toy section, and just used that a few times when the pain started to get bad again....like about every three months. Again: RELIEF. There were times that doing the procedure was not all that pleasant, especially when you are putting all of your weight on a ball and it is against a part of your body that is giving you pain anyway, but, in a weird way, it was a "good" hurt, you know? And, you could almost feel the blood rushing to that area to start to unglue, so to speak. I am not a doctor, but, as I said, I had told my doctor about this, and he was just happy I got relief. But, again, that is why I want to find the website on it, and I know there has been one in the past, so I am on a mission. That way you will have professional advice on what this thing is all about.
I have been immersed in research regarding the ball technique that I have spoken of. It is so interesting and reassuring....I cannot believe how many websites I have found and there is so much on massage techniques used to break up adhesions...just what adhesions are, how they form as the body heals from surgery or trauma, why they form, and also information on the pain caused by these lovely things (that one we knew about, didn't we?).
My old weight training instructor called today to give me some information regarding the techniques used. She said it is called "Body Rolling." Specifically, "Yamuna body logic" Bodylogic.com is the website. (However, I like to use Google so that when I type different words in, like adhesions; yamuna body logic for adhesions; surgical adhesions; body rolling to break up adhesions...you get the picture. I like to then like to click "cached" to get to the website so that the words I have googled are highlighted in the article or website I am checking out). I believe Yamuna is the first name of the woman who developed this technique. Some of the sites offer an explanation on the different types of massage, including deep tissue massage. But, Yamuna's technique talks about getting blood to the bone and the tendon and not just the muscle. Very interesting.
Oh, there is another website that my teacher referenced. It is OPTP.com and it is based in Minneapolis. It is all about fitness balls of various sizes. They sell something called the "thera cane" that they say breaks up surgical adhesions. I have never tried that item. But, I would start with the body rolling first.
I measured my ball tonight. It measured 16 inches. Again, though, I did not get the ball thru the website. I got one in a toy section and it looked similar to the one the instructor had used. It probably is bigger than the ones they recommend, but, if you think about it, it is squishy to the point where once all my weight is on it, it probably shrinks down to about ten inches. And, I just put my "front" onto the ball for the pelvic pain and not my back.
Geez, I always end up writing the longest posts. I feel like I have lived an entire life time, though, in the past five years. And, I am five years out cancer-free. Everyone's experiences are going to be unique to them, but if any of my experiences can be of benefit to women out there, I am so happy to help. I had NO IDEA that this journey would be so long or difficult, and yet, I know I have found some of the answers to feeling well. Take care, and let us know how things are going. To everyone, have a good week. Mary
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