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*Note
from webmaster* - Stories with fictional names aren't normally included,
but due to the support BrokenWing
has shown the volunteer staff of Bombobeach, we are making an exception to the rule.
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 I had adhesions for 8 Years before detection 
I have 2 Children
I live in Dayton, Ohio USA
You can contact me at
browkenwing@sbcglobal.net
My story of adhesions started 8 weeks after the birth of my 2nd beautiful son in "1993". I went in for what was supposed to be a simple tubal ligation and was told it would only take about a half an hour with two bandaid size incisions and would go home in a couple of hours.
Instead that is when the nightmare began! The Dr. had cut on me for two and a half hours and I came out with a caesarean cut and a two inch incision at my belly
button. They ended up keeping me overnight because I was in such bad shape! I was laid up for 8 weeks and my incisions got infected. The Dr. told us that my peritoneum layer was too stretchy and he couldn't get the laparoscope in so without even asking my husband what he should do he just started cutting!
When I went back to the same office they made sure I never seen that Dr. again and later on we found out he was fresh out of med school! That is when the pain began! Nine months later another Dr. did a laparoscope to see what was going on and he told me that I had scar tissue around my bowels ovaries and tubes and that he lubed me up with something and I would be fine, I KNEW nothing about scar tissue and did not think anymore about it!
He also told me when it was just he and I in the office that he knew what the other Dr. had done he said he did not put the scope down far enough, put the gas in and distorted his own view and just kept cutting. Also in '93 I had a place removed under my left arm they were afraid it was cancerous because my Dad died at age 33 from lung cancer and Emphysema and my mother died at age 47 from liver and colon cancer :-( Thank God it was not cancerous! But it left me in terrible pain and I lose circulation in it! 
I went to many Dr.s for my arm and even went to pain specialist and had nerve blocks done in my neck it made things worse so I never went back! They all kept saying it was RSDS but yet I never had any of the symptoms RSDS had kinda like telling an adhesion suffer it is IBS! Anyway that's how I became AKA Browkenwing :-) One year after my
tubal ligation I had a total hysterectomy at age 27. I really did not have many problems with abdomen pain until I was doubled over in terrible pain in August of 1999, went to ER had my appendix removed and the appendix was just slightly inflamed but I was covered in adhesions, I still did not know anything about them.
That is when my bowels stopped working and I could not digest anything. I began to lose a lot of weight and started going to Doctor after Doctor and having test after test that showed nothing! That is when I looked on the internet about adhesions and found adhesions.org which has been a wonderful blessing to me and helped me find that I am not alone in this fight against adhesions! It was because of some of the postings I read that showed me I could get my OR reports and that is when reality hit me for the first time and that is why no one wanted to touch me because there it was in Black and white severe ADHESIONS on all the reports!
I even had a Gastro Dr. that came from another country said to me "Welcome to American Medicine, No one wants to touch you because you are a LAWSUIT waiting to happen!"
 After all the pain, losing 120lbs and shrinking 1 inch in height I found a GYN that was at least willing to take a look in July 2001. Unfortunately I let him do a laparotomy on me and yes I had severe adhesions all over my bowels, abdomen and pelvis. He also had to cut away adhesions to even get in the abdomen wall! Then he told me he used the Interceed barrier which was never even mentioned to me before the surgery! He also told me while I was still in the hospital that he was a GYN and this was not his job it was a general surgeons job, (That was his nice way of telling me not to come back).
I hoped and prayed it would work but here I am a year later in worse pain and suffering than I was a year ago! I was told to go to the Cleveland Clinic because of my bowel problem and if anyone could help me it would be them! Well I went to them in April 2002 and the Gastro Doctor said there is No structural problem and that it was adhesions Go to a pain clinic! We only drove 8 hours to hear the same thing that I have heard for the last 3 years.
I then swore I would never go back to another Doctor again but the pain got to bad and with my husband begging me to try and do something for the pain. I went to a Pain clinic that told me the pain I was having was because I was molested when I was 12 years old and it is a proven fact that women who have been abused mentally, physically or sexually have chronic abdomen pain and that I should seek counselling and I just suffer from IBS and would I like to read the book his college buddy just published about IBS!
I have lost ALL faith in the Medical Profession and I have no hope in site for any relief! I am surviving on Ensure, Jell-O, juice Popsicles and lots of H2O. These last few months have really taken it's toll on my family and myself! Adhesions have taken just about everything it can possibly take from us! My husband has lost his job because of trying to take care of me and the boy's!
We are now on public assistance and my husband is doing everything now by himself cause I am lucky to even get to the bathroom! I used to be a constantly on the go wife and mother now I am just a couch potato (That can't even eat potato chips). Adhesions have hurt me in all areas of my life Physically, emotionally and even sexually And it even reaches out to hurt my husband and my boy's our lives have been destroyed and No one seems to care!!!!
I am really sorry this is soooo long but I have never posted my story before and I have found by doing so it has given me away to release some emotions that I have from this horrible
disease. Even if no one ever reads this I am happy I wrote it because it has helped me tremendously just by writing it! God Bless My Adhesion Family!
The "International Adhesion Awareness Campaign"
Saved my Life!
This past summer I had been to several more doctors and the emergency room with no help for the pain and suffering I was going through. I could no longer take care of my family or myself. My husband had to quit a good job to take care of us and we had to go on welfare. Welfare told him he had to work 172 hrs a month for less then minimum wage or we would be cut off and the only way he was exempt from this was if our family doctor would sign a form that he was needed in the home to care for me. The doctor would not sign because he did not believe adhesions cause problems, that it was not a surgical problem and that I did not have enough documentation. I was no longer able to cook, clean, grocery shop, drive, watch my boy's race, wear pants or even make love to my husband. I was only surviving on Ensure and Jello and I was no longer living I just existed! Between the doctor's and human services (people that are supposed to help you) did not care and left me there to die!
I had lost all hope and had given up when I went to my friends at www.bombobeach.com and the IAS board! That's where I met a newcomer at the "Beach" Anthea an Advocate for Adhesion sufferers and soon to be My Angel Lady. The Good Lord let her became my voice and she began to fight for my family and I. Joanne the founder of the Australian Adhesion support group, Nancy in Canada and Anthea the United States Coordinator began the "International Adhesion Awareness Campaign" that would change my life forever!
Because of Anthea's determination and persistence she found a reporter in her local area that was interested in Adhesions and my story. Three weeks later I was the lead figure in the Newspaper article and that is when my life began to change! Because of the article I finally had some validation of the pain and suffering that we all go through with Adhesion Related Disorder. Someone that read the article led me to a wonderful new family Doctor that believes Adhesions do cause pain.
A fellow Adhesion sufferer was spared an unnecessary surgery because she read my article! Family, friends, the boy's teachers and school principles, my church and my Community became educated about Adhesions and they also blessed us with a Holiday Season we will never forget!! People began to give me the respect that we ALL deserve!
I went to the surgeon that was mentioned in the article and he was terrific, after 3 years of my bowels not working and the horrific pain and no one willing to help he was willing to try! He said the minute he opened me up there it was plan as day adhesions pinning and fusing my colon and my vaginal cuff together, eight places of adhesions, and several twists and kinks in my bowels. He also used the new Seprafilm barrier that is showing some good results in preventing the reoccurrence of Adhesions. My Aussie Angel Jo and My Nurse Angel Lillian called me it was so exciting to finally have a voice with their names!! I also got to meet My Angel Lady Anthea and My Canadian Angel Nancy in person when they came do relieve my husband at the hospital! I Thank the Lord for giving me these precious moments I will cherish the rest of my life!!!!
The "International Adhesion Awareness Campaign" saved my life! Just look at what one article did for me!! None of this would have ever happened without the article!
I am slowly regaining my life back and I can look forward to the future instead of just existing in a world of pain and hopelessness!! Think about what your story could do for you and for Adhesion suffers who do not have access to the Internet! We have got to "Stick together" and bring Awareness to this devastating disease! Please step out of your comfort zone, tell your story to the press and join us in the "Spirit Of Awareness Campaign 2003" Let your Voices be heard!!!!!
God Bless My Adhesion Family
XOXO~Browkenwing~
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