On 9/4/2008 concernedinpa wrote:
Hey all...thanks for all your comments and concerns. Here is a update...went in this afternoon for iud removal, tubal ligation and possible right cysectomy for suspicious cyst. Well, woke up two hours later with only my iud removed. My gyno said she could not get the scope in through my belly button or in a incision above my hairline. She said she tried for 45 minutes with no luck. She said she thinks it is because of scar tissue from a laparscopic gallbladder removal back in january or from my omentum. This scares me. I thought laparscopy causes minimal scar tissue! She didn't seem that concerned about it and said she would not try again for tubal. She suggested other birth control methods and another transvaginal ultrasound for cyst. she didn't go into too much detail b/c i was in recovery room and said she would call me tommorrow. I feel like i should call my surgeon who did the gallbladder and ask him if this could happen and push for a ct scan b/c this does not sound normal to me and I AM SCARED!!! now, i'm sitting here literally feeling like my guts are ripped apart from all the pulling and prodding of this afternoon. Any advice would be great! Could this possibly be PPC?
Dear Concerned,
I know you are scared, but you have learned something very valuable today: you have adhesions (scar tissue that is sticking to other structures) in your upper abdomen, and possibly your omentum could be adhering to itself and or other structures in your lower abdomen. That in and of itself could be causing pain and some of the other symptoms you have been having for quite some time.
So please, step back away from your fear for just a few moments, take some very slow deep breaths, and regroup. Certainly what happened today is not what you wanted to happen, but in the long run this may be a good thing, because it may lead to a more complete diagnosis.
Yes, you're gonna be sore for a few days. Take some pain medication, try to drink plenty of water and eat green leagy veggies and fiber foods to get started healing and to not have problems with constipation after all the manipulation, etc, etc.
Don't freak and call the dr who took your gallbladder out. No, laparoscopy does not usually cause a lot of scarring, but yes, it most certainly can. Success of healing can vary greatly from person to person. Certainly you need more information about this scarring, but first you need a chance to heal from the trauma your belly sustained today. Diagnostics from CT scan or whatever else might be ordered will probably show better results after your body has a chance to get rid of inflammation and swelling that might have happened when the doc was trying to scope you today. So the most important thing you need to do right now is concentrate on rest and healing, if only for a day or twol
When you see the dr, ask her to repeat what she told you today. We don't always completely hear or understand or remember everything we are told when we have just come out of anesthesia. Verification when we have a clear mind is crucial to making further decisions. Remind her of the previous problems you've had - the cysts, the pain that seems to move from side to side, the BM's ranging from frequency to constipation, the exhaustion and night sweats - all of it. Ask her if the scarring in your upper abdomen and your omentum could be indicative of a more invasive disease process. Yes, this could be cancer, but there are other conditions that cause some pretty severe symptoms and can cause cysts and scarring: pelvic inflammatory disease is one of them, endometriosis is another.
You might ask her if the scarring could have interfered with the results of the first transvaginal ultrasound; of so, does she really expect to get any better viewing from another one. (Dense scar tissue does not lend itself to good ultrasonic evaluation.) Tell her you want further evaluation of this scarring - it didn't just happen for no reason. Ask her if CT scan or MRI is indicated. PETscan would be great to determine if this is cancer, but I doubt she will order it without first having done the less costly tests. Be prepared - if the scarring is really bad, that may be all that really shows up - in that case you may need to have the scarring removed to find out what lies underneath.
The important thing is to just take it one day at a time. Listen carefully to what the dr says. Don't hesitate to ask for clarification, or ask further questions if what the doc says isn't making sense or doesn't seem adequate. She probably will have done some thinking since she last spoke with you, and she may have different answers, or a more complete plan.
If you still don't feel you are getting the care you need, ask for a 2nd opinion. get your records - copies of scans, blood tests, the operatory report form today, notes from past dr's visits - and take them with you when you go see another doctor.
I wish you speedy healing and some better answers soon.
Sincerely,
Tre