Questions, questions about adhesions and possible MS....(I've posted a little before)

I am now two weeks post-op from a laparoscopy (originally thought for hernia) that involved lysis of "extensive" adhesions, appendectomy, and bowel repair. As I've had time to mull it over, I now wonder...could the fact that my hysterectomy was partly a result of endometriosis have anything to do with this problem? How would I found out or know now that the surgery has been done? A fellow endo sufferer brought the subject up to me and for some reason I had just never thought of that possibility.

About the "possible" MS...my MRI came back normal. However, followed up with urologist yesterday regarding non-relaxing bladder sphincter and he says there has to be some sort of neurological damage somewhere to cause this problem. Urologist made me promise to push for further testing and neurology referral from my primary care doc. He seems to be very concerned about the possibility of undiagnosed MS. Has anyone else had to go through lots of neurological testing? And what if they still can't find out where the problem is??? The urologist says not to stop until we find out...hmm...this could take a while...will life ever be a little less full of medical chaos??? And, I now have to have regular ultrasounds of my bladder to make sure I am emptying completely. If at some point I am not, there is a risk of urine backing up into my kidneys and causing failure. Urologist says there is nothing we can do to fix the neurological damage, but that if we find the culprit, we could possibly stop further damage. Sorry, just needed to vent a little. Thank you to anyone who might be reading.

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Originally Posted by bookhugger As I've had time to mull it over, I now wonder...could the fact that my hysterectomy was partly a result of endometriosis have anything to do with this problem?

Yep! Actually, if you read through your surgical reports from your hysterectomy, you may find that you had adhesions even back then! Endometriosis can create local inflammation which is a key factor in the creation of adhesions! There are many of us with endo who also have issues with adhesions because of this!

We do have a lot of information on both topics in our Resource Database.

I hope this helps!

I wish you all the best as you continue to look for answers for your health issues!

Thank you so much! I will definitely check it out.

Hi bookhugger
I wanted to comment on your MS concerns. I have had quite a bit of neurologic testing through the years and was diagnosed with MS in 1996. I understand this urologist's concerns, but wonder if the bladder sphincter problems are continuing?

I ask this because my first thought was that no one wants a diagnosis of MS, especially if that isn't really what it is. Once you have that diagnosis it doesn't go away, even if you get better and it will prevent you from being accepted by insurance companies for coverage. I'm all in favor of you figuring out what's causing your problems and of you doing all you can to have good quality of life, but if these issues can be addressed from any other angle I would encourage you to check out all your possibilities. MS can be difficult to diagnose and without back up from an MRI it makes me wonder if that is what it is. That's how mine was identified and it's pretty unmistakable when you see the lesions that are created by the destruction caused by MS to the nerves.

I honestly don't know much about the problems you're having with your bladder, but I know I read where some women have had damage done to their sphincters during a hyst. You might want to do a search here on the site to see if you can find discussions by others who may have dealt with similar issues. I hope you are doing better with this and have found some answers. Let us know what's happening with you now.
Rita

Hi,

I had a TAH in 2002 and then had my ovaries removed in 2007. I had severe adhesions to the point that my outpatient laparoscopic surgery turned into an open procedure with an 8" incision and four days in the hospital the week before Christmas. From what my physician told me, any type of abdominal surgery can cause adhesions to form and endometriosis can also cause adhesions, so it is very possible that is the cause of yours.

As for the possible MS, I also have been tested extensively for MS, as well as all of the MS mimics over the last three years. Like you, my MRI is normal, though my neurological exam and the somatosensory evoked potential test on my left leg are abnormal. At this point, I still do not have a diagnosis, though my doctors do feel that I have MS. My symptoms are managed with medications, but I'm not eligible for any disease modifying drugs because of the lack of diagnosis.

I'm curious as to what symptoms you are having that led to the suspicion of MS. Have you been tested for other conditions which have similar symptoms, such as Lyme disease, Vit. B12 deficiency, Sjogren's syndrome, etc.?

There is a forum, very much like this one, for people with MS or MS-like symptoms who haven't been diagnosed yet. Just go to the MSWorld.com website and click the link for Forums. There is a lot of great information and support there.

Best wishes and s,

Lisa