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 disease 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 Steward 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.