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Hi my name is Tammy -Lenhart. I'm 31, married with 2 children, ages 5

and 2 1/2. I was diagnosed 7 years ago with acute pancreatitis and pancreas

divisum. I have been chronic since dec. 1997, 4 months after the birth of my

second child. My levels no longer go up but I continue to live with

dibilitating pain, nasea, vometting, bowel obstruction, swelling,

dehydration, sleeplessness and now severe depression. I have a medi-port that

I recieve morphine injections thru, and though it sounds as if I,m drug

dependant it is the onley thing that has helped me to fight this ilness and

have some quality of life. I have lost 20 pds. I now maintain at 114 pds. I

have had tpn, sandostatin injections, pain pumps, countless medications,

about 10 ercp,s, stents in the pancreas, cutting of the ducts, nothing has

worked. I spent 9 months in the hospital in 1998, I was released to go home

with tpn, a pain pump and a health nurse who came 2 to 3 times a day. Since

then we try to treat me at home when possible. I still continue to be

hospitalized when needed. My doctors in my hometown and at the University of

Michigan say : they have done all they can lets hope it burns itself out. In

sept 1999 I was scheduled to have the puestow done. 4 days before surgery

they learned my pancreas passage was onley 5mm or cm ? and it needed to be 7.

No way to dialate it. I,m a person of great strength and up until now I have

fought hard and prevailed, mainley due to the love of my children. But now I

feel very tired of fighting this, of being strong. I feel like giving up I

feel like nobody can understand what I,m going through. I,m in therapy for

the depression and on medication. I hope this support group can help me. I

think it will. I,ve already been reading a lot of mail and the similarities

we have. I hope I can find some peace and rejuvenate so I can come back

fighting like hell ! I too hate this disease, if it were something tangible I

would kill it.

I wish peace and prayers to all of you

Tammy

[LenhartROCKO@aol]