From a wall flower......

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone,

I am rather new to this group and have done a lot more reading than writing.

Have been here almost a month now. Trying to do as the GI told me to

do... educate myself about pancreatitis. And hearing all your experiences

and getting the links has been a big help!!! I think it is great, this

fellowship and efforts towards public education!!

I have not yet been diagnosed with Pancreatitis. On Friday, August 11th I

am going in for my first ERCP. Yes I am scared!!! And yes I am aware of

the risks. But I think it is a good decision in my case. I am hoping all

my problem is left over stones from my gall bladder removal (April 14th).

But I have a feeling I wont be that lucky. In the last 5 weeks I have had 3

attacks that felt just like the gall bladder attacks, only more intense.

Since a urine test in the doc's office showed bilirubin, blood and protein,

I have been checking my urine at home. It usually shows a trace of

bilirubin, but when I have an attack, or feeling more than normal (always

there these days) - it registers as moderate.

I am no stranger to surgery or doctors these past 3 years. Here is a bit of

my history....

Sept 97 - Polyp removed from vagina - benign

Aug 98 - Complete hysterectomy - " pre " cancerous fibroid tumors

Mar 99 - Diagnosed with ostreoarthritis in both ankles. Also diagnosed with

a stomach ulcer when I complained to PCP about constant sore throat and gall

bladder problems.

Jun 99 - hidden blood discovered in Blood and infection showed on paps

Jul 99 - sig turned up 3 polpys - referred to a GI

Sept 99 - endoscopy and colonoscopy. Removed 5 polyps from intestine -

benign. Endoscopy showed a severely ulcerated esophagus from reflux.

Nissen Fundo surgery recommended.

Oct 99 - another sig for bleeding.

Dec 99 - Started treatment for high blood pressure

Feb 2000 - Bad case of bronchitis (ER diagnosed it as COPD). Treated with

steriods and antibiotics. By this time reflux was so bad was causing

nighttime asthma and could bearly eat plain pasta.

Mar 2000 - Another endoscopy. Also a motility test. Referred to Surgeron

for the Fundo. Surgeon decided to do an ultrasound of my gall bladder

before surgery. Turned up stones.

Apr 2000 - On the 14th had the dual fundo/gall bladder surgery.

Have not been good since then. Have had a lot of trouble swallowing. Food

would get stuck in my esophagus and come back up accompanied by a lot of

shoulder pain that extended to ears sometimes. Have had bad diarrhea. When

I don't " dump " I get so bloated and uncomfortable. The diarrhea is so bad

at times that I have fainted 3 times from dehydration. Now I am having

these " attacks " and my God do they hurt.

At my surgical follow up appointment with the GI, he suggested I started

researching pancreatitis. That is when I found this support group. We

talked about an ERCP then, but with only one attack at that time decided to

take the conservative route and not schedule an ERCP then. But he did do

another endoscopy with dilation on Thursday for my swallowing problems.

Yesterday his office scheduled the ERCP for next Friday.

I work at the hospital where the ERCP will be done - not with direct patient

care - in the finance office - on the computer all day. With everyone here

talking about how important it is for the doc to be experienced, I checked

on my GI. In the last 1.5 years he has done 33 ERCPs with 6 becoming

inpatients. Only 2 docs have done more and with one every single one is an

inpatient. Anything else I could look at here related to the docs or ERCPs?

Anyway, that is a brief (but lenghtly) statement on where I am at. I would

appreciate any comments or specific insights given my history. And thanks

again for all the support I have received already from being a part of this

group.

ReeAnn

PS I am on AOL under " ReeAnn " if anyone cares to add me to their buddy list.

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