Re: hello....?to Joia

[Guest guest]

- I'm not very sick, but I need help. I am feeling lost and

confused. A GP gave me the diagnoses of CP and wasn't willing

to send me to a specialist because he said there is nothing they

can do for me unless I wind up in the hopital with an acute

attack.

Joia

Joia,

Sometimes some posts get overlooked, as which is what must

have happened in your case. It's tough when that happens

because you end up feeling like no one is listening to you. I

searched through the archives and found your other posts, in

addition to this one, and the replies you've now received.

The information the lab gave you was accurate for that facility. My

lab says an amylase reading over 88 is considered above

normal, yet I have heard of other labs that will go as high as 140

and still consider it normal. So you can see there is some

variation with the way the tests are done and on what is " above

normal " from one facility to another. You said that this GP said

you had chronic pancreatitis, yet there was nothing he could do

for you unless you had another acute attack? I'm afraid I'd have

to say that I strongly disagree with that attitude, and I feel there is

more that can be done to help you. Your decision to see another

GI sounds like a good one, as I'm not that impressed with the

comments made by the first one, either.

Most of us started out with just minor pain and problems now

and again, nothing catastrophic, and not pain much of the time.

That's how the chronic condition starts and a lot can be done

NOW to make it better for you. If you have the diagnosis of CP

and this is what you are experiencing now, it should not be

overlooked and disregarded " until you have another acute

attack " . The whole purpose of good gastroenterology

management of chronic pancreatitis is to provide medical

treatment and care to do everything possible to AVOID another

acute attack. I'm sorry to be so bull-headed about this GP and

the first GI, but I think they are not approaching this correctly, and

there is much they could have done so you would not feel as

though you are wasting people's time or are paranoid. You

should have to feel that way.

Did they discuss the need to follow a strict low fat diet, to avoid

fried foods, oils and alcohol? Were you given any guidance on

medicines to avoid, or medicines you could take to help with your

pain? Any advice on vitamins to supplement the loss of nutrients

caused by CP? You didn't mention what tests the GI planned for

you, but tests would be necessary to help determine the cause

of your pancreatitis and to gauge what your condition is at this

stage of the disease.

I'm sorry we missed you on your earlier posts. No one meant to

overlook you! I know how I felt at the beginning of my CP, I had

what seemed like a million questions, and it was great to find

this group and have them answered, one by one. My GI didn't tell

me nearly enough, and my PCP even less, so most of what I

learned was through this group and outside research. We're

paying close attention now, so please feel free to post again with

any of your questions.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.