Subj: Subject: need info...please :) /

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From: " " <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pancreatitis/post?protectID=0610751141220562\

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Date: Sat Sep 14, 2002 11:40 pm

>>>My Mom (52) has just been diagnosed with Pancreatitis....I do not know

what questions to ask the doctor (he is not very helpful at all)....I also am

looking for any tips on diet and support for her.....I basically need to know

what I should do for her to make her comfortable....she was an alcoholic and

drank heavily about 6 years ago. She hasn't had a drink since. I have read on

here that she possibly had chronic Pancreatitis. <<<<

,

You are a good daughter. Chronic Pancreatitis is very serious and even small

decisions can affect the outcome of any given situation. It is good that you

are available and willing to help your mother. That is one of the most

important thing you can do --- is to continue to support her. Congratulate

her for stopping the intake of alcohol. It is an extremely toxic substance,

and can make even a bad situation worse.

Regarding diet, it is a very difficult aspect of care to manage. Knowing that

the pancreas produces the enzymes necessary for food digestion, I try and

always focus on foods that are easily digested, I avoid things that can build

up, and in themselves become toxic. Drinking plenty of fluids is important

too. Dehydration can exacerbate Pancreatitis. One of the things I try and

stress is the importance of remembering that Diabetes is caused by damage to

the islet cells in the pancreas. Therefore, speaking from experience, it

would behoove anyone with Pancreatitis to begin adjusting their diet and

monitor the number of carbohydrates consumed at each meal. The other issue

about diet is that, for myself, food intake was often what brought on pain,

so I treated my diet as a pain management tool, instead.

Chronic Pancreatitis is a progressive, debilitating, deteriorating, terminal

disease. There remains no cure for the disease, however, there are now

surgical treatments that can abate the disease by removing the pancreas. The

importance of removing the pancreas early is that, as the pancreas is

destroyed from digestive enzymes, eventually so are surrounding tissues. This

was my situation. My spinal nerves have all been damaged and are constantly

fired, so to speak. The other reason to remove the pancreas early is to try

and salvage the insulin producing islet cells before they are damaged by the

highly caustic pancreatic juices. They can then be placed in the liver. This

procedure isn't for everyone and isn't always successful, but several of our

members have had this done and I am sure will tell you about it.

Things to ask your doctor are:

1. What is her Hemoglobin A1C? That is a Diabetes marker. You want it at 6.5

Is she already a Diabetic?

2. Where are the majority of the calcifications? That is, did the CT scan

show any calcifications?

3. Another questions is to try and determine the primary or maximum amount of

damage to the pancreas. Is it in the head? Or tail? That affects the course

of the disease.

4. In addition to seeking a GI, ask for a list of pain clinics.

Stay in touch. Let us know where you live, what state? What hospital is your

mother in? I would like to send her a card.

Karyn , RN

Founder / Exec. Director

http://www.pancassociation.org

KarynWms@.../

Pancreatitis Association International

Many People, Many Faces, One Voice