Re: My Daughter has had Chronic Pancreatitis since she was five!

[Guest guest]

Hi Kimber,

You are absolutely right! I would be a fool if I didn't talk to

the doctors about the divisum. That is a given! But, I am just trying

to not get my hopes up in either direction, you know? Her first ERCP

was done by Dr. Howle, and I was told that he was one of the best in

this whole country. He explained a lot of stuff to us that day, and I

am embarrassed to admit, that I didn't understand a lot of it. We

were quite overwhelmed at the time since this was all so new to us,

and that day was especially hard because it was the first time that

she had ever been put " under " . Then we had Dr. Fox from Boston, and

her specialists in Portland, ME doing them and always getting the

same results. Thanks for the heads up and I will be going to see the

doctor in the near future.

> ,

> not every doctor who can do an ERCP knows what to look for

> in finding a pancreas divisum. I had to got to a GI doctor

> that specialized in doing ERCP and diagnosing pancreas

> divisum, even though my regular GI knew how to do an ERCP.

> Basically, they may have missed it. I would ask for

> confirmation that she doesn't have it and not just assume

> that they checked for it or knew what they were looking for.

> I was listed as idiopathic till my divisum was they

> confirmed it as the cause, even though they already new I

> had the divisum. What it does is set up a vicious loop. My

> ducts are two separate ducts too small and too close

> together. One was closed off a birth. whenever the enzymes

> backed up in that duct it blew up and then blocked off the

> other duct. Then the enzymes were stuck in the pancreas and

> then they started to digest itself. Then I'd have an attack

> of pancreatitis. Once I was over that, the cycle began

> again.

>

> Yes, Kasey must be trooper to have lived through all of

> this. It's hard enough on adults, let alone children.

> Kimber

>

> --

> Kimber

> Vallejo, CA

> hominid2@c...

> Southwest Representative

> Pancreatitis Association, International