Re: Pancreas Divisum - to

[Guest guest]

> Im new to the group and was recently diagnosed with

Pancreas Divisum

> and Recurrent acute Pancreatitis.

>

Dear ,

I'm sorry for the circumstances which prompted you to seek out

this group, but glad that you found us so you could share your

story and concerns with others who have experienced similar

problems. Nearly all of us have at one time or another suffered

from the same complaints. While most of us have had definite

diagnosis' of chronic pancreatitis, not all the members here

have, and they are still seeking answers and support as you are.

Several of our members have pancreas divisum and have

developed CP as a result. You are wise to keep looking for a

definite diagnosis to explain you off and on again pain. The early

stages of CP can be very confusing, because there are many

days when you feel just great, then suddenly the pain and

discomfort return. It is important to try to find out, if you can, what

triggers your pain episodes, and do everything you can to reduce

or eliminate these triggers.

I do hope that you have recieved guidance from one of your

doctors about the importance of following a strict low fat diet and

abstaining from all alcohol. My GI recommends no more than

20-25 grams of daily fat for me, with no more than 6-8 fat grams

per meal. Many of us have also found it is easier to eat several

smaller snacks, or mini-meals, spaced out through the day,

other than three or even two, larger meals.

Often digestive enzymes are recommended to help with the

digestive process. These enzymes also seem to help reduce

the uncomfortable abdominal distension one has after eating.

Have these been recommended for you?

According to my drug reference source, there is a percentage of

people who have been noted to experience nausea while taking

Ultram, 24 to 40%, depending upon the duration of time the drug

was taken.

I hope this has been of such help.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

Thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions. The

hard part is that I get the feeling people think Im just whining

and that I dont look sick, so I try not to say anything about it.

I plan to keep a log of all my meals and activities and pains

between now and Thurs Dr visit to see if I can figure out what is

triggering this.

Thanks Again,

,

We here all know that you are not whining. It is unfortunate that

for many, and I am one of them, we are able to " look good " and

don't show externally any of the affects of this disease. My

husband can always tell, and sometimes my children, when I

am having a bad day, but few other people notice or understand.

We drove upstate to spend the weekend with friends having a

music fest and " goat roast " . Goat, for the adventuresome, has

only 3.3 grams of fat. It is hard to find any meat that falls into the

low-fat category, so I was curious to give it a try. I don't know why,

because it's certainly not something that's available at the local

grocery! Yet I have found that I can tolerate pork tenderloin, wild

boar and venison easily, and have suddenly gained new

appreciation for my husband's occasional hunting days! I

tentatively tried a tiny sample only to be polite and to satisfy my

curiousity, because I had not been feeling well since the day

before and had not been eating.

My DH took his vintage banjo, others their guitars, banjos, a

mandolin and violins, so it was a wonderful musical afternoon,

except for my malise. Everyone kept commenting on how " great "

and " healthy " I looked, as this same group of people had seen

me shortly after my first big attack when my weight was way

down. Yet I felt AWFUL. One friend, who has IBS and has

always been more understanding of digestive upsets, surprised

me by saying, " aren't you over it, yet? " Oh.....I wish!

You said in your earlier post that you were " so sick of being sick " .

I can't count the number of times I have heard others say that, or

that I have said it myself! You learn to cherish and make the very

best of good days, and I try to share my pleasure with as many

people as I can.

So I try hard not to complain, either. Usually no one knows when

we are feeling bad. I think most of us are that way among

others, we tend to put a brave face on so we don't " bother " others

with our discomfort. You can vent your troubles here, though,

and everyone will understand, because we have all been

through this at some time. Anything you say here will be

recieved with understanding and empathy, and quite often

someone will pop up with a wonderful suggestion to help you

through a difficult time. I've seen it happen dozens of times,

where the support or advice of another member is the catalyst

that helps another find their way.

A diary of everything you eat or drink, and of the activities you do

daily may prove to be very helpful for you and your physician.

Certain physical activities are known to aggravate the pancreas.

Even housework, (unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon

your preferences)....haha...can be very taxing. You are very wise

to keep this diary for future reference. It sounds like you are

already doing all the sensible things you can to keep yourself

better educated about yourself and your physical condition.

Please let us know how your Thursday appointment goes, and

keep posting if you have any more questions.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

Thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions. The

hard part is that I get the feeling people think Im just whining

and that I dont look sick, so I try not to say anything about it.

I plan to keep a log of all my meals and activities and pains

between now and Thurs Dr visit to see if I can figure out what is

triggering this.

Thanks Again,

,

We here all know that you are not whining. It is unfortunate that

for many, and I am one of them, we are able to " look good " and

don't show externally any of the affects of this disease. My

husband can always tell, and sometimes my children, when I

am having a bad day, but few other people notice or understand.

We drove upstate to spend the weekend with friends having a

music fest and " goat roast " . Goat, for the adventuresome, has

only 3.3 grams of fat. It is hard to find any meat that falls into the

low-fat category, so I was curious to give it a try. I don't know why,

because it's certainly not something that's available at the local

grocery! Yet I have found that I can tolerate pork tenderloin, wild

boar and venison easily, and have suddenly gained new

appreciation for my husband's occasional hunting days! I

tentatively tried a tiny sample only to be polite and to satisfy my

curiousity, because I had not been feeling well since the day

before and had not been eating.

My DH took his vintage banjo, others their guitars, banjos, a

mandolin and violins, so it was a wonderful musical afternoon,

except for my malise. Everyone kept commenting on how " great "

and " healthy " I looked, as this same group of people had seen

me shortly after my first big attack when my weight was way

down. Yet I felt AWFUL. One friend, who has IBS and has

always been more understanding of digestive upsets, surprised

me by saying, " aren't you over it, yet? " Oh.....I wish!

You said in your earlier post that you were " so sick of being sick " .

I can't count the number of times I have heard others say that, or

that I have said it myself! You learn to cherish and make the very

best of good days, and I try to share my pleasure with as many

people as I can.

So I try hard not to complain, either. Usually no one knows when

we are feeling bad. I think most of us are that way among

others, we tend to put a brave face on so we don't " bother " others

with our discomfort. You can vent your troubles here, though,

and everyone will understand, because we have all been

through this at some time. Anything you say here will be

recieved with understanding and empathy, and quite often

someone will pop up with a wonderful suggestion to help you

through a difficult time. I've seen it happen dozens of times,

where the support or advice of another member is the catalyst

that helps another find their way.

A diary of everything you eat or drink, and of the activities you do

daily may prove to be very helpful for you and your physician.

Certain physical activities are known to aggravate the pancreas.

Even housework, (unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon

your preferences)....haha...can be very taxing. You are very wise

to keep this diary for future reference. It sounds like you are

already doing all the sensible things you can to keep yourself

better educated about yourself and your physical condition.

Please let us know how your Thursday appointment goes, and

keep posting if you have any more questions.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

Thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions. The

hard part is that I get the feeling people think Im just whining

and that I dont look sick, so I try not to say anything about it.

I plan to keep a log of all my meals and activities and pains

between now and Thurs Dr visit to see if I can figure out what is

triggering this.

Thanks Again,

,

We here all know that you are not whining. It is unfortunate that

for many, and I am one of them, we are able to " look good " and

don't show externally any of the affects of this disease. My

husband can always tell, and sometimes my children, when I

am having a bad day, but few other people notice or understand.

We drove upstate to spend the weekend with friends having a

music fest and " goat roast " . Goat, for the adventuresome, has

only 3.3 grams of fat. It is hard to find any meat that falls into the

low-fat category, so I was curious to give it a try. I don't know why,

because it's certainly not something that's available at the local

grocery! Yet I have found that I can tolerate pork tenderloin, wild

boar and venison easily, and have suddenly gained new

appreciation for my husband's occasional hunting days! I

tentatively tried a tiny sample only to be polite and to satisfy my

curiousity, because I had not been feeling well since the day

before and had not been eating.

My DH took his vintage banjo, others their guitars, banjos, a

mandolin and violins, so it was a wonderful musical afternoon,

except for my malise. Everyone kept commenting on how " great "

and " healthy " I looked, as this same group of people had seen

me shortly after my first big attack when my weight was way

down. Yet I felt AWFUL. One friend, who has IBS and has

always been more understanding of digestive upsets, surprised

me by saying, " aren't you over it, yet? " Oh.....I wish!

You said in your earlier post that you were " so sick of being sick " .

I can't count the number of times I have heard others say that, or

that I have said it myself! You learn to cherish and make the very

best of good days, and I try to share my pleasure with as many

people as I can.

So I try hard not to complain, either. Usually no one knows when

we are feeling bad. I think most of us are that way among

others, we tend to put a brave face on so we don't " bother " others

with our discomfort. You can vent your troubles here, though,

and everyone will understand, because we have all been

through this at some time. Anything you say here will be

recieved with understanding and empathy, and quite often

someone will pop up with a wonderful suggestion to help you

through a difficult time. I've seen it happen dozens of times,

where the support or advice of another member is the catalyst

that helps another find their way.

A diary of everything you eat or drink, and of the activities you do

daily may prove to be very helpful for you and your physician.

Certain physical activities are known to aggravate the pancreas.

Even housework, (unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon

your preferences)....haha...can be very taxing. You are very wise

to keep this diary for future reference. It sounds like you are

already doing all the sensible things you can to keep yourself

better educated about yourself and your physical condition.

Please let us know how your Thursday appointment goes, and

keep posting if you have any more questions.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.