Guest guest Posted December 7, 2002 Report Share Posted December 7, 2002 tanyamitchell@y...> " wrote: Hello all: My name is . I have recently been diagnosed with Pancreatitis. Today make 1 week since I have been out of the hospital after a 2 week stay..... The doctors can not figure out how I got it. did any of you go through that? What was the outcome? Also do you get use ot the diet? If anyone is in GA are you happy with your GI doctor. ANd is there anything else I need to know about the illness and the pain? Does it get better? tanya Dear , Welcome to the group! You have come to the right place if you are seeking help and support from others like yourself who live with this disease. It is so very unfortunate that so many people with CP are immediately presumed to have the condition related to alcohol consumption. Don't let other people's ignorance get to you, we all have had to deal with this. The easiest way is to learn as much as you can about why it's happened and what you can do to help yourself......to explain to those of your friends who really care, and IGNORE the others! Out of the many members in this group that have spoken out about their causes, it appears that only a small percentage are in any way alcohol related, yet the medical profession and the public generally make these automatic assumptions because alcohol or gallbladder problems are the leading causes of the disease (about 70%). Most of our members attribute their introduction to pancreatitis due to ductal obstructions, pancreas divisum, Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, gallbladder obstructions, heriditary causes, cystic fibrosis, reactions to pancreatitis causing prescribed medications and lastly, the least understood " idiopathic pancreatitis " , which means the cause is unknown. Hopefully you will eventually find with testing and investigation by your gastroenterologist, that you fall into one of the above categories, right now you should be labeled as idiopathic, since your doctors don't know what has caused your attack. A low fat diet is very healthy and you will soon learn to adapt to it, and then to tailor the way you cook and eat to meet your needs. We have some sample recipes in the " Files " section on the home page for the message board. We also have a listing of doctors that other members have used and been pleased with in our " Database " section on the home page. I believe there are few doctors for the Georgia area. Where in Georgia are you? I'm in SC, just on the GA border outside of Savannah. There are also excellent gastroenterology doctors at the Medical University of South Carolina, Drs. Cotton and Dr. Hawes are two there that I know several of our members go to. I also know of an excellent gasto doctor in Savannah. In the beginning, my pain lessened and felt better two to three weeks after my initial attack. Once I started on pancreatic enzyme supplements and learned how to adapt my diet to only 20 grams or less of fat each day, I was able to go for several weeks at a time without any pain whatsoever. I was given hydrocodone for the occasional pain and it worked well. My CP has progressed during the last two-three years and now I am taking Percocet, which is oxycodone and acetaminaphen. I don't have daily pain like many others do, but it is now more of a weekly occurance for a few days each time. Everyone is different, though, and time will tell it's own story with you. Controlling your diet, abstaining from any alcohol (even non-alcoholic beers and certain cough medicines contain alcohol), not taxing your system, proper pain medication and a professional and compassionate treatment from your gastroenterology specialist will all play an important part in how well you handle this disease. Sometimes surgery can help improve your condition, it just depends upon what your situation is. What tests have been done to determine your pancreatic condition? Any CT-scans, MRI's, or other diagnostic tests? , feel free to ask us here any questions you may have, big or small. Surely one of us will have some kind of answer that they have learned, through experience and knowledge or both, that will enlighten you. With hope and prayers, Heidi Heidi H. Griffeth South Carolina Southeastern Regional Representative Pancreatitis Association, Intl. http://www.pancassociation.org/ourstories/Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.