Louie's visit to new doc @Cleveland Clinic

August 29, 2002

Hi folks,

I know some of you were interested in my visit on Wednesday to see a new doc at

Cleveland Clinic(CC). I went to see a Dr Darwin Conwell, who I was very

impressed with. He is a very nice and kind gentleman who talks his time to

explain things to you. If anyone lives in Ohio or near Ohio, I would recommend

in trying Dr. Conwell, as I feel like he could help allot of you people who are

fairly new to this disease and are not end stage like me. I am glad that I did

make the 3-3/12 hr trip each way. I did feel that it was time well spent, even

thro I didn't get the results that I had hope for, but at least he is offering

one more thing to try. I have just about ran the full circle of options with CP,

and the only things he has left to offer is something called a Splanchnicectomy

.. This is where you meet first with various pain management docs first, then

they decide if your would be a candidate for a celiac plexus nerve block, to

see if this procedure would work. If it is determined that it would help you,

then they had a thoracic surgery, who then goes into your sides and cut your

nerves to the pancreas. They make the about 4 cuts on each side of your ribs,

then cut the nerves running to your pancreas. You are in the hospital a couple

days, with a chest tube in each side, which he said is uncomfortable. They take

out the chest tube the next day and usually the day after that you get to go

home. I had talked this over with my family and have already have my mine made

up. I'm the person who has had a whipple and now has a Medtronic pain pump with

morphine in it for pain control, and still need break thru meds. If I so have

this procedure it would be a permanent and I would need my pain pump or break

thru meds anymore. I am interested in what you all would do. Like I said I

already know what I'm going to do, so don't worry, you won't sway my decision

one way or another, I would just like to hear other perples pros and cons on

this subject. There is one thing I did forgot to ask the doc. Do they do the

nerve block thru a EUS guide Block or do they go thru your back. I think I will

try and e-mail or call him back and ask him this question, before my final

decision is made. I got up to go to the bathroom, as I was already asleep and

now I can't get back to sleep as the pain is rearing it's ugly head, so I

waiting for my pain med to kick in so I can get some well needed sleep, as this

trip has wore me out. So I thought I would e-mail you all, with my latest

doctor adventure. Thanks for your time. I hope you are all having a pain-free

and stress-free day or should I say night!

Take Care,

Louie in WV

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