desperately in need of advice

[Guest guest]

,

I am so sorry that you had a hard time after your liver biopsy. You

poor thing! I am glad that you are healing from the procedure

though. I am terrified to have one of those procedures. You are so

brave! I am sorry that I cannot comment on the TP but I can relate

to your question about being on pain meds for so long. If anyone

has any good information on this , please share!. Can we stay on

pain meds for lots of years with no damage to the liver or anything

else? I do hope you continue to recover good from your biopsy,

. Take care and rest.

Kris in TN

[Guest guest]

Dear T,

I can't give you any advice on any of the surgeries you are

contemplating but I just wanted to let you know my thoughts and

prayers are with you. I hope you and your MDs can come up with a

plan that will give you the relief you need. I know this is a

disappointment for you right now but hopefully you will have a firm

plan soon and be on your way to the relief you need. My prayers are

with you. Hang in there, we are all here for you.

Love,

w

[Guest guest]

,

First, let me say that I'm so sorry that you're going through all this

turmoil right now, and that you received such discouraging information

about your liver. You do have some decisions to make, yet need to

realize that these decisions should come from your own needs and desires.

Secondly, about your question about the narcotics. I asked the

pancreatologist at the Mayo Clinic if there would be any harm to me,

physically, if I were to continue taking the medication I was

currently on for the rest of my life. He told me that, " no, there

wouldn't be any harm to you in remaining on the medication you're on

now, even if you needed them for the rest of your life. " He did point

out, though, (and I already knew this), that I would become physically

dependent upon the narcotics, and that if I wished to stop taking

them, would have to do it using a step by step reduction plan to avoid

withdrawal effects.

A key thing to remember about his statement is that he was referring

to the types of medication I take now, which is a duragesic patch,

(Fentanyl), Oxycodone and Neurontin. None of these medications

contain any substances that are toxic to the liver, whereas many of

the combination medications like Percocet, Vicodan, Lortab, and some

of the others are. Using one of those medications for a long period

of time WOULD hurt the liver. Another thing to consider is my

age.....I'm 52 opposed to your 37. This would all depend upon what

type of medications you use to treat your pain.

One of your other questions was about brittle diabetes. When I had my

DKA and was in the hospital, the gastroenterologist wrote " Brittle

Diabetes " on my chart. So for the record, my dx was brittle diabetic

when I was released.

My case appears to be one that only occasionally appears brittle.

There are times when my BG's will jump wildly from a normal level to

numbers in the high 200's or 300's, without explanation, or drop

suddenly, but these occasions now are relatively infrequent. So far

I've been able to control it, but this could change. I do have to

check myself 6-10 times each day, to keep a close eye on my BG's, and

make insulin corrections whenever necessary. You need to realize,

though, that everyone's situation can be wildly different in this

regard, depending upn the condition of their beta cells and how many

are available.

I hope this information is helpful.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

hhessgriffeth@...

SC & SE Regional Rep., P.A.I.

www.pancassociation.org/anthology#Heidi.html

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and should not

be substituted for professional medical consultation.