Introduction and a little about myself

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I am . I joined the group a few months ago.

A quick history, June 2001 I went to ER for what I thought was a bad

case of the flu I was treated and sent home to return the next day

for follow up and more fluids. A week later the nausea was still so

bad I couldn't keep anything down. I went to my gynocologist because

on one of the tests they did they found something suspicious around

my ovary. He sent me straight to the hospital to see the surgeon

there about my appendix. I was running low fever and nauseated and

low blood pressure ... They took my appendix that night (which

pathology reports said was ok). A month later (July) still sick and

loosing weight they took my gallbladder out test had showed it was

emptying slowly. Again no relief. October I had a colonoscopy and

was diagnosed with IBS. The next Jan. I had my ovaries out and one

was found to be adhered to my abdominal wall. Finally I thought we

found the source of the pain ...I thought... Since then I have had

several episodes and am hospitalized about every 6 weeks for pain

management and fluids. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and

have severe migraines and get dehydrated very easily then was

diagnosed with gastroparesis. I will go a couple months feeling

better and able to eat and then out of the blue get so fatigued and

the pain and nausea comes back and lingers for weeks to months.

Most recently I had an ERCP done this Jan. 2005 I got pancreatitis

and was in the hospital for over a week. The strange thing was that

the pain and all I had was not that bad or should I say different

than what I have been going through for the past five years. When I

looked at the info on chronic pancreatitis it was as if a light came

on. most of the things they have diagnosed me with have had a few

of my symptoms but this has them all! I was excited that I might

finally have some real answers but at the same time scared because

it doesn't sound like a good thing to have.

My problem now is that the doc that did the ERCP who is one of the

best gastros in the country, thinks he needs to go back in and put

stents in. (He cut about one centimeter in the biliary duct during

the first ERCP the manometry showed very high pressures so he hoped

cutting it would be enough.) Anyhow he is no longer covered by my

insurance and he has reffered me to the University of Utah. My

appt. is this week and I am not sure about starting all over again

with a new doctor. I am just frustrated I guess. I think I am

starting to have another flare I have been just exhausted and the

pain is returning and the nausea and the lighter colored stools. I

guess I am just looking for some encouragement or someone that might

be familiar with the docs at the U of U.

Sorry this was so long,

[Guest guest]

Welcome ,

It's too bad you didn't stumble across this group five years ago,

, it may have saved you an appendix and several years of

misdiagnoses!

Now that you have more information about chronic pancreatitis and a

better familarity with the symptoms and behavior of the disease, it

seems you need to convince your doctors to do some more definitive

testing to determine whether this actually is the cause of your

continual pain and food problems.

Crystal wrote to you about the doctors that she trusted at the U of U,

and I would consider her advice most seriously. She's had the best

care that she could find, and made an excellent decision in her choice

of the surgery that has ended her pain from chronic pancreatitis, the

TP-ICT. Any advice that she's given you is based on considerable

experience.

Hopefully, the specialist that you've been referred to will do further

testing, and will be someone that you're comfortable with. If you do

have CP, you would want to discuss pain medication, diet and

pancreatic enzyme supplements with him, if you aren't already under

treatment with all. Appropriate pain reduction, a low fat/no alcohol

diet and enzyme supplements can make such a significant improvement in

your overall health and functionality.

Please post again if you have any questions.

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.

[Guest guest]

,

I am so sorry that you have had to wait so long for a diagnosis. I am lucky

in the fact that my PCP sent me to severaly GI docs until he found the right

one to help me. He simply wouldn't accept their answers until someone said they

could help me. I love my PCP doc! He is a life saver!

I do hope the docs will be able to help you. I live in South Carolina so I

am no good on the info about the Utah docs but I am glad to meet you! I am glad

you are here with us!

Angie in SC

" The happiest of people don't necessarily have the

best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along

their way. "