Kim at IU ICU

[Guest guest]

Debbie,

You wrote, " My friend Kim is still in ICU, but improved. Any doc that performs

ERCP has had a patient at sometime have a complication....many we never heard

about. So I would still go to IU, and will hope I am not in that small

percentage that has complications.

I am so sorry to hear that Kim has had such a difficult time. I live in

Indianapolis and would love to go visit with her husband, at least. I realize

friends cannot generally go into the ICU. If you have a way to contact him,

please send him my email (KarynWms@...) and phone number () to

call me, so I can meet up with him. Do they have any children that need to be

watched? Maybe he could use a meal, especially if he has a normal GI system, he

is bound to be hungry. I also wanted to alert the social services director and

appropriate pastoral staff, if it would be something he would appreciate. Often

when there is someone that I know in particular, it helps the staff to make a

different connection with them. They no longer are " The Bowel " , etc.

I also want to commend you on your attitude regarding this unfortunate

circumstance. IU is an excellent facility. Dr. Lehman and Dr. Sherman (my

pancreatologist) are also excellent physicians and department heads. They do

watch the rest of the team and if they were out of town when this happened, you

can trust they are on top of it now, even if it was not their particular

patient. They are concerned about the outcome of every patient.

Karyn E. , RN

Executive Director, PAI

Pancreatitis Association International

[Guest guest]

Debbie,

Thanks for keeping us posted re: Kim. I am glad that she is now on 5 West.

Many members here know that unit very well. Whether good or bad experiences, I

hope everyone realizes how hard it is to successfully manage the entire shift

keeping everything on schedule. Though that is hard, I hope that the nurses

she has are able to take a moment and be nice. That goes a long way.

I will give her a call in the morning and if possible make a hospital visit.

I have things I need to do on campus regarding the symposium plans, so this

will not be a problem. I am glad that you mentioned that " She is worried that

she too will become chronic, " as I missed that earlier and thought she

already had chronic pancreatitis. When we talk you can give me a better history.

Karyn E. , RN

Executive Director, PAI

_www.pancassociation.org_ (http://www.pancassociation.org)

[Guest guest]

>>>>I am so sorry to hear that Kim has had such a difficult time. I

live in Indianapolis and would love to go visit with her husband, at

least. I realize friends cannot generally go into the ICU. If you

have a way to contact him, please send him my email (KarynWms@a...)

and phone number () to call me, so I can meet up with

him. Do they have any children that need to be watched? Maybe he

could use a meal, especially if he has a normal GI system, he is

bound to be hungry. I also wanted to alert the social services

director and appropriate pastoral staff, if it would be something he

would appreciate. Often when there is someone that I know in

particular, it helps the staff to make a different connection with

them. They no longer are " The Bowel " , etc.

I also want to commend you on your attitude regarding this

unfortunate circumstance. IU is an excellent facility. Dr. Lehman

and Dr. Sherman (my pancreatologist) are also excellent physicians

and department heads. They do watch the rest of the team and if they

were out of town when this happened, you can trust they are on top

of it now, even if it was not their particular patient. They are

concerned about the outcome of every patient.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Dear Karyn,

THANK-YOU!!!! Kim is an RN too....it seems RN's usually have the

weirdest things happen to them...Anyway, Kim had to go BACK to

surgery for an abcess. She is out of ICU, on 5 West, and being fed

thru a G-tube. I finally got to talk to her the first time since

this happened. She started to cry...she is very scared...and she has

been front and center watching what I have gone thru since my Lap

Chole in 1992. She is worried that she too will become chronic. She

had a stent put in her pancreatic duct. She is scared to death to

get it removed, as she is afraid of having another ERCP. I feel so

helpless being so far away. I would appreciate if you would call

her, tell her who you are, and that Debbie, her friend in Cali

has " sent " you. I really believe she needs someone who has " been

there, done that " to talk to. She just moved back to No. Indiana,

started a new job as a Director of Risk/Quality (I bet that makes

the hospital nervous!!!), and then the pain started...again. She had

a sphincterotomy prior to leaving Californioa, and she thought this

was all behimd her, I know EVERYONE here can relate to that! If she

does not return to her job by July 31st, she will lose it (since she

is a new employee)along with her health insurance. She has a

supportive husband (Mike), we have all known each other since grade

school. But I fear Mike does not fully understand what she has gone

thru...before her repeat lap surgery...he said she should be well

enough to go back to work in 5 weeks. He was not saying that out of

meaness...he truly thinks that is long enough to be " all better. " It

is almost good he did not realize (maybe he did, I am not sure) how

close she came to dying.

I will contact you privately with her number. I am sure anything you

can offer will be of help. All of her family is in No. Indiana...not

that far, but too far to be there everyday visiting..or just sitting

with her. Her 2 girls are with thier grandparents, one is 18, and

the other is 13.

Being an RN for 20 years, I know how things can go wrong. I know

that IU is the place to go. I know how good Dr. Sherman is, I was

his last patient at UCLA prior to him going back to Indiana (he was

a Hoosier originally). He did my ERCP with Sphinterotomy of the bile

duct,...the doc that did my first one almost killed me, I had a

severe pancreatitis, with a pseudocyst, etc, etc, etc...I have had

34 hospitalizations since 1992, and now I have Lupus. So I know that

is in Kim's mind...she has seen all I have gone thru. I told her to

take it one day at a time right now.

Again, I appreciate anything you can do. I realize that you too are

sick...so even if you can just call her, that would be great...and a

visit would be the icing on the cake, but only if you are up to it!!

Take Care,

Debbie, CA.

Again