Limitations, etc. with CP to Shybasset

[Guest guest]

Shybasset,

I haven't read all the messages posted after you asked these

questions, so I don't know what others have said, so forgive me if

there's any repetition. Everyone has their own feelings, and their

own personal health issues in regard to this, anyhow, so our answers

may be varied.

There are many limitations when you have CP.....in lifestyle, diet

and those that are developed in attitude, as well as those that

reflect the degree of severity of each individual's case.

Continuous pain can and will slow down anyone's activity. Since CP

does involve many occasions of severe pain, people find that they are

unable to work, unable to partake in strenuous sports, and often

unable to do much more than gentle activity. A bad attack can

hospitalize a person for a week or more, or keep someone in bed for

several days at home.

Since everyone's individual problems are different, CP can be much

harder for some than it is for others. Some suffer from daily pain,

vomiting, nausea and inability to eat, while others don't. Some

people need frequent surgery or procedures to put in stents to open

ducts, or different surgical procedures that are intended to correct

problems and bring total relief from pain - while others don't.

An important key to all of this is correct diagnosis of the

individual's particular reason for their CP, whether it be from

pancreas divisim, sphincter of oddi dysfunction, cystic fibrosis,

obstruction in the ducts, gallbladder problems, pseudocysts, etc.

Once the diagnosis is made, aggresive and appropriate treatment for

that individual is paramount. Diet must be adjusted. Medication

for nausea, vomiting, pain and depression must be addressed. Some

need help with all, some with only a few. There is no particular

" drug " to treat chronic pancreatitis, yet most are on narcotics for

pain, medicines to treat the nausea and vomiting, and antidepressents

to help with the depression common in people with a chronic pain

condition.

Hospitalizations, too, can be different for all. As an example, in

my 4-1/2 years with CP, I've only been hospitalized 2 times. There

are others who have been hospitalized more than 15+ times a year.

Because of the problems with digestion and the damaged pancreas'

inability to absorb nutrients, malabsorption is common, as is

fatigue, weakness, sleeping problems, energy levels and motivation.

Daily use of particular vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other

supplements and medications can do wonders to correct this.

Many people develop other problems, illnesses or diseases as a result

of their CP. Gastroparisis, thyroid problems, osteoporosis, and

diabetes are only a few that come to mind. Many of us with advanced

CP are also diabetic as a direct result of our CP, and that opens the

door to another whole set of problems that we've had to learn how to

deal with.

There are surgeries that can treat chronic pancreatitis. Some can

solve the problems in a temporary fashion, while others are a

permanent fix. A total pancreatectomy with auto islet transplant is

one surgery that can cure a person from chronic pancreatitis

completely. Everyone isn't eligible for this procedure, but a high

percentage is, and the surgery is becoming more popular and being

done more and more each day.

This is probably more than you ever needed to know, especially since

you may find next week that you have different problems entirely,

and not related to CP at all. I hope you do! But since you asked,

everyone else here knows that I'm never one who can turn down an

opportunity to talk to more people about this disease. Not enough

people, doctor's included, know very much about the pancreas and

chronic pancreatitis, so an opportunity to talk about it is never one

that I'll turn down.

In truth, I just touched the tip of the iceburg, there's so much more

to explain about, but certainly this is enough for you now.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

hhessgriffeth@...

www.pancassociation.org/anthology#Heidi.html

SC State & SE Regional Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.

[Guest guest]

Just wanted to say, Heidi, that was an excellent excerpt on pancreatitis.

I really enjoyed it. Deb

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

You wrote;

" There are surgeries that can treat chronic pancreatitis. Some can

solve the problems in a temporary fashion, while others are a

permanent fix. A total pancreatectomy with auto islet transplant is

one surgery that can cure a person from chronic pancreatitis

completely. Everyone isn't eligible for this procedure, but a high

percentage is, and the surgery is becoming more popular and being

done more and more each day. "

This is interesting to me. Who are the surgeons that perform this?

Are there only a specialized few? And in order for the surgery to be

a success, does it have to be done in the early stages?

I am also interested in the surgeries and the outcome of those

surgeries for damaged ducts and SOD. (I feel in my gut this is my

issue)

I'm having a hard time getting a doctor to test me for it.

Eileen

[Guest guest]

Deb wrote "

> Just wanted to say, Heidi, that was an excellent excerpt on

pancreatitis. I really enjoyed it. Deb

Thank you, Deb. I try!

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

hhessgriffeth@...

www.pancassociation.org/anthology#Heidi.html

SC State & SE Regional Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.