still not feeling good

[Guest guest]

Hey guys,

I'm really sorry I've been neglecting the group, but I just cannot seem to get

back to feeling better. My pain is pretty much being kept to at least the

tolerable level with my oral meds, so that is good. However, I just frankly

feel like crap! Just before going in the hospital, I was finally losing what I

figured was mostly prednisone weight. I had gotten to an all time high of 172

lbs from an all time low in January 03 of 155 lbs. The 155 was a couple of

weeks after I started the prednisone and I think it was because I was so

nauseated and had that horrible metal taste in the back of my throat from the

prednisone. The first month I was on prednisone, I had to just force myself to

eat. I know, I know, I probably should have been thankful for that problem

since prior to weight loss surgery in Dec 2001, I had battled my weight my

entire adult life. Anyway, 155 lbs was really a little lower than I even wanted

to weigh. I am 5'9 " and rather large frame for a woman, so I really think the

perfect weight for me is around 160 lbs. However, probably anything from maybe

155 to 165 is really okay. Anyway, as I said, I had gained to an all time high

(since losing weight after weight loss surgery) of 172 lbs sometime around Aug

or so. My prednisone was dropped down to 5 mg (from 10 mg) the end of Sep and

then down to 2.5 mg around the end of Oct. I may be slightly off on the dates

but right now I don't feel like looking back over records to be more accurate.

Anyway, sometime around the very end of Oct, my weight dropped down to 166 lbs

in just a matter of days. I figured it was a combination of dropping some of

the 'prednisone' weight as well as not eating well most of Oct because I felt so

crappy and had so much pain, nausea, and vomiting. After several ER trips for

episodes of the familar right upper quadrant pain, nausea, and vomiting that

typically goes along with my pancreas flare ups, I was admitted to the hospital

around midnight Sunday morning, Nov 2nd. Any time I am in the hospital, I come

home heavier than when I went in because of the IV fluids.

I weighed 170 lbs when I got home from the hospital on Friday, Nov 7th. I

figured a 4 lb weight gain for 6 days in the hospital was about the norm for me

and figured I'd drop it in a couple of weeks. My weight has steadily been going

up since then. I just took a look at my legs and they look terrible because

there is so much fluid. I weighed and my weight is now up to 177 lbs. I'm not

concerned from an actual weight standpoint as I am sure it is fluid. I am

concerned from a health point of view. I have put on 7 lbs in just 6 days and

out of those 6 days, I've only had 2 or 3 days that I could tolerate anything

more than liquids. This past Tuesday I was having so much pain and nausea that

my mom brought me to my local pcp and he gave me a shot of demerol and

phenergan. He checked my liver enzymes and they were great, but my total

protein was low. The shot knocked me out for several hours Tuesday

afternoon/evening and on Wednesday I was better. I actually went with a friend

to get her car from the shop (she had a rental car but doesn't like driving to

next town alone). We even went to a store for about an hour. I was wiped out

by the time I got home, but not miserable. Today, I feel like crap and the

thought of food makes me want to puke, so I've done liquids today. I'm sure I

haven't gotten in enough liquids but it's hard to make yourself drink when you

are so nauseated and feel so crappy. I'm going to call my doctor in the morning

and he'll probably make me come to his office. I'm just wondering if anyone has

any ideas on why I would be retaining so much fluid? By the way, I am on 40 mg

of lasix daily and 5 mg of amiloride hcl (another diuretic). If you go from my

weight prior to being put in the hospital (166 lbs), I have gained 11 lbs in

less than 2 weeks.

Sorry to always be just asking for help and support for myself and giving very

little back to the group. I'll try to make up for it when I finally get to

feeling somewhat normal again!

Thanks to all,

W