Scot

[Guest guest]

I am so over whelmed by you physicians lack of concern for your pain

and his obsessive compulsion with what he considers your obsessive

compulsion. Do you continue to drink> and Are you an alcoholic? I

would have been highly offended if any physician would have made

such an unfounded sweeping generaliztion of an individual with CP.

Ok so it was ETOH abuse; does that mean you dont deserve equal

treatment. I dont think so. If you admittedly stated you have a

problem with drug addiction then I could see his point. It has been

proven time and time again that when an individual uses a drug for

pain it does not become a psychological addiction. That does not

mean that it will not become a physiologal addiction. That is

another animal all together; which can often be resolved as the pain

is decreased the med is decreased, I might seriously consider

another physician.

But that is just my opinion and I aint no rocket scientist.

[Guest guest]

I am not considering another GI yet. He is a victim of

America's broken HealthCare System too. I stopped

drinking in 1994. Alcoholic... I guess so. I had

some trouble quitting as I was drinking a 6 pack a day

back then. Mostly just a little trouble getting my

sleep back in order. No withdrawal symptoms.

I did not have another drink until late 1998. A

couple of beers (I mean 2), a couple nights a week (6

months of that year) until 2000 when I had my serious

hospitalization. STUPID! But I did not know what a

pancreas was at the time. I did not have a single

drink in 2001. My doctor thought I was in the DT's

while in my coma. WRONG! I have since learned that I

am allergic to benadryl and morphine. My wife told me

while I was in the coma they were giving me morphine,

I would get hives, and they would follow with

benadryl. I had gone six months without drinking

prior to my first acute attack and only had 2 beers

the night before because the pain was so bad. Hell I

didn't know better and I had gone 6 months without a

drop. I told him he was an idiot for assuming I was

having DT's and telling my family I must be a

secretive drinker. He was just plain wrong. I am

SURE the 2 beers the night before made things worse

but my calcium level was 12 times the normal limit and

I had been suffering for two weeks prior to those 2

beers. I was eating 2 to 3 rolls of tums a day -

Heck, my stomach hurt. But that was stupid too.

When I take benadryl my legs and arms twitch like

crazy. I had a knee scoped and tennis elbow surgery

since and witnessed it for myself.

No alcohol since 2001 except 2 beers on my birthday.

Each of those times I would get a terrible stomach

ache the next day. So I stopped alcohol completely in

2002. I did have a couple of beers 3 or 4 nights a

week for 3 weeks in early 2003 while on vacation with

no problems. Again STUPID! Especially since now I knew

what pancreatitis was, but I wised up quickly and

stopped completely. I have not had a single beer this

year except those 3 weeks. I don't even miss it.

So am I an alcoholic? Sure! I cannot drink and I am

sure It has played a major role in the chronic

pancreatitis I suffer from now. I believe I am

dealing with my own Karma.

Drug use or addictions? - never.

Serious pain? - well, I have barely slept in 36 hours

and I'm afraid to eat. Tricky for a diabetic. But

I'm going to try to eat something today for lunch. I

hate going low too.

Oh well. I'm sure their are dozens on this list who

are suffering far greater than I. Pain can be an

adventure. I'm going to go as long as I can. I have

had at least a dozen acute attacks this year and only

once did I go to the ER. I'm one tough S.O.B. when I

want to be. And... I like pain more than begging 4

times a month. I am quite aware that I am new to this

doctor and he needs to see me several more times to

acquire the documentation in order to prescribe pain

meds to me in a more acceptable way. But my co-pays

are exceeding $250.00 a month now and I cannot add

another $120.00 a month in visit and med co pays at

this time. I just can't afford to do the " Healthcare

Dance " right now.

I intend to tough it out until my diabetes gets tough

to control, my weight drops significantly, or my rest

is so disrupted that I am making myself worse.

HealthCare in the USA is severely broken. I vote, but

I can't change it overnight. Doctors, Hospitals,

Nurses, and Patients all have to pay for the

shortfalls. I figure it is my turn to pay, especially

since I have some Karma payments coming due because of

the drinking I did in my past.

Current medical thinking suggests if my pancreas dies

off a little more, I may experience less pain soon

anyway. But I have decided to tell any physicians in

the future nothing more than " I quit in 1994 " and no

more. I am going to revise my HIPPA paperwork at My

primary physicians office, GI doctors office, and at

my favorite Hospital to reflect my desire to not have

my medical records given to any doctor without my

consent. I am starting to understand that any mention

of " slips " has dire consequences.

Thanks for your concern !

Scot

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I'm feeling old today, Sherman... Set the Wayback Machine.....