Re: New to Board and this whole disease to

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

You've come to the right place if you want to learn and feel support from

others in similar situations. We've all been right where you are sometime,

and have learned that we can find the best care if we are proavtive about our

health care and our health care team. Many of us work with more than one

doctor for the treatment of our disease, and try to juggle the advice of our

gastroenterologist, pain management physician, primary physician or

internist, surgeon, endocrinologist, etc. all together to come up with the

optimal care that we can.

One of the best things you could do would be to read up all the available

literature and web site referrals that you can find at Mark's pancreatitis

library

at:

http://www.top5plus5.com/

Also, if you click on our " Files " section on the PAI main webpage, you can find

a lot of information there, specifically reprints from the Hopkins Medical

University website, that is most informative.

I'm sure your specialist has advised you about the low fat diet that's

recommended for pancreatitis. Doctors advise that we shouldn't consume

more than 20 grams of fat daily, and limit the meal consumption around 6-8

grams per meal. No alcohol is also a strict rule. Most of us also take

pancreatic enzymes with our meals and snacks, and I encourage you to talk

to your doctor about subscribing them for you if he/she hasn't already done

so.

Lastly, many of us are on prescription pain medications to help us deal with

the pain that this disease brings with it, in spite of the low fat diet and

pancreatic enzymes. So finding appropriate pain medications becomes one

of our major priorities.

It might help if you shared your story with us in a little more detail,

explaining

how your diagnosis was reached, what your treatment has been so far, how

you've been doing so far. We're all anxious to help you however we can.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

http://www.pancassociation.org/anthology.htm#Heidi

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and should not be

substituted for professional medical consultation.