TO: C hristine

[Guest guest]

Hi :

Thank you for the kind response. People make impacts on our lives

good or bad and we remember both. But, I do remember your kindness

vividly. I was telling my husband who you were and it blew his

mind! He also remembered you and your kindness and down to earth

way of caring for patients.

I hope you are having a better day. I was reading back over notes

and the fact that you took one bite of a sandwich and had that

horrid pain reminded me of something. The last bad attack I had in

August of 2002 (by bad I mean hospitalization)I was feeling fine. I

had just been cleaning my kitchen, talking to my husband's cousin on

the phone about his wife who has a stage V glioblastoma and at this

time a year and a half almost later very close to death. Anyway, he

asked me ohw I was doing and I said just fine felt good, etc. etc.

I got off the phone, sat down to eat a waffle took two bites and

like you had absolute the worst pain. Well it went on and on and on

and I wound up in the hospital three hours later! After just

telling someone I was doing fine and everything was ok! Folks just

don't know how fast this stuff can come on.

Long story short, that was the worst attack I have had since all

this started and this was the hospitalization where they overdosed

me on Demerol to a near seizure. My point here is that it CAN get

better! I have had a period from August of 2002 until now w/o any

hospitalization. Yes several attacks but not in the hospital. AS

you know it is part of the disease.

Also, in my own case I am very " weird " . I have asymptomatic

pancreatitis alot of the times. Horrendous lipase counts and no

pain. When I got sick the first time it was always

about " numbers. " When I got to ton it scared me to death

because my lipase was 40,000 and Dr. Cotton was going to do all

these procedures. The first thing he said was for me to forget the

numbers! Very hard thing to do. But, I did find out in the hands

of someone experienced who knows what they are doing, these

procedures can be safe even wiht horrendous lab counts. I do the

same thing even now. I get deathly ill with elevated lipase counts

that aren't so bad on paper and then as we know they will raise even

more in 24-48 hours but by then I am feeling fine and the docs up

here are wondering why I am not hurting. We, the patients and

bearers of this horrid disease still have lots to do and more

information to get out about this stuff. Its not just textbook is

it?

I did not mean to ramble, there is just so much to say about this

disease isnt there?

I agree that ignorance is bliss. I am a medical transcriptionist

for 25 years. I know more than I need to know. Sometimes I wish I

were in any other field. But, I also know that what knowledge I do

have has kept me from getting alot sicker or getting the wrong care

on many occasions. So for that you and I and anyone else in the

health care field is blessed.

Again, I did not mean to ramble and I hope I didn't bore you to

death!

God bless you and you are in my prayers. I wish for you a

pain free day!

Kaye