To Re: new to group

[Guest guest]

Deanna: Thanks for the reply......I'm looking at alot of the

messages on this site, hoping to find out more about this. Today, I

don't have much in the way of stomach pain, but I feel ABSOLUTELY

exhausted and weak. Last night, I was VERY close to going to the er

because of the pain, but pain meds and heating pad seemed to help

enough that I finally went to sleep about 1 am. Kind of

scary....just got a call from the hospital to pre-register and they

asked if I had to spend the night would I want a visit from my

clergy.....geez. Well, I'm trying to be " up " about this and maintain

a positive attitude at least as best as I can. Can anyone tell me

more about (a) what possible/probble causes could be if they don't

find gallstones from u/s or CT (which they didn't), and ( if

they're looking in the stomach (tomorrow's endoscopy) what could be

possible/probable causes? I'm really concerned because I'm now on my

second week out of work and of course the doctor's note I sent in to

my boss had a typo in it saying out of work until 2/6 (supposed to be

2/16).....aaaargh.......

thanks again

> Dear ,

> I know all too well that weird feeling you get. That's one of the

> things I'm fighting so hard to get changed. A lot of docs think

panc

> is caused only by alcoholism or that we're just " drug seeking. "

I've

> been made to suffer so many times in the past 10 years due to that

> kind of thinking. I think I can safely speak for everyone here to

> being in that situation at one time or antoher. You have to be a

> true alcoholic, meaning you drink most of every day for years for

> alcohol to be the cause. None of us here have had drinking

histories

> like that. I admitted to social drinking in college, & immedeiatly

> was thought to be an alcoholic even though I hadn't had a drink

since

> I was preganant with my first child. He's now 19 years old.

Please,

> don't let anyone tell you that you caused this, ok? My enzyme

levels

> don't even go very high anymore & some docs use that strictly as a

> way to diagnose panc. Not fair...you can't always go by that b/c

if

> enough damage is done to the panc, it can't produce the high enzyme

> amounts it used to. Not that you will run into any of the same

> things, but I just want you to go in knowing that we're fighting a

> stigma related to this illness. I don't want you to be

intimidtaed.

> Don't forget, we pay for our doc's services. They work for us.

> I would suggest, for now, to avoid ALL alcohol. I won't even use

> Nyquil b/c is has a small amout of alcohol in it. That may not be

> what caused you panc. but once you have it, drinking really pisses

it

> off (if you don't mind my language). Everyone is different & what

> may not work for one person might work great for another. So as

long

> as you decide to stay with our group, any input you have is greatly

> appreciated.

> My thoughts are with you, & my prayers go with you tomorrow.

>

> Hugs,

> Deanna Tubb

> New Mexico PAI Rep