Pancreatitis after pancreatic necrosectomy?

[Guest guest]

Hello, I am new to this group and wish I had found it sooner. In

March of 2003 I had an episode of acute pancreatitis and ended

up in the hospital for two long months. I actually thought it was

food poisoning, as I had taken my two sons to Burger King for lunch

and my pain started immediately upon returning home. I had about

three hours of constant vomiting and the worst abdominal pain I could

ever imagine. My husband came home from work and took me to the ER.

By the time I was seen, my whole body was in the process of shutting

down. I had an ultrasound performed which showed that my gallbladder

was totally full of stones. My lipase and amylase were extremely

high, thus prompting the diagnosis of gallstone pancreatitis. I was

put in the ICU and started on pain meds, antibiotics, given a

subclavian triple-lumen catheter for TPN, and my husband was prepared

for the possibility that I would not live. After a little over a

month getting stabilized, I finally had my surgery performed. I had

a large pseudocyst and most of my pancreas was necrosed. Three

stones had slipped out of my gallbladder and blocked my common duct.

They ended up removing approximately 90-95% of my pancreas and my

gallbladder. I am now a diabetic and take Pancrease with every meal

and snack.

Now for my question. I am now 9 months post-surgery. I have recently

started having severe stomach pains again and my blood sugars, which

were fairly well-controlled, have begun to skyrocket. Does anyone

know if you can get pancreatitis again after most of it has been

removed? I am so terribly afraid of going through this again. I

have a feeling that if I get it again that I will not live through

it. I know I need to see my doctor but am afraid of what she is going

to tell me.

To all of you who suffer with this on a daily, weekly, monthly,

yearly basis, God Bless You! I can't imagine the pain you must be

going through.

[Guest guest]

Dear Webster,

Until I know your real name, I guess that will have to do. I felt the emotion

and disappointment in your letter. You've been through so much in such a

short period of time. In my ignorance, I thought my first acute attack was

caused by food poisoning, too! I didn't know anything about the pancreas,

where it was, what it did.....I thought it was a reaction to some tainted food.

Let me explain that I've had chronic pancreatitis with two pseudocysts for a

little more than two and a half years. One of my pseudocysts was partially

drained when I was first diagnosed, and both of them were resolving nicely.

Then a year ago, I underwent diabetic ketoacidosis and ended up as a type 1

brittle diabetic and my pancreas burned out. I wasn't diabetic before this

trauma occured. For two months or so afterward, I had no pancreatic pain

whatsoever. But my pseudocysts enlarged again and as soon as they

increased to over 6 cm., the pain came back with a vengence. Drainage

wasn't recommended at that time, and they began resolving again, and the

pain once again decreased. Then suddenly this fall, the pain began again,

stronger than before, and I was hospitalized. A ct-scan showed that the

pseudocysts had again enlarged to over 6 cm. Unfortunately, because of an

abnormalty in my physical structure, this time drainage or surgical removal is

too high of a medical risk, so we are once again trying to allow the

pseudocysts to drain on their own.

The pseudocysts seem to be the antagonist of the pain. I have not

experienced anything near the difficulties you have, or the complications from

surgery that you have......ha!......they won't even dare to touch me

surgically....I do feel that if they were able to remove your pseudocyst that

you would find a cessation in the severe pain. This is just my opinion, though,

and I don't have any medical training, just a fair amount of hospital time.

My bloodsugars have so far remained stable through any of my pain

episodes. I am much stricter about my carb intake than you are, though, and

don't eat more than 90-100 carbs a day, usually less. I find that with any

more than that my blood glucose remains dangerously high, and I've been

able to keep my A1c scores at 5.6% or lower by eating lower carbs.

If you've suddenly experienced these skyrocketing BG's, have you been

tested for any kind of infection? I know if the pseudocyst's become infected,

then all sorts of irregular activity is going to show up. I'd suggest that you

get

together with your doctor as soon as you can to discuss this.

Let us know what happens, and how we can help.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for consultation with a medical

professional.