Guest guest Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 Vicky, that is so sweet of you to say that my post was helpful. Please send it to the world if you think it will help just one person understand that when you are dealing with a chronic illness, often the simplest of things are just impossible! It's never personal. I would love to be the person I was before the pancreatitis hit me again in July 2002. That person was working full time, traveling 50% of the time - gone two weeks, home two weeks, only weeks earlier had spent our 12th anniversary in Cozumel, Mexico and got in 15 dives during the week (anyone who dives will understand that you have to be in pretty good shape physically because diving really wipes you out and the gear is heavy to lug around!), enjoying life to the fullest! Both of our girls were (still are) away at college and we were thoroughly looking forward to being empty nesters (the bathroom stays spotless now) even though we so love our girls and enjoy spending time with them. We were looking forward to finally having the money to buy a larger house closer to work for me, having money for at least one major dive trip a year and maybe two, building up our retirement savings, planning my daughter's wedding, and just generally being rather carefree and enjoying life. Then the pancreatitis returned with a vengance while I was on a business trip about 500 miles from home. That was July 2002. I did not work a full week from that time until the time that my disability retirement became effective in March 2003. During that time, I saved every ounce of my energy to try and work as much as I could because it didn't take long to exhaust my leave. For the most part, if I didn't work, I didn't get paid, and I was the primary breadwinner in the family. I was incredibly blessed and my boss, a few co-workers, and my amazing brother-in-law donated leave for me to use, but even that didn't go very far. My friend couldn't understand why I didn't have the energy to go to dinner or a movie when 'I hadn't even worked all week'. Maybe all that was wrong was that I needed to get out of the house and that would make me feel better. Yes, she has said that too many times for me to count. In fact, when I did go over to her house this past Friday evening and just hung out and watched a movie, she even said that 'see, getting out of the house probably made you feel better. you just need to get out more often.' I just didn't bother responding. Well, obviously I've gotten on my soapbox yet again! As you can tell, this is obviously a point of contention with me! I say it no longer bothers me that much when people say stuff like that but obviously it does, or I wouldn't feel the need to re-hash it! Anyway, feel free to send anything I write to anyone if you think it will help! God bless you for being so devoted to your partner. I know my husband is a saint and my illnesses are harder on him than they are on me because he feels so helpless. This is funny and I have to share it. At the time that I ended up in the hospital twice back to back for a total of 11 days the end of May/beginning of June (on our 13th anniversary no less), I had eaten a small bowl of no sugar added low fat ice cream several hours before my attack. What my hubby didn't know is that I'd had a bowl almost every night for quite some time but he was normally asleep when I had it. He was convinced that it was the ice cream that had caused my attack. This was also the hospital visit that I was put under the care of my current and wonderful GI/hepatolagist (i have liver disease, too) who told me that I absolutely do have chronic pancreatitis. Instead of getting aggravated at my husband, I gently explained to him that, no, it was not the ice cream that had caused the attack. I'd had many bowls of ice cream with no problems. The truth is that it is just not that simple. We don't really know what 'causes' most of my attacks. I wish it be as simple as just eliminating ice cream and I'd never have another attack. However, that is not the case. There are things I know for sure will cause me problems - such as beef. However most of the time, I can eat something with no problems one day and the very next day water might set off an attack. Other days, an attack comes from nowhere when I've had nothing to eat or drink for hours. I have found that going to clear liquids for a day or so can SOMETIMES keep an attack from getting to the ER stage. However, other times, there is nothing I can do. That's the frustrating part of chronic pancreatitis or even recurring acute pancreatitis (as they called mine for almost a year). You can be fine one minute and bent double, puking your guts out the next. I've been asked so many times, " What did you eat? Did you have a large meal with lots of fat? " Number one - I NEVER have a large meal. I've had a gastric bypass (weight loss surgery because I was 100 lbs overweight at one time) so my stomach is very small and eating a large meal is physically impossible. Number two, I didn't really like high fat food even before the gastric bypass or even before the first panc attack in January 2000 - high fat meals just had not set well on my stomach for a long time (maybe a clue that something wasn't right with my pancreas way before that first attack in Jan 00.) Anyway, my hubby didn't mean to upset me (and he didn't) with the ice cream comment. He so wanted it to be as simple as me just never eating ice cream again and I'd never have another attack, never have to sit in the ER in horrible pain for hours, never have to be in the hospital for days on end. That is what all caregivers and those with the illness wish - if we just wouldn't do this or eat that - the pancreatitis would just go away forever! If someone finds what it is that I am to do or what I should never eat again and that is the answer, please tell me. I do know that for me, beef is out, high fat is certainly bad, alcohol is an absolute no (believe it or not- I rarely drank alcohol even before the first panc attack - with both pancreatitis and liver disease, you can be sure I'll never touch it). Eating small, low fat, healthy meals are what's best for the pancreas. That's exactly what I do - on the days that I can eat at all, that is! My hand is tired so I'll quit. Hope this finds everyone doing well. w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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