Old Member, Back Again

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

I used to post here quite awhile back. Long and short of my story,

I had a case of acute pancreatitis, not chronic, found a tumor on my

pancreas and had a distal pancreatectomy in March of 2002. Once my

pancreas got used to being 40% and not 100% everything was working

out great. That was until now of course.

I've been having that all too familiar pain--upper left

quadrant/epigastric pain going through to the back. It started

gradually and its been getting worse. It's now to the point that I

have to lay in bed for an hour with a heating pad before I can get to

sleep or get up and moving in the morning.

My lipase levels have been going down and down. They are betweeen 0

and 10 all the time now. My amylase is low too, but it seems as if

its enough to get by with. My question is can the pain be coming

from my pancreas even though my amylase and lipase are low? If

anyone has an idea of what might be my problem I would sure

appreciate it.

I'm really getting upset with all this pain. I just want to plead

with my Doctor and tell him how badly I hurt, but I don't want to be

labeled as a drug seeker again. I've tried to deal with it so far

with over the counter stuff and sleeping as much as I can, it's just

not enough. It's not even drugs I want, I just want to know what it

is because I'm scared to death I'm gonna get another tumor and this

time its going to be cancer. I was never this scared befere about

all of this.

I'm also sick of the scrutiny. I just don't feel good. I can't get

out of bed at 6 in the morninging anymore to make the hour commute to

go to my 8am classes and my dad wont get off my back. He tells me

that the Atkins diet will make me feel like a million bucks. I've

tried to explain to him that I can't digest fat and it makes me sick

and have to go to the bathroom within 10 minutes of eating, but he

just doesnt get it. It hurts me that my dad doesn't believe I don't

feel well, that I'm just being lazy. Then my boss is just as bad. I

don't think he believes me when I tell him I am not well enough to go

to work. It sucks and it makes me feel even worse.

I'm sorry to vent like this, but I've just had about enough and I

don't know what to do anymore. It took nearly a year to " diagnose "

my problem before, and I don't think I have what it takes to make it

through that again.

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas of what could be up with me please

let me know. I'm willing to explore anything.

Hope you guys have a good day today (me too)

Angel