Re: LAURA (to /Robin/)

[Guest guest]

/Robin/: Thanks for responding to my email

questions. I thought I'd just write this one email reply in response

to your responses, as it were!! Robin, it was encouraging to see

that with the pain meds that you've been (well, sort of I guess)

fairly functional. It seems others are not so lucky. So, I guess

I'll just have to do what I kinda thought I'd have to do and that is

to play it by ear. I'm a financial analyst, which while highly

stressful at times, is at least, a " sit down " job. So, I'll just

have to try and manage the best I can. I'm really hoping that next

Wednesday's MRCP will tell some sort of tale anyway as to pancreatic

functioning. Although this was by far the severest I've had yet (doc

wasn't ready to diagnosis " chronic " panc yesterday so I'm assuming

he's thinking a moderately severe/semi-prolonged acute attack???)

Does this sound right?? 2 weeks of on/off moderately severe/gnawing

pain w/nausea, fainting/dizziness, 2 days of diarrhea, 2 days of

constipation, elevated lipate, normal lipase levels, etc., etc. When

I first went to my pcp, I showed him where the pain was coming from

and told him " I feel like my stomach is eating itself. " And,

apparently how right I was with that description? Anyway, to get

back to why I think it may be sort of a " disguised " chronic

situation, is that to think back on this.......I first started

noticing this pain probably about 2 years ago although it was

intermittent and always seemed to happen when I was driving for some

reason. Just attributed it to the ribs digging in or something and

it would go away. It would happen at work sometimes and lately

seemed to be getting worse.....I've been out with it and what I

thought were " recurrent " flu-like symptoms off and on since probably

the end of September. But, of course I attributed it to being run

down because it was the usual stress-filled end of the fiscal year at

work stuff. That's why I was so sure that they'd find an ulcer

yesterday because of aforementioned stress at work. Anyway, although

this has caused me to be about 2 inches away from going to the ER, I

have managed with the pain meds and the oh so lovable heating pad.

I've been on a diet for the past year or so and have taken off 70 lbs

so didn't seem to notice whether or not it was weight loss " coming

from no-where kinda thing. " The diet (thankfully) was just your

standard counting calories, no-fat/low-fat diet so in hindsight that

was probably helpful. Can you imagine doing the Atkins diet

with " this? " Gawd........well, this is getting long so I'll go for

now. But, thanks for you kind responses. Guess we'll just have to

wait and see. I think my GI doc is thinking either bile duct

problems and/or sort of " crystallized " stones.....haven't gotten a

call with regard to the liver enzymes/white cell/red cell counts

blood test that was taken yesterday. Maybe no news is good

news.....hopefully......thanks again

> Hi :

>

> I'd like to welcome you to the group. When I first found this

group, I felt like the only person in the world with cp. If not for

the daily e-mails I would still feel that way.

>

> A little of my story...first taking my appendix out (missing 2

weeks work), taking my gall bladder out (missing 4 weeks of work),

having 2 ERCPS's (missing 2-3 weeks of work each time). Finally a

DX, and learning to live daily with cp. I missed several days a

month last year. I was even actually written up for not scheduling

my appts/sick time better. This was something new for me. I'd never

been healthier before I was " struck " sick back in March, 2001. And

in fact still looking for more answers.

>

> I have learned to be proactive with my healthcare. Noone will do

it for you. There are good/bad/indifferent doctors out there, but

keep looking until you find ones that you like.

>

> My boss has been quite patient with me, though I lost many of the

opportunities/responsibilities that I feel I would have had if I was

not sick. But who knows whether these things would have happened

whether I was sick or not. I used to blame everything on, " if I

wasn't sick...this wouldn't be happening. " I see a wonderful

counselor who helped me look at the other side of that, being maybe

it would have happened whether or not I am sick. Who knows? Other

than my Creator.

>

> Anyway, I have only missed 2 days of work since November, and this

was just last week (1 day) and this week (1 day). Every time I get

sick I think it's my pancreas, but actually this last bout I think

started as a bug, and ended up making my pancreas upset. It's hard

to know sometimes. But I get to work every day, and do the best job

I can with what I've got that day. I see a pain specialist who helps

with medications for my pain. That is crucial to my life. Without

the medications, I would pretty much be dead in bed, every day!

>

> Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

>

> HUGS,

>

> Robin

>

> robin.cox@m...

>

>

>

>

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