Gall Bladder

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone:

I haven't posted since the New Year, so I wanted to wish everyone a happy

and HEALTHY New Year.

I also wanted to state that my pancreatitis showed itself very soon after

they took my gall bladder. About 4 weeks after the surgery, I kept telling

the surgeon that I was still having alot of pain. Also, that I was still

really tired, and having nausea and PAIN. They finally sent me to the

University of MD to see a " specialist " there, who looked over my records and

told me to talk nortryptiline (really bad spelling), and get off of

everything else. I was taking around 10-20 mgs. of oxycodone at the time, 3

times a day. So, I went around a week and finally had to go back to the

oxy. The pain was unbearable. The doctor told me he needed about a week to

go over some additional blood work and an MRCP to see what he would do next.

Of course, I was counting the hours, and about a week later he called and

said there was nothing he could do. He didn't see anything on the MRCP, and

nothing really significant in the bloodwork. You can well imagine my

dismay. I was really counting on his help, I just cried my heart out. He

decided it was just some type of neuropathic pain...of unknown origin. My

surgeon kicked me to the curb shortly thereafter. The last appointment with

him, he definitely implied that I was just there for the drugs.

Anyway, it was another 2 years, many visits to the hospital with severe

pain, lots of screwy blood rest results (elevated liver enzymes and lipase

and amylase etc...) and so many doctors I lost count, before I had my first

ERCP at s Hopkins, where I was diagnosed with SOD, a blocked common bile

duct (mostly sludge which you can't see on the MRCP), and a " mild " case of

pancreatitis. They did a sphincterotomy and placed a stent. This was

followed my a 4 day hospital stay with an acute attack (and the worse

migraine of my life). I finally went home, but was back to have the stent

taken out because it had become blocked in less than a week. After they

took the stent out, they said your pain should be better in a month or two,

take these enzymes for the next year, and this time next year you won't even

remember what happened to you. It's now 4 years later, and that did not

turn out to be the case.

I asked Dr. Kalloo what he thought caused the pancreatitis, and he said

DRINKING. I had not had a drink in 20 years (no exaggeration...I was in AA

since 1983). He said the damage was caused back then, and just now appeared

just from getting older. I'm sorry, but I still don't buy that. I was in

excellent health prior to the gallbladder surgery. In fact I was in the

middle of a 2 hours spinning (inside bicycling) class when I had my first

pain " from the sky. " He still claims it was my drinking, and would never

admit that it might have something to do with the gallbladder surgery, or

the fact that my gallbladder was full of stones and sludge, and that the

sludge in my duct could have come from that! We all know different, right?

I have also noticed over the past year on this board how many people

mentioned gallbladder right before cp!

So, I manage day to day with taking pain medication, eating correctly, and

lots of prayer. But I believe like I have read, it should not matter how

you get it. The pain and everything else sure feels the same. Most

recently I went to a new " specialist " per the request of my PCP. This guy

at Jefferson Hosp. in Philadelphia, has now decided that the first ERCP

should have taken care of everything. That since my pain all right sided,

and involves my ribs that it isn't cp at all. He's reviewing my records to

see what he thinks it is. I had a second ERCP back in June, and he said if

anything that caused further damage to my pancreas. To tell me at this

point that I don't have it is just ridiculous if you ask me. I was

wondering, DOES ANYONE ELSE WHO IS DIAGNOSED WITH CP HAVE RIGHT SIDED PAIN?

Maybe I'll change my mind, if noone out there has right sided pain, ok?

That's my story for now. Thanks everyone for all your support. When I got

back from my 2 week vacation over the holidays, I had over a 1000 messages

from PAI, I read each and everyone looking for answers. At least I don't

feel like the only person in the world with cp anymore.

Hugs to All....

Robin R.

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