Re: Partial pancretectomy/ to

[Guest guest]

> Hi Everyone,

>

>

> This is and I am 16 years old. I had a partial

pancretectomy

> and I am now considering a full removal with the islet cell

> transplant. Has anyone done this before and had enough islet

> cells? Has your pain been relieved? Would you do it again? If I

> didn't have enough islet cells, would I become a brittle diabetic

or

> any kind of diabetic? Would a transplant be a better option?

Please

> kindly reply as my parents and I are trying to make a decision.

> This is the hardest decision because the first surgery failed.

> Thank-you,

>

,

I don't know if you remember me, but we met at the symposium in

August. I had a TP-ICT in November. They were not able to get enough

islet cells to prevent diabetes, after over 10 tears of attacks there

was far too much damage to my pancreas. I would do it again in a

heart beat. My diabetes is something to deal with and manage, but it

pales in comparison to the difficulty of CP. Dr Sutherland told me

after the surgery that I could have a whole pancreas transplant later

on if I found the diabetes too much to deal with. I am still learning

to better manage my blood sugars, and now that I feel well enough

that I can exercize, I am losing weight so I haven't seriously

considered his offer. There are other difficulties that go along with

the whole pancreas transplant, like a life long regimine of anti-

rejection drugs. I know your post was a few weeks ago, so I hope you

get this in time to be of some useful information. You could opt for

the TP-ICT as I did and then if you do become diabetic and find you

can not manage (probably unlikely), you could have a whole transplant

later on. My brother is a type I diabetic since age 13 and he lives a

very normal life at age 22 now. Diabetes is not the end of the world,

and there is always the possibility they would yield enough islet

cells that you would not be a diabetic. I was miserable in and out of

the hospital for a very long time. Even if I had known I would not

have enough islets to prevent diabetes, I would have had my pancreas

removed. My life is a thousand times better now.

I hope you are feeling well and I pray that you get all the

information you need to make the best decision for you. If there is

anything I can do or any questions you have for me, please e-mail me

at joshnkeribeck@... (I check it more frequently than the

PAI).

Best wishes,

Keri Beck