Just Wanted To Say Hello - It's Been Awhile

[Guest guest]

Hi and love to all - I haven't posted in a quite awhile and just

wanted to poke my head up thru the sand and say hello to all and

give you a brief update on what's been happening w/me. Some of you

may remember that I finally got my act together and flew out to Indy

to have the ERCP w/manometry done by Dr. Glen Lehman at the

Indianapolis Hospital/Medical Center. Well, not only was he the

absolute VERY BEST as everyone had previously told me and finally

enough that I was encouraged/persuaded to go, but he is also the one

that FINALLY gave me a diagnosis via the above procedure. It was

found that I have sphincter of oddi (SOD for short for those that

may be new to all of this!!) dysfunction. Consequently, he

performed sphincterotomies of both the pancreatic and common bile

ducts. Well, it's now been about 5 wks post-procedure and I'm

still just about writhing in agony EVERY DAY (I'm really not being

overly dramatic here either...pain is far worse than it was before

getting the ERCP done) and I've often wondered if it wasn't a

mistake to have it done...I think my hubby is convinced at this

point that it was. At any rate, I've had lots of support and

encouragement from N. and Laurie D. via private email and I

have to say if it wasn't for the loving, wonderful support of these

two wonderful women and friends...that I just don't know what I

would have done to date. I don't want to turn this into a me, me,

me book here but I've been encouraged by both and Laurie AND

by Dr. Lehman/and my " NEW " gastro doc that the recovery process can

take a VERY long time when things are messed around with in

there..good thing to know because like I said, if not for them, I

would be convinced that it was a mistake other than the fact that

I'm not TOTALLY treated like a drug seeker any longer because I now

have a diagnosis that I can shove under their noses in the form of

the post-procedure report!!! At any rate, I've been trying to play

catch up and read/lurk here...but just can't quite keep up...so hope

I haven't missed too much, but I'm sure I have!! I'm not on 150mcgs

of the Fentanyl/Duragesic patches changing every 48 hrs and that

isn't even enough really...going to have to complain yet again.

Have the 10/325 Percocets for break thru...and some days are worse

than others. Actually the patches seem to be working for only 24

hrs and EXACTLY 24 hrs at that....so don't know what the story is

there. Have lot of stories to tell regarding my once beloved

PCP...who is now (just to give you a hint) making comments about the

pain being all in my head, etc., etc. But, I will say that the new

GI was a recommendation of Dr. Lehmans and so far (well, only 1

appt!!) has turned out to be a real gem. We've both agreed that if

this is still continuing by the 21st of Oct., when I go back to see

him...that we are going to start writing up the disability

retirement paperwork to get it going as I work (worked?) for the

Federal Gov't. and well, you can well imagine how long that will

take just to get thru my local paper mill!! But, he does agree with

me that if I'm still in this much pain by then that I probably won't

really get much better and since I haven't worked since last May

(well, a couple of odd wks at home that my work kindly allowed for

in July) you can imagine the financial situation here. Most of you

probably well remember my screeching/whining about how I'm the major

breadwinner, the one w/the health benefits, etc., so with no money

coming in on my end...things aren't too pretty around here and I

have to get this going ASAP. Anyway, LOL!! this IS starting to

sound like a book so will close for now but like I said, just wanted

to poke my head up and say hello...will try to post more often now!!

lots of love and hugs to all