Re: Patty/whipple

[Guest guest]

Patty -

Here is the Reader's Digest version of my history with pancreas problems.

I was diagnosed with pancreas divisum in 1993, after having my gall bladder

out and experiencing an acute attack.

I had a sphrincteronomy done at the IU Med Ctr (I lived in Lafayette, IN

where I grew up).

I went SIX years with NO problems. Then I got an attack. I had moved to

Mesa, AZ, so I was being dr'ed by a very kind, supportive GI, but he admitted he

was no expert. After two years of hospitalizations every two - four months

and numerous ERCPS and stents, he said he could do no more - he even had his

BEST dr in his group who is a recognized expert work on me, and he could not

help.

We decided that I should go back to Dr. Lehman as he is an expert and I had

such good luck there before. I went to see him in 2002 and began ERCPs and

stents with him. I had one ERCP/stenting and I went 11 months with no attack.

Then I had a bad attack. I went back and he put in another stent and I had

three months before an attack. I then started taking Sandostatin and it has

really helped. I went in April for stenting and he only could open up to a 7

mm.

I went back in July and the duct had closed back to a 6 and he could only get

one stent in again. At that time, Dr. Lehman told me he would need to see me

every month for the stents to work as he needed to get the opening to 20 mm.

I decided that I could not do that as I live 2000 miles away. I met with a

surgeon there that Dr. Lehman recommended and he confirmed that my pancreas

still continues to deteriorate even when I am " healthy " and experiencing NO

symptoms, ie. pain, nausea.

It was at that time, that I decided to have either the whipple or peustow

surgery, which will depend on the CT results I will have Nov 22.

Now I am having an attack with amylase at 1250 and lipase at 450, which

indicates my duct is closed again. I have to do something, so the whipple seems

the best decision to give me a " cure " - at least to get the diseased part out

and give me a better way to drain the panc enzymes.

If you have more questions, I'll try and answer them.

Cecilia

Mesa, AZ