Doctor update/Dental update/Wedding Day countdown

[Guest guest]

Hi friends!

It's been a while since I've updated with you about my present status. I had an

appointment with my GI last week to discuss the results of my last ultrasound.

That one showed that my pseudocyts hadn't resolved any, in fact the larger of

the two had gone up again to 6x5 cm......it looks like I'm going to have these

guys for life unless we can think of something else to do.

So.....my GI, Dr. Northup, wants to send me to see Dr. Lange down at

the Mayo Clinic in Florida. Seems they trained together at Mayo in Rochester

and became friends in the process. He said that Lange is now the Mayo's

pseudocyst specialist for the Florida facility, and that he's already discussed

my case with Dr. Lange at their last medical convention, and then again

afterward on the telephone. There was discussion of the Roux-en-Y

jejunostomy as a " possible " solution, but it really would depend upon what

Lange sees once I go down there. Knox had this procedure done

earlier this year, and apparently is doing well as a result.

We plan to make the arrangements for me to see Dr. Lange " after the

wedding " ......boy, I've been using that expression a lot lately, whenever

anybody wants me to do anything, and I'm afraid that I've got an awful lot to

do, so I've given it an acronyn of it's own.... ATW!

My dental problems are also going to be solved ATW. I decided that I wasn't

in shape for a few months-years worth of extensive and expensive

periodontal reconstruction for my loose teeth and disappearing gums, and will

be getting upper dentures in later in the fall. Just chalk that one down to

another unpleasant side effect of the ravages of chronic pancreatitis! The

whole process will take 6 weeks, but will be of considerably less cost and less

pain than the periodontal work would have been. In the meantime, I've

learned to eat out of the side of my mouth and have had to give up any foods

that are torn or bitten into with the front teeth. It's been my fear that I'll

make a

mistake and one of them will come out before the wedding.....so I'm eating

very slowly and with much caution.

Other than that, things are going well. My pancreas has behaved itself with

minimal problems these last few weeks, yet I do notice that the good stress is

beginning to take it's toll. We have only 18 days left before the wedding

celebrations start, and I do find myself a bit more preoccupied each day. I

won't be able to be as active on the board as usual, so if there's anything

specific anyone may want me to see or answer a question about, please send

it to my personal email address. Lately I've been so busy that I've only been

able to read the posts a couple times a week, instead of daily, and I know that

within the next week or two I won't be able to keep up with the posts at all.

Do me and everyone living in this neck of the woods a favor and say a little

prayer that our next storm, Frances, which has everyone in the SE coastal

area on edge, gets out of our way. It's a few days off, but everyone here is

already worried about it, and I truly dread the stress of an evacuation right

now.

I hope everyone is having a good day and more to come.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep

PAI

Note:

All comments or advice is based on personal experience or opinion, and

should not be substituted for consultation with a medical professional.