Re: Regarding Pancreatitis:

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/1/00 11:33:52 AM Central Daylight Time,

shirlf3542@... writes:

<< I am eating nothing

but since I have a stint in my pancreas duct I am able to drink veg.and

fruit

juice juiced from a veggie juicer.

At least I am getting some vitamins and nutrients. Are any of you juicing?

>>

hi shirley and welcome. i have wondered about buying a juicer before!

thanks for the website information. you will find many friends here.

debbie

[Guest guest]

Hi Debbie, thank you for writing me back. I was beginning to wonder if I was

sending these e-mails wrong. I wrote one to and it came back to me as

new mail. My own that I had written came back to me. When I write an e-mail

do I put the person I am writing to in the send to box or do I put in

pancreatitis@...? As you can see I am new at computers and support

groups but am looking forward to having people to share my problems with.

Maybe I can help someone someway also. Shirley

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/1/00 2:43:42 PM Central Daylight Time,

shirlf3542@... writes:

<< When I write an e-mail

do I put the person I am writing to in the send to box or do I put in

pancreatitis@...? As you can see I am new at computers and support

groups but am looking forward to having people to share my problems with.

Maybe I can help someone someway also. Shirley >>

Hi Shirley - you can highlight a portion of the email you are answering and

then just hit " reply " and type your reply and send. You will always get a

copy of your email because you are on the list just like everyone else. You

can also just type in pancreatitis@... and send a message and it will go

to everyone on the list. hope that makes sense. sometimes we are just

slow in writing back - it depends a lot of how everyone is feeling. hope

your day today is better.

debbie

[Guest guest]

Thanks Debbie. I am sure I will get into this soon. I hope you have many,

many good days. Shirley

[Guest guest]

Hello Jang, I am really surprised that there are so many divisium people. I

thought we were so rare. Have you had stints placed in your small duct? Do

you consider surgery? I am but don't know if I am doing the right thing.

When I am unable to eat or have a lot of pain which is almost all the time I

think I would do anything. Remove whole blasted thing. On my best day I can

only eat a little over one-fourth cup of food every 45 min. But most of the

time I am eating nothing. Please let me know about you. The doctor said

most people can eat more than I eat. I am in such a confused place right now

with the doctors telling me one thing then another. Shirley

[Guest guest]

Shirley: My wife has panc. divisum please ask any questions that you want

and I will try to answer them. Tammy also has had a stint put in but it did

not help any. Tammy & Steve MI.

[Guest guest]

--

>Hi all, I am new to the group and am so happy that I finally can talk about my

problem. I feel a relief that others understand the miserable life one has when

suffering from pancreas problems. Does anyone have pancreas

>divisium?

Hi Shirley. Welcome to the group. I, along with many others who post on this

group, have pancreas divisum. Seems like a lot of people with divisum clustered

here, when you consider divisum is supposed to be so uncommon. Hope you are

having a comfortable weekend.

jang

--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--

Before you buy.

[Guest guest]

Hi Tammy and Steve: Where do I begin? I have so many questions and thanks

for being there for me. That is very kind. I had two small stints put in my

small duct which did not help me at all. In 1997 I had a very large stint

put in, a # 5 and I was able to eat one-half of a meal. Dr. Lehman at

Indianapolis wanted to try a new experimental technique on me. He believes

by stretching the small duct from the very small size that it is to a # 30

size then having a surgeon cut the last stint the # 30 out of my pancreas by

slitting the duct from end to end and slitting the duodenum and sewing the

pancreas one side of the duct to the bowel and the other side of the duct to

the other side of the bowel. This is called a puestow but with a new twist.

The stretching of the duct. He is hopeful by stretching the duct it will not

close after surgery. I refused the surgery in 1997 and became much worse. I

can only eat less than one-fourth of a cup on a good day and I usually can't

eat at all. After many panc. attacks and getting worse I have been going

back to dr. Lehman. He has started the stint process, getting me ready for

the surgery. He put in a # 5 again then two months later he put in a # 6 and

now I have two # five's in. He told me that if I am unable to eat any better

the surgery would be canceled because if I can't eat with the stints I will

not be able to eat with the surgery. When he puts a new stint in I am able

to eat one-third of a meal for the first seven days. Then I have pain and

have to stop eating. So it has not worked very well with me this time like

it did in 1997. I am hoping that the reason I stop eating after seven days

is because the little holes in the stint get clogged up. I go back to

Indianapolis for the next stint. I don't know if he will continue with this

program. Have you ever heard of what I am going through with stretching the

duct and then doing surgery. If so do you know of the results? I Know that

DR Lehman has only done thirty of these procedures. He told me that 75% of

the thirty improved. I am so scared. I don't know if this will make me

worse but then I wonder how much worse can it get. I am starving and in pain

all the time. I am sure you can relate to that. Can you tell me anything

you know about what I am preparing to go through. Can you tell me about your

condition and if you can eat and how much you can eat? I hope I am not being

nosey but I am desperate. I could use all the help I can get. Thank you so

very much for writing me. If I can be of any help or comfort to you or Tammy

please let me know. Shirley

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/1/00 4:33:50 PM !!!First Boot!!!, shirlf3542@...

writes:

<< Hi all, I am new to the group and am so happy that I finally can talk

about my problem. I feel a relief that others understand the miserable life

one has when suffering from pancreas problems. Does anyone have pancreas

Divisum? >>

Hi Shirley,

We are all glad that you are here, too. I don't have Pancreatic Divisum, but

I have found out so much from the large number of people here that do. I was

diagnosed with Idiopathic Calcific Chronic Pancreatitis. I have had a Distal

Pancreatectomy and a Total Spleenectomy. It doesn't matter how we have come

here. We all seem to have similar symptoms and very difficult days.

I am trying to Network through out the states. If you can take a few moments,

please go to:

/polls/pancreatitis

There are two polls, each have a portion of the states. Complete it so we can

know who lives near us.

Thanks for being here. Thanks for jumping right in and sharing.

Karyn

[Guest guest]

Shirley: Tammy was scheduled for a puestow last year at U of M hospital.

Four days before we went down for the pre- opt testing and the cat scan

showed her pancreas was onley 5mm and it needs to be at least 7mm to do the

surgery. She was crushed because they told her there was a 80% chance it

would make her feel better. Tam eats but she eats about 3 times a day (very

small amounts) , Sometimes she can hold it down and sometimes not. She is

taking morphine through her medi-port and she takes dilauden for breakthrough

pain. She has been in a deep depression and I dont know what to do some days.

We have two children 1 girl 5 years old and 1 boy 2 years old. It is really

taking a toll on them also. We spent last weekend in the hospital and the

doctor on call was a real jerk to put it nicely. he did not want to admit her

so we ended up in er the whole weekend. thanks for listening.

Your friends

in michigan Tammy & Steve

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/1/00 7:43:44 PM !!!First Boot!!!, shirlf3542@...

writes:

<< I was beginning to wonder if I was sending these e-mails wrong. I wrote

one to and it came back to me as new mail. My own that I had written

came back to me.When I write an e-mail do I put the person I am writing to in

the send to box or do I put in pancreatitis@...? . Shirley >>

Hi Shirley, and all,

This questioned has come up a lot. When you receive a post from the

Pancreatitis Network, simply hit your reply button to respond. When you send

out a post to the Network you will be receiving a copy as well. If the post

doesn't really address Pancreatitis, many people will respond directly to the

person sending the post.

When I am reading the Pancreatitis Network posts I will address the response

to that person as well as all of the members, as more than likely it will

help someone somewhere. I want everyone in the Network to know that their

posts are valued. With the growth of the Network it isn't possible for me to

respond to all of them. Nobody's go unnoticed, however.

The posts should be addressed to:

Pancreatitisegroups

Hope this helps a bit.

Karyn

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/1/00 8:04:22 PM !!!First Boot!!!, djssekis@...

writes:

<< you can highlight a portion of the email you are answering and then just

hit " reply " and type your reply and send. >>

Hi everyone,

I really want too second this statement. In order to facilitate the flow or

topic at hand with the posts, highlighting that portion of the post that you

are responding to is really necessary.

Thanks,

Karyn

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirley!

Nice to " meet " you. Sorry that you aren't feeling well. Hope you are better

so you can enjoy the 4th!

Hugs,

( Indianapolis)

[Guest guest]

Hi , thanks for the encouragement. I have been going through this since

1985 and it get worse all the time. In a few months I am going to have

pancreas surgery. Has anyone had surgery on their pancreas? I hear so many

conflicting stories and opinions from doctors. I have chronic hepatitis b

and I had ovarian cancer in 1993 but as bad a the word C is this decease is

so much harder on me. It just gets worse and get more miserable everyday.

The only reason I am not in the hospital right now with a pancreas attack is

because the doctors have a stint in my pancreas duct holding it open. I have

several different things wrong with my pancreas so I don't know if the

surgery will make me better than I am now or worse. Thanks for writing,

Shirley

[Guest guest]

Hi Jang, The E-mail you sent to me really hit home with me. Can you read my

mind? When you were referring to Doctor's comments I can add one more

sentence I have heard many times. Shirley it is in your head. My husband

and I drove all the way to Mass. General to see the famous Dr. Warshaw. We

had an appointment on a Friday afternoon. He passed me off like I had the

plague. He wrote in my records and told me that I needed to see someone for

my mind. It was obvious that he had plans for Friday evening and was in a

hurry to leave. It didn't matter what my x-rays showed or other records

showed. I was crushed. I went there with the hope that he would be able to

help me. It was just terrible. I have had opinions with so many doctors and

each one gives me a different answer. The last surgeon in Cinti. wanted to

do a Whipple and remove the tail of my pancreas. The doctor in Indianapolis

put three stints in my small duct in 1995, 1996 and 1997. The first two were

small and didn't help me to eat at all. The one he put in 97 was a very

large stint, a #5. I have been back to Indianapolis for the last six months

having stints put in every two months. I have in the last six months gone

from a # 5, then two months later a # 6 and now I have two # 5's in. For the

first seven to eight days I am able to eat one-third of a meal which is

wonderful since I have been unable to eat very much at all since my second

look surgery for ovarian cancer in 1994. The doctor told me when this

process started that if I cannot eat with the stints in I won't be able to

eat with the puestow either. So I am at a loss to what his decision will be

when I return to Ind. on Aug. 7th. I am not going into this surgery with a

lot of confidence. I had bowel surgery which lasted for three hours in 1999

plus they took my gallbladder out and put in a feeding tube. I thought I was

going to die. It was a terrible surgery. Since I have so many other

illnesses I am really afraid. In fact panicky. I used to never cry but find

myself crying all the time now. I have to take antidepressants and

tranquilizers so I can sleep. I AM A MESS! I told you that I have two # 5

in my duct now. When I get to a metal stint called a wall stint which is

only being used in Ind. I will have the surgery. The wall stint is a # 30.

I don't know how long it will take to get my duct stretched to that size.

The doctor said that I have a very small duct. If I were you I would do what

you are doing. Being able to eat small meals sounds wonderful to me. I had

to stop eating five days ago because of pain and yesterday I had carefully

improved myself to being able to eat one-fourth of a cup of certain foods.

This morning I drank two tablespoons of soy milk and now I am shut down

again. I cannot eat a thing. I get so sad and fed up. I feel that I am in

a constant battle. My family is having a family reunion next Sat. and my

goal is to be able to at least eat a few bites. If I cannot eat with all

those people and all that good food I am going to freak. Not really, just be

really sad. I bet you didn't realize that when you wrote me I would write a

book back to you. I won't do this every time I promise. Thank you for

writing and thanks so much for telling me about Andre. I will write him.

Jang, if you can tell me anything to help me negative or positive with the

upcoming surgery I certainly would appreciate it. Thanks again, Shirley

[Guest guest]

--

>I am really surprised that there are so many divisium people. I thought we

were so rare.

Hi Shirley. I think I've read that about 5% of the population has divisum. I

have also read articles from doctors saying divism is not a cause of chronic

pancreatitis; if someone with divisum has pancreatitis, its just a coincidence.

Then again, I've also seen articles from docs who say that if a patient has

chronic pancreatitis & denies being an alcoholic, the patient is a liar. Just

goes to show you that you can't believe everything a doctor says or writes!

Have you had stints placed in your small duct?

I've had several sphincterotomies. I've also had stents twice. The first stent

clogged within a few days & had to be removed. I started having severe pain a

few days after having the second stent. When the doc went to remove the sent,

he found it had drifted into my duodenum & caused an ulcer. I think I'll pass

on further stents.

>Do you consider surgery? I am but don't know if I am doing the right thing.

I think Andre` has had the Puestow procedure you are considering; he can

probably give you some good info. Only YOU can decide if surgery is the way to

go for you. For myself, I have not had any open surgeries. Before I go for any

major medical adventure I want to have the surgeon show me a good track record

with people with the same problems. I want to see a significant success rate

before going for surgery.

>When I am unable to eat or have a lot of pain which is almost all the time I

think I would do anything. Remove whole blasted thing. On my best day I can

only eat a little over one-fourth cup of food every 45 min. But most of the

time I am eating nothing. Please let me know about you. The doctor said most

people can eat more than I eat. I am in such a confused place right now with

the doctors telling me one thing then another. Shirley

Right now I can eat small low-fat meals most of the time. I have had long

stretches where I could not bear to eat. It would take 3 or 4 days to eat a

roll. My ability to tolerate food seems to fluctuate without rhyme or reason,

just like everything else connected to this disease.

Please do try to keep up your intake of clear liquids. I find that getting

dehydrated or over-tired definitely brings on worse pain.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do as far as having surgery. Remember, a

second opinion never hurts. Please let me know what you decide to do. Hope you

are having a comfortable holiday.

jang

--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--

Before you buy.

[Guest guest]

Thanks Jang for your comforting words. You are so knowledgeable and well

informed. Thanks for being there for me, it means so very much. I am trying

to drink more liquids like you suggested. I sure want to talk with Andre.

Have a good day. Shirley

[Guest guest]

--

>referring to Doctor's comments I can add one more sentence I have heard many

times. Shirley it is in your head. My husband and I drove all the way to Mass.

General to see the famous Dr. Warshaw. We had an appointment on a Friday

afternoon. He passed me off like I had the

plague. He wrote in my records and told me that I needed to see someone for my

mind. It was obvious that he had plans for Friday evening and was in a hurry to

leave. It didn't matter what my x-rays showed or other records showed. I was

crushed.

Hi Shirley. As a nurse and as a patient, I have seen many doctors get

frustrated when they were unable to help a patient and then start to blame the

patient. Instead of being a big enough person to admit they don't have all the

answers, they start playing the psycho patient game. ( " If this person isn't

better despite my wonderful treatments, they must be crazy " ).

I think we all can use help adjusting psychologically to living with a painful

chronic illness, but you KNOW your pain is all too real. Just think of these

hurtful comments from that doctor as HIS failing & disablity.

>I had to stop eating five days ago because of pain and yesterday I had

carefully improved myself to being able to eat one-fourth of a cup of certain

foods.

>This morning I drank two tablespoons of soy milk and now I am shut down again.

I cannot eat a thing. I get so sad and fed up. I feel that I am in a constant

battle. My family is having a family reunion next Sat. and my goal is to be

able to at least eat a few bites. If I cannot eat with all those people and all

that good food I am going to freak. Not really, just be

>really sad.

Shirley, I feel so badly for you. If you get to the reunion, try to focus on

enjoying seeing the people. Maybe a bite or two of different things will be

possible, but if not, at least you will be with your family. In similar

situations, I put a little food on my plate & push it around a lot. I've found

that most of the time people are busy with their own things & don't REALLY see

what you are doing. Hope you have a comfortable 4th.

jang

--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--

Before you buy.

[Guest guest]

I found your post and thought you should have at least some information

before you make such a drastic life altering thing as have your pancreas

removed, from much of what I have read and been able to find I do not believe

that it is really what the American Gastroenterological Society really

approves, there are treatment protocols out there that say if this doesn't

work than go to this but doesn't always mean it is in the best interest of

the patient after all it is just a treatment protocol. If you feel confident

about this I don't want to change your mind it is your body, but in the very

begining with me, I had no computer and no one to ask or even look this stuff

up, and Ihave learned the hard way about blind faith in medicine ( I was a

nurse, the Dr. is always right or so I thought, if I had know half of what I

know now there would be a few less Dr. with a little less money in their

pockets from me) I will forward a link to you and all you have to do is click

on it and it will give you the information you need, anybody out eles out

there click if you too would like the information out there. <A

HREF= " http://www.gastrojournal.org/cgi/content/full/115/3/763 " >Gastroenterolog

y -- 115 (3): 763</A> <A

HREF= " http://www.gastrojournal.org/cgi/content/full/115/3/765#T7 " >Gastroentero

logy -- WARSHAW et al. 115 (3): 765</A> <A

HREF= " http://www.medscape.com/SCP/CIS/1997/v16.n11/s3033.kaminski/s3033.kamins

ki.html " >Surgical Management of Pain In Chronic Pancreatitis</A> Make

absolutely sure you ask the right questions how long should it take for me

to feel better, and what if I don't then what also what if they don't take

the whole pancreas what about diabetes, there are sites out there that talk

of islet cell transfers ( once the pancreas is gone instant diabetic forever

) All I want you to know is that as a consumer you have the right to know all

the bad and good things that go with this, this is not like going shopping

and you and take it back when you decide you don't like how it turned out

once you tried it, you need to know best case senerio and worst case senerio

and they are obligated to tell you tell them you don't want anything sugar

coated you want the truth. Good luck reading let me know what you think and

what you decide. I just could not sit here with this information at my

disposal and not share it with you.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/2/00 12:52:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time, KarynWms@...

writes:

<<

We are all glad that you are here, too. I don't have Pancreatic Divisum, but

I have found out so much from the large number of people here that do. I was

diagnosed with Idiopathic Calcific Chronic Pancreatitis. I have had a Distal

Pancreatectomy and a Total Spleenectomy. It doesn't matter how we have come

here. We all seem to have similar symptoms and very difficult days.

>>

Hi Karyn please tell me about your disease and what has been done for you.

Also have you been helped a lot? Thank you, Shirley I don't know what a

distal pancreatomy and a total spleenectomy is. I would guess that you had

your spleen removed but I don't know what distal pancreatectomy is. I also

would like to know what Calcific Chronic Pancreatitis is. Thanks again,

Shirley

[Guest guest]

Hi , thank you so very much for the information. Dr. Lehman is putting

stints in my pancreas small duct because I have pancreas divisium. Then when

he gets it stretched to a large size he plans for Dr. Madura to do a puestow

surgery on me. I am so glad that you sent me all the information on

pancreatitis. I am not planning at this time on having my pancreas removed.

I feel that the information that you sent me will benefit me anyway. I

copied your e-mail to me and I also copied 23pages that were highlighted and

three which were highlighted. I plan for my husband and myself to sit down

and read every word. I find that I don't ask enough questions of the doctor.

In the past I have had four major surgeries and now looking back I didn't

need all of those surgeries. I just believed the doctors. Now I am finding

myself doing that again. I guess it is out of desperation and ignorance.

Why can't they be up front with patients? We don't always know what to ask.

And even if you ask them questions they become indignant. Their egos are so

inflated. You are right about them. They sure don't mind taking our money

though. I am 58 years old and when I was a child if I got a sore throat or

something else my mother would call the doctor and he would come to our house

in shabby clothes and feel lucky if he got paid. Something has to be done

about our medical situation. I go to the doctor and he does nothing for me.

In most cases they are in a hurry and rude to you and don't do one thing for

you to improve your health but they get the big bucks anyway. There is

something wrong here. When are we the people going to stand up and fight

back for our rights? I sound strong but I am not. I tend to put them on a

pedestal. I always think they are so smart and above me. I know better but

cannot apply it to myself. I feel so sorry for people like me who try so

hard to find out the facts about medical procedures the doctors want to do to

me but end up trusting the doctor because I am desperate and don't know what

to do. If you have anymore information that you think will help me please

send it to me. I will be sure to take it very seriously. Thank you again

, Shirley

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/6/00 11:49:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

briffle@... writes:

<<

DR. s do all have different opinions. I have found that I sit and

weigh them all out and decide which I feel would be the most or best

effective in my life. It usually takes me a week or two to let it sink

in .....but when it does I feel much better.

I hope you are well and get to your reunion OK. >>

Thanks Becky, it makes me feel so much better about myself when I hear that I

am not the only pancreatitis suffer who has gone through the it is all in

your head from doctors. My daughter who was in some premed classes in

college told me if I only knew who and what types of people are becoming

doctors I would laugh in their faces. My husband and daughter don't want to

go to the family reunion because I am still not eating anything and am very

thin. They hurt to see me unable to eat and everyone else including

themselves eating. I told them that I am going anyway. I know it will be

hard to do and I will be very sad but I want to visit and be with all my

family. It makes me very sad just thinking about it. I am a person that

food means a lot to. I am skinny but love to eat and love food. I guess

everyone who can't eat feels the same way. This is a very blue day for me.

So many days are blue days. I hope you are feeling the best that you can

feel. Thanks again, Shirley

[Guest guest]

When you were referring to Doctor's comments I can add one more

sentence I have heard many times. Shirley it is in your head.

My husband

and I drove all the way to Mass. General to see the famous Dr. Warshaw.

We

had an appointment on a Friday afternoon. He passed me off like

I had the

plague. He wrote in my records and told me that I needed to see

someone for

my mind. It was obvious that he had plans for Friday evening

and was in a

hurry to leave. It didn't matter what my x-rays showed or other

records

showed. I was crushed. I went there with the hope that

he would be able to

help me. It was just terrible. I have had opinions with

so many doctors and

each one gives me a different answer.

Shirley,

I understand totally how you feel. My GP Dr. wanted to put me on

antidepressants. The hemotologist I saw , started off my appoinment

by asking me psych questions. I have been sent down the line to so

many Dr.s. It is quite aggrevating. People keep saying you

shouldn't remain angry, it's kinda hard when you constantly have to defend

yourself to the people were suppose to be helping you. It is

tough when you go hoping for answers and all you get is attitude!

What most of these Dr. don't understand is that we would rather be anywhere

else but sitting in there office waiting for their 5 minutes of time.

I would much rather be shopping or out on the lake than driving to their

office.

Dr.s do all have sifferent opinions. I have found that I sit and

weigh them all out and decide which I feel would be the most or best effective

in my life. It usually takes me a week or two to let it sink in .....but

when it does I feel much better.

I hope you are well and get to your reunion ok.

Becky

[Guest guest]

--

>It is quite aggrevating. People keep saying you shouldn't remain angry, it's

kinda hard when you constantly have to defend yourself to the people were

suppose to be helping you. It is tough when you go hoping for answers and all

you get is attitude!

>What most of these Dr. don't understand is that we would rather be anywhere

else but sitting in there office waiting for their 5 minutes of

time.

Hi Becky. I think being angry is a natural state at times. I also think its

more than just OK, its a duty, to express the anger when its justified. I think

when you don't express anger it festers inside & becomes depression. If a

doctor says or does something that is upsetting, its better to let them know

than to keep it in. Its hard to disregard all the years our parents spent

training us to be polite to the doctor with all his years of education, but

sometimes the docs have to be reminded to treat the patient nicely too. There

is nothing wrong with telling a doctor who says something insulting or

belittling, that his disregard for your feelings makes you angry. I consider it

therapeutic for me, and informational for the doc, to remind them know that I

intend on being treated as a competent adult, capable of making decisions about

my own care. Sometimes a doctor has to be reminded to slow down, explain things

more than once, give you time to let things soak in. Often a doctor forgets he

is not omnipotent; he should give the patient several options & let the patient

make informed decisions; don't get upset if patients don't just blindly go along

with their advice.

OK, I'll get off the soapbox now.

jang

--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--

Before you buy.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/6/00 11:49:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

briffle@... writes:

<< When you were referring to Doctor's comments I can add one more

sentence I have heard many times. Shirley it is in your head. My

husband

and I drove all the way to Mass. General to see the famous Dr. Warshaw.

We

had an appointment on a Friday afternoon. He passed me off like I had

the

plague. He wrote in my records and told me that I needed to see someone

for

my mind. It was obvious that he had plans for Friday evening and was in

a

hurry to leave. It didn't matter what my x-rays showed or other records

showed. I was crushed. I went there with the hope that he would be

able to

help me. It was just terrible. I have had opinions with so many

doctors and

each one gives me a different answer. >>

Becky and Shirley,

I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience with Dr Warshaw when you went in

to see him. He has performed two surgeries on my in the past (Puestow and

Duval Procedure) and always treated me with the utmost respect and kindness.

Granted, his bedside manners leave much to be desired, yet I still found him

to he conscientious and concerned as a physician. That's why I am so

surpassed with your response and experience, Becky. It was so different from

my experience it almost seems like we are talking about two different people.

Obviously, this will make any decision you have to make concerning your

surgery that much more difficult, Shirl. Sorry to cloud the issue even

further for you.

By the way, I too have driven all the way to see DR Warshaw. Twice from New

Orleans, and once from here in Atlanta. Not a very fun trip, if I must say

so.

Andre'