Re: 1100 mesages and chronic panc!

[Guest guest]

..

please take care of yourself .. it would not be a good thing for your

daughter to have a wedding with no mother present because Mom overdid

and couldnt be there.

Sounds like your research was right on the money. I am glad you

finally have a doctor who seems to know what he is doing .. but more

importantly .. has helped you get better.

It's a shame though that we have to do the work for our doctors..

seems like if we dont do our own research, doctors now-a-days are just

too busy .. too money hungry .. to give a chit.

huggles..

[Guest guest]

Hi , I'm so glad that you are back

home!

Hugs,

[Guest guest]

.

Sounds like you are finally in good hands. I will continue to pray

for you, and you just take it easy and rest. Please don't over do

anything...

Take care hon and know we are all thinking about u and praying for

you...

Much Love

Deanna

> Hey Guys,

> Just thought I'd let everyone know I am home from the hospital,

finally! I have 1100 e-mail messages, so I'm just going to delete

most of them. I'll try to scan for my name in the subject line, but

if there is something important that I need to see, please send it

again.

>

> It's late and I'm beat, so I'll give an abbreviated version of my

last couple of weeks. I know my sweet hubby, Bud, sent you all an e-

mail telling you I was back in the hosptial. I went to the ER

around 3 a.m. on Friday morning, May 30th. Liver enzymes were in

the 700's, Lipase was about 514, but my amylase was normal. It

seems the theory I had come up with on Thursday evening just a

couple of hours before the attack started, was most likely correct.

I thought that maybe my lipase was elevated despite a normal

amylase, but since the lipase can't be done in house, they don't

ever check it at my local hospital. I was admitted under the care

of my internal med doc, Dr. Wyatt, in Huntsville (about 30 miles

from home) with acute pancreatitis on Friday, May 30th. Dr. Wyatt

said I was definitely having an attack of acute pancreatitis and he

was not happy to find out that they don't ever check my lipase at my

local hospital in Athens. He said it is VERY common to have acute

pancreatitis with a normal amylase and an elevated lipase.

>

> I was discharged on Monday, Jun 2nd, after begging the doctor to

let me go home. I got home Monday and in my hubby's words - I hit

the door running and didn't stop til I ended up back in the ER. I

actually felt pretty good on Monday and Tuesday. Nikki was in town

and we had appointments with wedding vendors all day Tuesday. We

booked the florist and photographer so Tuesday was a productive

day. However, I was absolutely exhausted by Tuesday afternoon. I

didn't eat much Tuesday because I really just had no appetite.

Around 10 or 11 p.m., I started having the severe RUQ abdominal

pain, nausea, and vomiting so we were off to the ER again. this

time my amylase was again totally normal. Liver enzymes were

elevated - didn't ask for the numbers, but will get copies in a few

days. Lipase was higher this time. I was admitted again early Wed,

Jun 4th, under Dr. Wyatt's care. Dr. Wyatt called in a GI, Dr.

Goetsch, and I really think I am finally in good hands. This time

it took longer than usual for my liver enzymes and lipase to start

coming down. I finally got to come home this afternoon. I've spent

about 11 of the last 13 days in the hospital, but if Dr. Goetsch is

as good as he seems to be, the recent attacks may just be a

blessing. He told my hubby and I that he finds the liver and

pancreas to be the most interesting part of the digestive system,

and that he devotes much of his practice to dealing with liver and

pancreas problems. He said that he has no problem dealing with my

liver, pancreas, and any other GI problems that are going on with me.

>

> They did a ct scan of my abdomen since the last one was done in

September of last year. Until this most recent episode, nothing

ever showed on films. This time the ct scan showed edema and signs

of chronic panc. Dr. Goetsch had them give me three doses of

sandostatin. I'm not really sure why just three doses. Maybe

someone in one of my panc groups can explain it to me. He also

started me on Actigall (Urso) twice a day. He gave me a

prescription for pancreas enzyme - pangestyme. I'm supposed to take

two with all meals and snacks.

>

> Dr. Goetsch said that he is postive that my episodes of horrendous

RUQ abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are being caused by my

pancreas and not my liver. I think that's the same pancreas that

my previous GI has insisted is perfectly normal throughout the last

11 months. I asked my new GI if I have chronic pancreatitis or

still just recurrent acute pancreatitis. He said I have 'relapsing

chronic pancreatitis'. I haven't ever heard it referred to

as 'relapsing chronic pancreatitis', but it seems it is now official

that I have chronic pancreatitis. I will see my new GI in two

weeks.

>

> At that time, he will most likely add Imuran and begin slowly

tapering down my prednisone. I tried to get him to start me on

Imuran or another immunosuppressant now but he said he needs to give

my pancreas a couple of weeks before we add the Imuran. His goal

will be to get me on the lowest dose of prednisone and/or Imuran

that will keep my liver enzymes at or near normal.

>

> Well, I can barely keep my eyes open, so I'm gonna close.

>

> Hope this finds all of you doing well.

>

> W