Subject: New member- Just want to say hello/ Becky

[Guest guest]

From: " rekadaub " <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pancreatitis/post?protectID=1940562112372480\

31130171203245147187078145139218183041rekadaub@...>

Date: Thu Aug 15, 2002 3:06 pm

>>>I am a new member and just want to say hello to everyone. I was

diagnosed with acute Pancreatitis on April 20, 2001. I have been e

mailing a few members and just wanted to let you all know what a

great help this site has become for me. Thank you. Becky<<<<

Hi Becky,

We are glad you are here. Please share your story with us, where you live,

etc. I am glad that this site has been helpful to you. Have you been

diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatitis since you had Acute Pancreatitis?

Karyn , RN

Founder / President

http://www.pancassociation.org

KarynWms@.../

Pancreatitis Association International

Many People, Many Faces, One Voice

[Guest guest]

I live in North Central Pennsylvania. I am single and live alone.

I have not been diagnosed with chronic, but I have been having

problems the last several months. I went to my GP and had tests run

and a CT scan done. The results came back and my pancreas and

spleen are enlarged, especially the tail of my pancreas.

My experience began on January 31, 2001, I was very ill with nausea

and vomiting, I went to the ER and was told I had GERD, I was given

meds for that. Well on February 14, 2001, I began vomiting about

every 20 - 25 minutes for about 30- 36 hours. I called my GP and he

told me I had a touch of the bug and gave me a script for the

vomiting. Several days later I began to feel better. But on March

14, 2001, it all began again, but the vomiting was about 15 - 20

minutes apart for almost 40 hours. Once again I called my GP and he

told me that it was the bug and refilled my script, and told me if

it happens again they will get me in. A few days later I began to

feel better. But I was still not feeling like myself the entire

time.

On Thursday April 19, 2001 around 2:00 in the afternoon it began

again, and my boss sent me home. I called my GP right away and he

set an appt for the next morning, too busy to get me in that day.

Well, as the evening progressed I continued to get worse, the

vomiting was about every 5 minutes. Around 12:30 am I began to get

double vision, and just associated it with dehydration, around 1:00

am I began to breath so fast that I was panting. I called 911. The

medics came and hooked up all kinds of machines. My heart rate was

300, they shot me 3 times with eppy trying to get it to slow down,

to no avail. My BP was so low that it wouldn't register. They

finally had me stable enough for transport. I don't remember to

much about what happened in the ER. My brother had recently changed

his phone # and I couldn't remember his new number.

The next thing I remember was being wheeled into the ICU unit around

8:00 am. My nurse, Mark, informed me that they were going to put me

on life support, which I told him no. I was addicted to Trauma,

LIfe in the ER on TLC, and saw what happened to people they put on

life support. He told me that I could do it now or when I crash and

if I crash I will not survive. After signing the papers myself, I

blurted out my brother's phone number.

It took them 3 hours to reach my brother. He was online and they

broke through 3 times before he just gave up trying to download.

Well the next call was the dreaded call.

I was on life support for 7 days and in a medically induced coma for

10 days. I had 13 IV lines, 50 lbs of IV fluid, and 2 blood

transfusions. Sometime after they removed the ventilator but while

still in a coma, I climbed over the side rail of the bed and fell to

the floor, the nurses found me several minutes later laying on the

floor. When this happened I injured my right leg, so now I have a

disability. My right leg does not work from the knee down. I ended

up spending a month in the hospital. I would have been home much

quicker, but I had to go through rehab, I had to learn how to walk

again. I was dealing with pancreatitis, being newly diabetic and

now being handicapped. I had to learn how to walk all over again.

I was wheelchair dependant, I had a metal brace to my knee built

into a shoe just so I could walk. I was dependant on a walker for

several weeks, and then to a cane. I was also homebound because I

could not walk, let alone drive. I lived with my brace for 11

months. I now am free of that but still am considered handicapped.

My right leg still doesn't work properly.

I had a CT scan done on July 17, 2001, and my surgeon discovered a

pseudocyst had formed on my pancreas. It was about the size of a

football. Surgery was set for Aug 28, 2001. I basically had the

cut of a whipple proc, but they resectioned my small intestine to

accept the end of the cyst for drainage. While I was open he took

my gall bladder and my appendix. They weighed me before and afer

the surgery, I lost 13 lbs.

I have had several episodes of attacks of pain and nausea. Just

recently called my new doc for help.

Needless to say my original GP has been replaced by a new doc that

is very understanding of what I went and am going through.

So I am just trying to make it through each day. I still work and

have a new job. My new boss had never heard of this disease, so I

took in some info so she is aware of what might be going on if I

suddenly get sick.

This site has been very helpful and I have meet a lot of great

people here. Thank you all.

Becky

[Guest guest]

Becky,

wow, you have been through the mill haven't you. I certainly

hope your new doctor is a lot better dealing with your

medical conditions. My story is on the

http://www.pancassociation site.

Unfortunately, living with chronic pancreatitis and all the

complications it can cause is on a day by day basis. Some

days are good, some days are bad. I'm still able to work,

but have daily pain now as I'm end-stage chronic

pancreatitis. I've got it because of a birth defect called

a pancreatic divisum. Basically, my pancreas has been

autodigesting itself since I was born. I'm 32 now. I have

an acute attack about once a year. Plus I have multiple

other health problems, some related to the CP, some not. I

also have a genetic blood clotting disorder I didn't know I

had until I had a heart attack and single heart bypass. Nice

introduction, huh?

Well, just wanted to say hi and that I sympathize with all

you have gone through.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

[Guest guest]

Becky,

wow, you have been through the mill haven't you. I certainly

hope your new doctor is a lot better dealing with your

medical conditions. My story is on the

http://www.pancassociation site.

Unfortunately, living with chronic pancreatitis and all the

complications it can cause is on a day by day basis. Some

days are good, some days are bad. I'm still able to work,

but have daily pain now as I'm end-stage chronic

pancreatitis. I've got it because of a birth defect called

a pancreatic divisum. Basically, my pancreas has been

autodigesting itself since I was born. I'm 32 now. I have

an acute attack about once a year. Plus I have multiple

other health problems, some related to the CP, some not. I

also have a genetic blood clotting disorder I didn't know I

had until I had a heart attack and single heart bypass. Nice

introduction, huh?

Well, just wanted to say hi and that I sympathize with all

you have gone through.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

[Guest guest]

Becky,

That is a horrible experience that I am so sorry that you had to go through

with the ER. GERD? Are they crazy -- there's no vomiting with GERD --

usually you feel like you're having a heart attack and the first thing they

do is give you an EEG -- these people had worked too long on their shifts. I

have a hiatal hernia(which is a breakdown on the muscles in the esophagus)

and GERD and the first time it really got very bad (up to then it was just

indigestion), I was in Puerto Rico working and they immediately hooked me up

to an EEG and put me in coronary care -- but then moved me when they found

out what it was by doing an upper GI.

I hope your new doctors and surgeons are not affiliated with that " old

hospital " .

Hope you're doing better and are having a pain free day.

Kathie

[Guest guest]

Hi Becky,

WOW! What a story. I am glad you made it and I hope you are having a good day

today.

Best wishes, Poncho - GA

[Guest guest]

Becky,

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I am so sorry you had to go through

all of that alone. And that you ended up with your disability. I am glad that

things are going ok for you right now... I hope and pray they continue to.

I am glad we got the chance to chat and hope to get to again sometime soon!

Take care and Keep in touch!

{{{HUGZ}}}

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