Re: Karyn/Transplant Surgery

[Guest guest]

Karyn,

I found your E-mail to Gail very interesting. I had a Distal in 2000,

fortunately I am not diabetic, is it common to become diabetic soon after a

Distal? Should I consider myself lucky? Another thing that you said struck

me was you are planning to get on a transplant list. Why don't they offer

that to all of us with Chronic Pancreatitis? My parents often ask me why

that is not an option. I never knew why it wasn't an option, and just

assumed it wasn't because no one here has had it done. And considering a lot

of people have been suffering a long time, that for some reason it wasn't

possible. Hope you are feeling well.

Marisa~San Diego, CA

[Guest guest]

Hi Marisa,

It's nice to hear from you. You wrote, " .. is it common to become diabetic

soon after a Distal?   ... you are planning to get on a transplant list.  

Why don't they offer that to all of us with Chronic Pancreatitis? "

The answer to the first question is, yes you are lucky. I was insulin

dependent 2 months later. Prior to the Distal Pancreatectomy there was no

evidence of insulin insufficiency. The majority of the Islets are located in

the distal 2/3rds of the pancreas. Many people only have 1/3 of the tail

removed, I had extensive involvement and had more removed. Additionally, I

also had Pancreatitis in the head of the pancreas, and therefore I lost many

of those Islet Cells, too.

The reason why they did not put me on the transplant list is that cadaver

transplants were reserved for persons requiring both the kidney and the

pancreas. They call that a simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK). Sometimes the

transplant a pancreas after kidney (PAK). Lord knows why you had to wait

until you were on deaths door, with kidney failure and end stage Diabetes? It

didn't make sense. Number one, you would make a very poor surgical candidate,

so the negative outcomes and odds were stacked against you. Over the last

couple of years, with the rise in the Auto-Islet Cell Transplants, the

incredible success was overwhelming. The NIH and other powers that be,

realized that the more effective use of the organs would be to allow the

Diabetic to receive a Pancreas only Transplant or pancreas transplants alone

(PTA).

If you go to <A HREF= " www.diabetesportal.com " >www.diabetesportal.com</A> there

are numerous articles about

transplants. Until recently with the Edmonton protocol and steroid free anti

rejection drugs the risks of transplants vs complications of Diabetes was

running neck to neck. That is all changing now. And, for myself, if the

transplant doesn't work, I will just return to an insulin pump.

Blessings,

Karyn , RN

Founder / Executive Director

http://www.pancassociation.org

PAI Home Office: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA