really long!! sorry :)

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone!

I have been off line for about a month and a half now and just tonight caught up

on all my e-mail! Welcome to all the new members and I hope to be of some help

to you soon!

On July 8 my I found out the my brother-in-law Steve (technically not my BIL but

I have been engaged to his brother for 3 years and have been in their family for

8 years)at the age of 31 had 3-6 months to live. Steve has been an insulin

dependent diabetic since he was 4 years old. In 2000 he went into total kidney

failure and had been on dialysis since. Since the beginning of the year he just

started to deteriorate and fast. On July 8 the Dr said that it was time to stop

making Steve suffer. His body couldn't take it and they released him from the

hospital on Hospice a week later. On July 15 he became unconscious. The

Hospice nurse said that he only had a few hours left. To everyones amazement he

woke up that night. On July 22 he became unconscious again and sadly did not

wake up this time. He passed away on July 23. I have spent that last month or

so just caring for my fiancee (Nick)and family. Not only was Steve Nicks

brother but also his best friend. He was going to be our best man at our

wedding. So for Nick this has been a double loss. Things are getting better,

we still have our moments but we are all dealing with the loss as best as we

can.

Thankfully my pancreas has been very well behaved for the last 2 months. I

haven't had to take a pain pill (other than my Elavil) since Aug. 5!! I am

surprised because with the stress I for sure thought I would have a severe

episode. I did have some pain today and thought I was going to have to take

meds, but I rode it out and it passed. Although my pancreas was being so well

behaved I could not figure out why I was so tired. So I chalked it up to all

the stress and was trying to ignore it. Well about 2 weeks ago I couldn't

ignore it any more. I was exhausted! We have been doing home improvements

(carpet, tile, paint, landscape) and I just didn't have any stamina. I was

scraping wallpaper and literally could only do it for about 10 minutes, then I

had to rest for 20. I couldn't walk from the garage to the bedroom without

feeling exhausted. My muscles hurt and I was light headed and dizzy every time

I stood up. And the wildest thing was that I was having this electric shock

feeling in my knees! Only when my body was totally relaxed would this happen.

It wasn't necessarily painful but very annoying and kept me up many nights. So

reluctantly I went to the doctor. I didn't want to go, I had such a hard time

getting my cp dx that it has scarred me for life. I always fear going and them

telling me nothing is wrong, all the tests are normal. I know lots of you can

relate to that. I did go and the Physician Assistant I saw was fresh out of

school....GREAT...I thought to myself. But I gave her a fair chance, we are all

rookies at some point. She was very nice and did full labs on me. This was the

week before the holiday weekend so I decided that on the Tuesday after the

holiday I would call and get the results. My insurance, Kaiser, YOU HAVE to

call for results most of the time. Well, I got into work on Tuesday and my

doctor calls me. I was sooo scared, they never call me first!! I thought for

sure that something major was wrong. There was something wrong but it wasn't

that major. She tells me that even though I am on thyroid that it wasn't

enough. I was extremely low and that I am severely anemic. Between the 2 she

says she doesn't know how I was getting out of bed everyday. So for the last

week I have been on the new thyroid and iron pills. Iron pills...yuck! I am

now constipated! I am used to the loose stools, and I would gladly go back in a

heart beat! LOL I will add some more fiber to the diet and see if that helps.

I go back for a follow up on the 26th.

Well, that has been my life! I am sorry this turned into a novel! I hope that

everyone is doing really well and I am sooooo glad to be back!

Sending lots of happy thoughts your way....

Marisa~San Diego, CA