Re: I'm new to this.......long

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/30/2003 08:12:11 AM Mountain Standard Time,

hominid2@... writes:

By

the way, where are you located?

I'm in Divide, CO. It's about an hour west of Colorado Springs where the

nearest hospital is. It's very rural. My attack occurred after eating A LOT of

red

meat the weekend before my attack. We'd had steak, roast beef and then French

dip three nights in a row. I now can look back and realize it's red meat that

sets me off.

I rarely drink alcohol, but when I have (a Mai Tai in Hawaii, a glass of

champagne on New Year's Eve) it hasn't bothered me. It's definitely the red

meat.

I've told my doctor about that, and her recommendation was NO ALCOHOL (which

is fine) and no beef. She said that since I only get one attack every 18 months

or so, I'm not ready for enzymes yet.

Usually, when I feel an attack coming on, I'm able to thwart it with Pepcid

AC 40 mg. and 800 mg Advil. This was my first hospitalization because of the

vomiting. My doctor says that she thinks I can manage this on my own for now,

but if the attacks become more frequent, we'll talk about enzymes. She said my

ultrasound and CT scan looked fine. No cysts, no tumors, so that is good, but

she wants me to have a full CBC every three months, especially for

triglycerides and pancreatic enzyme levels.

So, that's where I am right now. I have another appointment with her in

January. One thing that bothers me is that my younger daughter (who is 27) is

complaining of ulcer pain may have inherited this, too. My older daughter (age

30)

hasn't complained about it at all. I've told my younger daughter to get to a

doctor ASAP and tell him about me and the possibility that she has inherited

pancreatitis. She says she will when she gets the time but in the meantime

Maalox works for her. Sigh.

Anyway, thank you all for your support and I am looking forward to exploring

this and finding a diet plan. It's nice to know I'm not alone as an attack is

a very scary thing when you don't know what's going on.

Marcy in Colorado

[Guest guest]

Marcy,

I wanted to welcome you to our group, though I'm sorry you've had to

have pancreatitis to join us. Have you though of asking your cousin if

she wants to join us too? Most of us find it very helpful to have someon

who completely understands what you are going through to be an enourmous

help. Here's my novel in reply to your email.

The Niacin is what probably helped to lower your triglycerides since

that's what Niacin is for. I should know since I'm on Niacin for that

and high cholesterol, though I'm on a much higher dosage than you.

Unfortunately, most of us have problems with protein, particulary red

meat. I know I do, though I am able to eat fish on a regular basis,

unless I'm having a bad day, and that sometimes I can eat alternative

protein sources, such as soy, other types of beans like hummus. There

are two main things you can do to help prevent another attack,

absolutely NO ALCOHOL. The pancreas is very sensitive to alcohol and

even if that isn't the cause of the pancreatitis, the pancreas becomes

sensitive to it and you'll get that excurciating pain again and might

even have a full blown attack. The second thing is to stay on a low fat

diet high in carbos (like you are doing). Fat is another thing that the

pancreas becomes sensitive to. Has your doctor thought to put you on

enzymes when you eat? Most of us are on them because they help digest

our food and also can sometimes help lower the pain.

Any time you want to talk, feel free to just email me or the group. By

the way, where are you located? We could then see if there is a state or

country representative for you. State and country representatives are

there to help the rest of the group in anything they can and are a local

contact as well. I am the California State and Southwest US regional

representative.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to that of a licensed

physician or health care professional.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/30/2003 08:12:11 AM Mountain Standard Time,

hominid2@... writes:

I wanted to welcome you to our group, though I'm sorry you've had to

have pancreatitis to join us. Have you though of asking your cousin if

she wants to join us too? Most of us find it very helpful to have someon

who completely understands what you are going through to be an enourmous

help.

I emailed , and she said she'd think about it. One of the things my

mom's generation (they're in their 70's and 80's now) refuses to admit is that

they DON'T have pancreatitis. They are still positive they have ulcers. Many of

my cousins also are in denial and continue to self-medicate for ulcers.

In the meantime, I feel like I've found a place where I can talk about my

pancreatitis and feel judged. One of the first things the ER doc asked me when I

was admitted was, how much alcohol a day I drink. I was appalled! It was as

though he thought only lushes got pancreatitis. When I told my doctor what this

guy said, she had an immediate talk with him. Fortunately, she's known me for

years and was the one to suggest it was a high fat diet.

I'm finding acceptance here, which is a really nice feeling.

Marcy in Colorado