Wanting to know more about the care of Pancreatitis

[Guest guest]

Wow, thanks for all the info. I'm glad that your

husband got the care that he needed. I wrote a very

long email earlier today before I got to yours so I

won't go into that detail again.

I wish more than anything to have had my husband

somewhere where they would of done something for him.

All they did was leave him in a room with IV fluids at

150cc/hour. Which I've been told that is way under

what he should of had at his weight. When I asked the

Dr. if I should have him transferred he told me know,

everything was there that they needed to treat him.

I'm not sure exactly what that is now, since at the

end life-flight was there to move him. I feel like he

was doomed no matter what.

I'm sorry for all this venting. If you don't mind I'll

write part of this story each day so I could get maybe

some answers of what should of been done to treat him.

Thanks for everything.

Janet S in Ohio

[Guest guest]

pain management, rehydration (vomiting and diarrhea dehydrate us so

very fast, plus we're hurting too much to take in anything by mouth)

He should have had at a bare minimum: xrays, CT Scans, maybe an MRI

(or MRCP)....he should have been on IV fluids...but you cannot put it

in too fast as that can cause problems of it's own.

I did have to " chuckle " a bit when I realized they were putting a one

liter bag of fluid into me over two hours (this was back in Feb when

I had an attack on the way in to work)! I told them I DRINK faster

and more than that ! I can easily drink a 32 oz glass of water in one

continuous guzzle...I drink one to two GALLONS of water a day, always

have...I drink the equivilant of a one liter bag the first hour I am

awake in the morning before I leave the house...and sometimes MORE

than that !

You husband should have been admitted sooner, been NPO (nothing by

mouth), been put on a pain medicine pump (called a PCA...patient

controlled analgesia...pain relief)...they should have gotten a

gastroenterologist involved a lot sooner, a specialist who SHOULD

have known the elevated triglycerides can and DO mask the amylase and

lipase levels....

Once diagnosed with pancreatitis admitted cared for and then sent

home he should have been placed on a very low fat diet, especially

due to his triglyceride levels, but the pancreas on it's own needs to

have the low fat meals so as not to aggravate it. He should have

also been given enzymes to digest the food he could eat, so as to

give the pancreas a chance to rest and heal...and he should have had

antibiotics while in the hospital and maybe even gone home on them....

and he should have been followed up on....within a short period of

time with instructions to call immediately if things started getting

worse....

I hope this gives you the info you are looking for....but I feel

compelled to tell you that we are not doctors or lawyers, the things

we say probably wouldn't hold up in a court oflaw as we are only

patients and advocates for better care...but we are not schooled in

all the ups and downs or ins and outs of the mysterious and wonderful

bodies we inhabit...but we are pretty close to being expert on the

pancreas since we live it on a daily basis !

Hugs, Jeannine

> I'm sorry for all this venting. If you don't mind I'll

> write part of this story each day so I could get maybe

> some answers of what should of been done to treat him.

> Thanks for everything. Janet S in Ohio