Re: Old Member, Back Again

[Guest guest]

Angel,

Welcome back. We are sorry you have to be here, but are glad to know you

nonetheless! Angel get to the doctor, now!!!! You need to be seen to make sure

there a is not an other tumor, or a phuesdo cyst which can very dangerous! Do

you take enzymes? Have you tried increasing those? If you can not get in to

the doctor, please consider the ER. You need to be checked and you need to

checked quickly. I do not want to scare you but with your history you can not

take any chances!!!! Demand more than just bloodwork be taken... ask for and

get an ultrasound of the panc. or a CT or and MRCP. Do not let anyone make you

fell like you are crazy or drug seeking. This is a scary and painful disease!

Get to the doctor and please let us know what he says!

Simi Valley, CA

[Guest guest]

Dear Angel,

I've been here long enough to remember you, unfortunately. Unfortunately,

NOT to remember you, but unfortunate that I'm still here and you've had to

return to us again. I can just imagine your tremendous disappointment and

that sinking feeling you must have felt when you first started feeling those

old,

familiar pains again after having such a long period of wellness after your

surgery.

Angel, you need to go to your old gastroenterologist, or find a new one, and

have them start doing more tests to find out what's happened with your

pancreas. Just the bloodwork isn't enough. And in answer to your questions

about the low amylase and low lipase, yes, I've heard of that, because that's

where mine is. My last test showed amylase of 10 and lipase was around 30

something. When I was admitted for an acute chronic pancreatitis attack last

October, they were both lower than normal then, too. I've had pancreas

burn-out, which I'm sure attributes to the lower than normal values, and I

imagine yours is because of your distal and the loss of so much of your

pancreas. In spite of this, I am still chronic and I'm still in enough pain

that I

need to wear a 50 mg. duragesic patch and use 2 Percocet 10's for

breakthrough.

I hate to say it, but it's time for you to fall back on all your old standards

of

living and dealing with pancreatitis by sticking to low fat and avoiding all

alcohol. I'd be happy to come and argue with your dad about how great you'll

feel with an Atkins diet. A great way to feel.....pain, pain, pain! But I

guess

he's probably had a weight problem, tried it, and lost weight and now thinks

that's the perfect diet for anything that ails you. My sister did, and does,

and

her enthusiasm now is nausiating (no pun intended).....irregardless to say

that I don't have a weight problem, never did, and CANNOT eat fats and

proteins without going into spasms of pain! She even sent me four different

Atkins cookbooks which I have yet to open. Yet you know that your dad only

means well, right? You just may have to spend more time explaining to him

the way the pancreas works and why, if your's isn't working correctly, that a

diet like Atkins can actually be very harmful to you.

I'm sorry that your illness has caused problems at work, too. IMHO, that just

means that you need to act on this right away and find out what's wrong, so

you can get the heat of a disgruntled employer off your back. I'm sure that if

they knew what was wrong and that your time away from work has been for

valid reasons, they would be much more understanding.

Please take our comments into consideration and let us know what you plan

to do, and what the doctor's say. We're here, as always, to help you any way

we can.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be

substituted for professional medical consultation.

[Guest guest]

Angel,

yes, you can have pancreatitis atttacks without your amylase and lipase

levels being elevated. You can even have them be below normal. If you

check out the Hopkin's GI website, it supports this in the

Diagnosis, Biochemical Measurements section in the very first line.

http://www.hopkins-gi.org/pages/latin/templates/index.cfm?pg=disease1 & organ=4 & di\

sease=24 & lang_id=1

This happens alot with chronic pancreatitis. I have had normal and below

normal amylase and lipase levels in my last three hospital admissions

with pancreatitis. If your physician refuses to believe this, it's time

to find a new doctor.

I wish I could help you with your father and his inability to believe

you are so sick. Maybe if you can show him some posts on this group

he'll get off your back? Maybe if you give us your location, someone can

recommend a doctor for you to help cut down on the time it takes to

diagnose your condition. Anything we can do to help we will try and do.

I know how hard it is to go to school and work with this condition. I

did this at one point too.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

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

physician or health care professional.