Pancreatitis Support Group
Chronic pancreatitis can present as episodes of acute inflammation in a previously injured pancreas, or as chronic damage with persistent pain or malabsorption. Patients with chronic pancreatitis can present with persistent abdominal pain or steatorrhea, as well as severe nausea. Some patients with chronic pancreatitis often look very sick, while others don't appear to be...
I keep posting these because before my surgery I didn't find as much good news as bad news about what happens following this surgery. This makes sense because most people who are doing well don't need to turn to the support groups. But I want people to know that many do very well following this surgery.
I am feeling more normal everyday. I take tramadol mostly for the pain now and don't need the Vicodin much. Most food taste great now. I had a snack yesterday and forgot my digestive enzyme and felt yucky afterward so I will not forget that again. As long as I take my enzymes and keep my meals very small, food is settling very well. I am starting to get lower and some very low sugars so I think my islet cells are starting to work better. I emailed my doctor to see if we need to adjust my insulin. I have not gained a pound yet but I have not lost any for 2 weeks now. I went back into the office this week for 5 hours a day so far and that is going great. I think I needed to get out of the house and off the couch to get my mind off the pain and discomfort. Getting back to work has been a great healing therapy. I can say I am glad my pancreas is gone. The first three weeks were very rough but once you get past that, things only get better! I have eaten food now that I could not have for 4 years before the surgery.
I am feeling more normal everyday. I take tramadol mostly for the pain now and don't need the Vicodin much. Most food taste great now. I had a snack yesterday and forgot my digestive enzyme and felt yucky afterward so I will not forget that again. As long as I take my enzymes and keep my meals very small, food is settling very well. I am starting to get lower and some very low sugars so I think my islet cells are starting to work better. I emailed my doctor to see if we need to adjust my insulin. I have not gained a pound yet but I have not lost any for 2 weeks now. I went back into the office this week for 5 hours a day so far and that is going great. I think I needed to get out of the house and off the couch to get my mind off the pain and discomfort. Getting back to work has been a great healing therapy. I can say I am glad my pancreas is gone. The first three weeks were very rough but once you get past that, things only get better! I have eaten food now that I could not have for 4 years before the surgery.
I'm glad to see it's working for you. You're right, most people who are doing well don't post because they're living their lives again. And it's great that you are doing that. I would like to learn about the surgery, but there's no point, I'm allergic to the enzymes so not a candidate. My best hope is they develop the artificial pancreas so I can find some relief without pain meds, etc. Best wishes for continuing progress and good health!
GG
So glad you you're doing well and I hope you continue to do well.
Good to hear you're back at work. Also just the fact you can eat the food you have been missing out for so long.
There are people with HP or familial pancreatitis in which their changes of pancreatic cancer are extremely high, somewhere like 50 fold increase.
I pray there is an early screening method so these people do not have to suffer from PC.
I have a hereditary mutation in one copy of my CF gene and had pancreatis divisium. So mine was a combination of a birth defect and hereditary pancreatitis working together to create the perfect storm.. Lots of breast cancer in my family but no has been tested for brach gene which is also a leading cause of PC too. So my risk of getting PC was very high the doctor said. Now that my pancreas is gone, so is the risk for PC.
Thanks
Is over the Whipple?