Is there anyone out there with Chronic Pancreatitis?

Anyway, was there not a way you could have stayed on your husband's insurance plan? I don't know where you live, but if you really liked your counselor, would he/she be willing to see you on a sliding scale, and if not, is there a low cost clinic that might have counseling you could check in to. To be honest, the very best thing you can do for yourself, drinking or not, is take yourself to an AA meeting and you will meet people and make some friends very quickly. If not interested in that, maybe you can do some volunteer work at your daughter's school and meet some other mother's that may have some of the same problems you are experiencing after a divorce. I also know there are clubs and meetings out there for divorced people having a tough time and these are all things you can look in to if you are lonely. It's hard to get going, i know, but fix yourself up and get out there and meet some new people, i know your pain may make it difficult, but you need to see a Dr. about that part. I lost my husband to an overdose of drugs and alcohol 15 years ago tomorrow and he was the love of my life, but we get stronger and things get better with time, so hang in there and do what you can to better yourself and your circumstances and you never know what is waiting around the corner. Lots of luck to you, write anytime you wish.
Dede

After my first ERCP, they had managed to remove 13 stones but, unfortunately the ERCP procedure resulted in acute pancreatitis and I, like yourself, ended up in the hospital for almost a month. I woke up from the procedure from the worst pain you could ever imagine... I turned yellow and my stomach/trunk area swelled to almost 3 times the size it was before.

Needless to say, after recovering from that first bout... I was still having acute gallstone attacks... so, off I went for another ERCP... this time they removed a dozen more stones and I went home in a few days without much pain... but months later... I STILL was experiencing acute gallstone attacks, just not as often, but the pain...

So, off I went for yet another ERCP... I ended up with acute pancreatitis worse than the first time and had to stay in the hospital for well over a month. I have never been the same since. I suffer from chronic pancreatitis but I was never told that I was unable to work, although, when I think about it, over the years, I have missed a LOT of work when the pancreatitis flares up... and it does... but thankfully, it has been getting less troublesome to deal with. The pain is not too bad and therefore I just deal with it, but the nausea is almost unbearable.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I can relate. I have dealt with a lot of the pancreatitis through strict dietary changes... it seems to get me through. I take massive doses of fish oil and do not eat much meat at all... Also, I really REALLY take my time eating... I eat very slow and if I eat too much it seems to exacerbate the pancreatitis. Small frequent meals... I find if I do not eat for a long period of time (like when I am extremely nauseous) it makes things worse as well. I think I get a buildup of bile in my duct... and was told that I may develop even more stones (they will grow in the duct even though I do not have a gallbladder anymore)...

If you should need anymore tips about how I deal with flare-ups or would just like to vent, I am here... if you have any tips or advice for me as well, I am all ears... a lot of people do not understand... when I tell new doctors (I haved moved around alot) about my pancreatitis, some of them have actually made comments saying things like... "well, you don't LOOK like an alcoholic." I find most docs do not want to even deal with any of my questions or concerns about my condition. There are not any GI specialists where I currently live, so, I am hoping I will be able to cope with my pain and nausea/vomiting and manage it on my own.

Take Care of You...

Last gen practice doctor put me on veg based enzymes and peppermint oil... seems to be doing the trick to stop the 25 year diarea, plus acacia fiber, low fat diet, no dairy... I weigh 87 lbs and YES it is very depressing. I have severe spinal pain from the accidents and this has made diagnosis difficult as well.

Will be seeing a gastro specialist in a week. Most of the time I couldn't work and had no insurance, just dealt with the pain... didn't deal with it well! Now this Dr. won't even let me take a tylenol!

My grown kids just say, it's all ok, don't worry... At least they don't tell me 'it's all in your head' any longer.

Anyone else used this natural regime?

Next, find a good doctor, other than your pain doctor. Those guys are in the frying pan and afraid of the fire with all the politics of opioids in the current political climate. It’s going to happen, you will at some point need another good pain doctor, and it sounds like you need one now. Start with your family doc, or your GI doc. Patients that are referred by another doctor get taken much more seriously, and your help will come sooner.

Learn to play in the game you’re in, and the umpire is crooked. You need decent pain control, and no-one is going to give it unless you’re willing to understand and play by the rules.

Go online, and read every single review about every single pain doctor in the area. If you can find someone with better than 50% positive comments, ask your doctor to refer you to that person. Get a morning appointment and be early to your appointment, you might get seen sooner. Pain patients are often late, so you might get in to see the doc while he still has time to talk. They’ll have a bunch of forms to fill out as well. Don’t call and ask for extra appointments when whatever he gave doesn’t work or runs out early. That’s what drug seekers do. Be nice to everyone that works at the pain doctors office, you never know when the snooty receptionist might be able to squeeze you in when you need it, so be nice to her. Ask her about the picture of her kid she has taped to the computer screen, or something personal. And if the doctor is a dick, come back for at least one or two appointments if he’s writing you enough meds. If he’s not the guy, then keep looking. You might have to drive an hour to see the right guy, that’s why he’s got room for you, he’s outside the area.

I was seeing a “chronic pain” therapist for a long time, and I’m thinking it’s time to go back. She was absolutely my best resource when it came to who the “good” pain doctors are in the area. She knew a lot about which drugs would work and what doesn’t. The right hospital to got to when your pain gets so bad you need more help. She’ll know about any local support groups that are actually functioning and helping. Lots of those get started and then fade away.

Learn as much as you can about every part of the problem, not just pancreatitis, but chronic pain in general, and pain medications specifically. Some work great for one guy and not so much for you.

Lastly, learn to be patient with family and friends. They don’t and never will completely understand why you don’t just get better. We’re living in that middle ground between sickness that gets better and disease you die from. You’re never going to get better, you’ll have good days and bad, and they need to understand that just because you’re ok today doesn’t mean you should sign up for the family cruise vacation to Alaska. Keep your commitments small, and their expectations small.

And let us know how you’re doing, you never know who it might help. Bad days seem like they’re going to go o forever, and so do the good days.