I think that the surgery worked! I have not been in the hospital since October 14th! I do have intermittant pain in the pancreas area, but nothing very severe. I have had some moderate pain that pain medication was able to control. The nausea that was constant for over 4 1/2 years is SOOO much improved. I have bouts of it during the day (and night, for that matter), but it is not persistant.
This blog may become something entirely different. Maybe it will just turn into my negative/complaint blog. That way I can post things here that may upset/worry family members if it were posted on the other blog. Who knows? It is nice to be feeling so much better physically. I am hoping that 2009 is wonderful. Happy New Year, everyone!
The Sad News
Friday evening I got a letter from my doctor's office. In a nutshell, my doctor (V) is quitting her practice and moving away. When I read the letter, I was devastated and just started crying. I can't believe she is leaving! I try not to think about it because it makes me feel so sad. Not only will I miss her, but I will miss her nurse (K) as well. I really have grown to love these two women over the years. They are my friends.
I also am not thrilled about the prospect of finding a new doctor. I tend to have trust issues and don't always divulge a lot of information at first. The whole well woman exam will not be happening for years and years now. I don't think I will talk about the knee pain that is getting worse with a new person just yet and I don't know that I will talk about the headaches & dizziness I have when I wake up all the time either. The main thing I don't want to talk to someone else about is my pancreas. I don't want to have to try to prove to someone else that I am not some closet alcoholic. That tends to be the popular belief when I see a new physician. I am hoping that my pancreatic problems are gone. I have had some minor problems with it since my surgery, but it seems to be much better. Maybe I won't even need a doctor any more.
This whole situation stinks. I hope that I will run into (K) sometimes and that I will still get to visit with her on occasion. At least she will still be in town and I'm sure that as amazing as she is, she will find a new job soon. I am not as hopeful for seeing (V) ever again. She will not be here and, honestly, I don't know where she is planning on going. It may even be to a different state for all I know. To think of never seeing either of them again makes me sad and I try not to think about it because I cry like a little baby. I really hope that they will keep in touch somehow and that I won't entirely lose contact with them. I guess that's all for now. I need to get in bed before midnight and hope that I will actually be able to sleep through the night for a change.
I also am not thrilled about the prospect of finding a new doctor. I tend to have trust issues and don't always divulge a lot of information at first. The whole well woman exam will not be happening for years and years now. I don't think I will talk about the knee pain that is getting worse with a new person just yet and I don't know that I will talk about the headaches & dizziness I have when I wake up all the time either. The main thing I don't want to talk to someone else about is my pancreas. I don't want to have to try to prove to someone else that I am not some closet alcoholic. That tends to be the popular belief when I see a new physician. I am hoping that my pancreatic problems are gone. I have had some minor problems with it since my surgery, but it seems to be much better. Maybe I won't even need a doctor any more.
This whole situation stinks. I hope that I will run into (K) sometimes and that I will still get to visit with her on occasion. At least she will still be in town and I'm sure that as amazing as she is, she will find a new job soon. I am not as hopeful for seeing (V) ever again. She will not be here and, honestly, I don't know where she is planning on going. It may even be to a different state for all I know. To think of never seeing either of them again makes me sad and I try not to think about it because I cry like a little baby. I really hope that they will keep in touch somehow and that I won't entirely lose contact with them. I guess that's all for now. I need to get in bed before midnight and hope that I will actually be able to sleep through the night for a change.
More about the last bad attack (written 10/26)
After the attack described below, I went in to have my blood drawn the day after I posted. My lipase and amylase levels were perfectly fine. I can't explain why, because that was one of my more painful attacks. I continued to go to work for the rest of the week and slept on the floor during lunch all week. I must have looked awful because everyone commented on how terrible I looked; even the men. They usually don't notice such things. My friend told me the following week that I looked like I was going to drop over dead at any moment. The pain was pretty much under control by Wednesday evening, but I was still very nauseated and did not eat much until the weekend. I had a little yogurt and sips of water. I sucked on hard candy in between. Most of the time I was very nauseated, dizzy, and shaky. Then there was their weird, black poop. That went on for a while after I felt better. It finally stopped a couple of days ago. I am better now. I still have dizzy spells and have to sit down for a little bit; even today I did.
Now, I don't want to sound like everything is all gloom and doom. I have had some periods of time since my little surgery in which I have not felt nauseated. That has been amazing! I am hoping that things will continue to get better. Maybe I just did too much too soon. Perhaps I needed to wait a while for any internal swelling that may have occurred to subside. I am hoping that this may be one of my last entries in the pancreatitis blog. I really need to write some in my other blog so people do not think I have vanished from the face of the earth. Let's hope that I am finally "cured".
Now, I don't want to sound like everything is all gloom and doom. I have had some periods of time since my little surgery in which I have not felt nauseated. That has been amazing! I am hoping that things will continue to get better. Maybe I just did too much too soon. Perhaps I needed to wait a while for any internal swelling that may have occurred to subside. I am hoping that this may be one of my last entries in the pancreatitis blog. I really need to write some in my other blog so people do not think I have vanished from the face of the earth. Let's hope that I am finally "cured".
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
So, I had my ERCP/surgery on Friday at the Mayo Hospital and they let me go home on Saturday (my birthday). It seemed like a miracle cure! For the first time in 4 1/2 years, I was not nauseated! I even ate some cheesecake for my birthday that day and had no ill effects. I was thrilled! I was finally cured!
You'll notice the term "was". On Monday, I slept in and then took my son to pick out his birthday present. (It was a bike.) In the early afternoon, I took three kids to get fillings and two to get their braces tightened. I was extremely tired; weary in my bones. I went home and slept soundly for three hours. I picked up some pizza for the kids, but didn't feel like eating anything myself. I still felt very exhausted and achy. I took a hot bath and just soaked. Almost immediately after getting out, I was seized by gut-wrenching pains that were so severe I literally fell to the floor. They were so severe, that I could not remember them being so bad before. My daughter called the ambulance and I was vaguely aware that some of my other children were awake and witnessed this attack. I guess my one son started to hyperventilate and my daughter had to treat him for shock. (They told me this later.) As soon as I got on the ambulance, they drew blood and this was the blood sent to the lab. Needless to say, my levels were fine at the time. They had not had the usual wait time it takes for them to skyrocket. After a CT scan and being there all night, I was sent home a little after 7:00 a.m. I went to work. That was one of the stupidest things I have ever done. I had to take percocet several times just to make it through the day. I dropped on my classroom floor (which is very cold, I discovered) and slept through lunch. Even with the percocet, I was still hurting. The nausea came back with a vengence as well. I came home early and crashed for a couple of hours. My son woke me up because it's his birthday and I took them to Taco Bell. I ate a tortilla with cheese. That was all I could handle. Then the pain got worse. We came home and I took yet MORE percocet and we (well the kids) had cake and he opened his presents. Then I soaked in a hot tub with my friend/enemy percocet kicking in to dull the pain. Now I'm here. The pain is still pretty bad, even with the percocet. I am going to bed with a heating pad and try to make it through another long, painful night. I don't know how much more of this I can take before I do something bad.
You'll notice the term "was". On Monday, I slept in and then took my son to pick out his birthday present. (It was a bike.) In the early afternoon, I took three kids to get fillings and two to get their braces tightened. I was extremely tired; weary in my bones. I went home and slept soundly for three hours. I picked up some pizza for the kids, but didn't feel like eating anything myself. I still felt very exhausted and achy. I took a hot bath and just soaked. Almost immediately after getting out, I was seized by gut-wrenching pains that were so severe I literally fell to the floor. They were so severe, that I could not remember them being so bad before. My daughter called the ambulance and I was vaguely aware that some of my other children were awake and witnessed this attack. I guess my one son started to hyperventilate and my daughter had to treat him for shock. (They told me this later.) As soon as I got on the ambulance, they drew blood and this was the blood sent to the lab. Needless to say, my levels were fine at the time. They had not had the usual wait time it takes for them to skyrocket. After a CT scan and being there all night, I was sent home a little after 7:00 a.m. I went to work. That was one of the stupidest things I have ever done. I had to take percocet several times just to make it through the day. I dropped on my classroom floor (which is very cold, I discovered) and slept through lunch. Even with the percocet, I was still hurting. The nausea came back with a vengence as well. I came home early and crashed for a couple of hours. My son woke me up because it's his birthday and I took them to Taco Bell. I ate a tortilla with cheese. That was all I could handle. Then the pain got worse. We came home and I took yet MORE percocet and we (well the kids) had cake and he opened his presents. Then I soaked in a hot tub with my friend/enemy percocet kicking in to dull the pain. Now I'm here. The pain is still pretty bad, even with the percocet. I am going to bed with a heating pad and try to make it through another long, painful night. I don't know how much more of this I can take before I do something bad.
Oct. 5, 2008
I feel like crap. I am so sick of this all the time. I am SOOOOO glad I am having this surgery on Friday. If it does not make things better, I am going to wig out.
Just curious....
Does anyone else besides me even read this blog? Feel free to leave a comment at the end of these posts if you would like. You don't have to leave your name or anything. If you know anything about pancreatitis, I would be interested to hear about it.
Business as usual (10-1-08)
I have had a couple of pretty painful episodes of pancreatitis since I last wrote. In a little over a week I will have that surgery and I am hoping that things will be great after that. I am so darn tired!
I seem to be something of a klutz. I keep getting these ugly, blue bruises on my legs. I don't remember how they get there, but they are ugly enough that it seems like I would remember.
Last week, I had strep throat. I missed work for a couple of days and felt kind of yucky. It wasn't that bad, though. I guess everything is relative. I used to think strep was terrible. Now that I have given birth a bunch of times and have pancreatitis all the time, it doesn't seem so bad.
My new pancreas thing is this weird pain. I have been having it since Sunday. It feels like my ribs are bruised and that my upper abdominal area all along my ribs is bruised as well, but it looks normal there. It hurts when I move around or bend and is kind of crampy the rest of the time. It is just weird because this is sort of new. Usually it doesn't hurt this much when I touch that area. My friend has been telling me to call the doctor and tell her about it. Maybe I will tomorrow, but I'm not sure. I think she may be sick of hearing about my pancreas. I don't know if there's anything she could do, anyway. I'll see how things are tomorrow.
I seem to be something of a klutz. I keep getting these ugly, blue bruises on my legs. I don't remember how they get there, but they are ugly enough that it seems like I would remember.
Last week, I had strep throat. I missed work for a couple of days and felt kind of yucky. It wasn't that bad, though. I guess everything is relative. I used to think strep was terrible. Now that I have given birth a bunch of times and have pancreatitis all the time, it doesn't seem so bad.
My new pancreas thing is this weird pain. I have been having it since Sunday. It feels like my ribs are bruised and that my upper abdominal area all along my ribs is bruised as well, but it looks normal there. It hurts when I move around or bend and is kind of crampy the rest of the time. It is just weird because this is sort of new. Usually it doesn't hurt this much when I touch that area. My friend has been telling me to call the doctor and tell her about it. Maybe I will tomorrow, but I'm not sure. I think she may be sick of hearing about my pancreas. I don't know if there's anything she could do, anyway. I'll see how things are tomorrow.
September 14, 2008
I haven’t written on here for a while. That isn’t because there hasn’t been anything to write about. It is because there isn’t anything new to write about. Things are pretty much the same…constant nausea, vomiting, and pain to varying degrees. Yes, there have been times I was very ready to go to the hospital. No, I did not actually go. Last week I received 11 new students in my class. I had a small class consisting of ELL (English Language Learners) students. Since the other kindergarten classes were very large, they moved a few students from their classes into mine. There was no way I could be gone the first week they were in my class, even though I felt terrible for a good part of the week. This week I have parent-teacher conferences so that will keep me busy as well. Fortunately, I am not feeling much pain right now. Today I have just been nauseated. A friend of mine said I looked yellow, but I think she is nuts. I look the same as always.
As I mentioned before, I haven’t written much because there is nothing new to write about. It is the same stupid stuff all the time. I have times when I am just nauseated with very little pain. Then there are the times when the pain in excruciating. The worst is when the pain is so bad AND I cannot stop vomiting. Normally, when I vomit it is only a couple of times. If my body just won’t stop, I will usually go to the hospital. The thing that is frustrating is that the nausea never goes away. Even when I feel “good”, I don’t feel all that good. It is also frustrating to not have anyone to talk to about all of this. Most people who know about this think that it is similar to heartburn or indigestion. Ha!!! I wish it were like that. They don’t know the truth and really don’t want to know the truth. That’s fine. It’s not their problem. My family (parents and siblings) would just worry if I told them everything. I’m certainly not going to talk to my children about how terrible I feel; although my daughter is very aware of it. I feel bad for my children because I think they are being cheated out of a lot. I just don’t feel well enough to do the things I want to with them. By the time I get home at 7:00 (or later), I feel like I am doing well just to make dinner, help with homework, make sure they bathe/shower, and have clean clothes. I do not want to talk to a counselor. How pathetic is that to have to pay someone to listen to me? Besides, it still would not change anything and I do not want to tell some stranger a bunch of crap about myself. Ugh! I guess I should go to bed. It is almost 1:00 a.m. I need to write on my other blog, but it might have to wait until tomorrow.
As I mentioned before, I haven’t written much because there is nothing new to write about. It is the same stupid stuff all the time. I have times when I am just nauseated with very little pain. Then there are the times when the pain in excruciating. The worst is when the pain is so bad AND I cannot stop vomiting. Normally, when I vomit it is only a couple of times. If my body just won’t stop, I will usually go to the hospital. The thing that is frustrating is that the nausea never goes away. Even when I feel “good”, I don’t feel all that good. It is also frustrating to not have anyone to talk to about all of this. Most people who know about this think that it is similar to heartburn or indigestion. Ha!!! I wish it were like that. They don’t know the truth and really don’t want to know the truth. That’s fine. It’s not their problem. My family (parents and siblings) would just worry if I told them everything. I’m certainly not going to talk to my children about how terrible I feel; although my daughter is very aware of it. I feel bad for my children because I think they are being cheated out of a lot. I just don’t feel well enough to do the things I want to with them. By the time I get home at 7:00 (or later), I feel like I am doing well just to make dinner, help with homework, make sure they bathe/shower, and have clean clothes. I do not want to talk to a counselor. How pathetic is that to have to pay someone to listen to me? Besides, it still would not change anything and I do not want to tell some stranger a bunch of crap about myself. Ugh! I guess I should go to bed. It is almost 1:00 a.m. I need to write on my other blog, but it might have to wait until tomorrow.
Mon. September 1, 2008
So yesterday, I spent most of the day in bed. The pain was subsiding and I mostly was feeling achy in the middle of my abdomen and back. The nausea didn't really let up. Today I am still SOOOOO nauseated. I can't find my medicine for it either. I may have left it at my parents' house. I was going to get a refill, but the pharmacy was closed today because of labor day. I can't stand the nausea. I have got to get a refill tomorrow.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
What is it about the weekends?!!! Friday afternoon, I started feeling extremely tired and nauseated. I don't really remember how I got through the afternoon. Yesterday was horrible. I woke up extremely nauseated and with more pain than usual. I took two lortab pills, but the pain got worse. Three hours after the lortab, I took one percocet pill. It was not helping either and the pain was getting worse. After about 45 minutes to an hour (right about when I was going to call my doctor's office), the pain eased slightly. It got better and was able to be managed the rest of the day with the medicine I have here at home. Today, I am still nauseated, sore, and completely exhausted. I am also a little frustrated. My house is the mother of all messes, but I am too exhausted to do anything about it. I know that I am going to spend the rest of the day resting and trying to get some strength back. I am really hoping that the surgery in October will fix things up. If not, then I might seriously need that antidepressant medicine that my doctor keeps mentioning. Sigh. Six more weeks to go.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Here I am again. It's 3:30 a.m. and I have been up for quite a while. Although I am having more pain than normal right now, the thing that is keeping me up the most is nausea. I am not going to worry about taking pain medication at this point. Yes, I am hurting, but the level is only about 4-5. If it gets worse, I'll think about taking something. For now, I am waiting for the Zofran to kick in.
This place is my refuge. I am able to write what I am feeling and not have to worry about upsetting anyone. This is my secret, anonymous blog. I do have another blog that I just write things about that are going on in my life. Sometimes I put things from this blog on that one, but generally I do not put much on there about my pancreatic issues. There are only a small handful of people who know that this is my blog. I do have a link here for my other blog. You will notice that if you follow the link to my other blog that it does not have a link back to this one. This is mainly for the purpose of not worrying my parents; in particular, my mother. As a parent myself, I am well aware of how much we worry about our children. If there is something that can be done that is great. Unfortunately, I don't see that there is much of anything my parents can do to help this situation. Worrying will not make anything better which is why I have elected not to let them know about this blog. If I were to let them know about this, it would not serve much of a purpose. I would have to carefully monitor what things I chose to write on here. Hmmm, it seems like I am feeling a little less nauseated now. Maybe it will be safe to lay down soon.
This place is my refuge. I am able to write what I am feeling and not have to worry about upsetting anyone. This is my secret, anonymous blog. I do have another blog that I just write things about that are going on in my life. Sometimes I put things from this blog on that one, but generally I do not put much on there about my pancreatic issues. There are only a small handful of people who know that this is my blog. I do have a link here for my other blog. You will notice that if you follow the link to my other blog that it does not have a link back to this one. This is mainly for the purpose of not worrying my parents; in particular, my mother. As a parent myself, I am well aware of how much we worry about our children. If there is something that can be done that is great. Unfortunately, I don't see that there is much of anything my parents can do to help this situation. Worrying will not make anything better which is why I have elected not to let them know about this blog. If I were to let them know about this, it would not serve much of a purpose. I would have to carefully monitor what things I chose to write on here. Hmmm, it seems like I am feeling a little less nauseated now. Maybe it will be safe to lay down soon.
Friday, August 15, 2008
It is now a little before five a.m. and here I am. I have actually been awake for about an hour and a half feeling yucky. I finally decided that I should just get up since I am obviously not going to be able to go back to sleep.
I woke up with the usual headache and nausea, but also with more pancreatic pain than is normal. It is not unbearable right now, so that is a good sign for the time being. If it does not get worse than this, I should be able to make it though the day at work today. I may leave right after and come home instead of staying there until 8 or 9 tonight working on stuff I need to get done. The boys will be at their dad's house this weekend anyway and I can always go in to work for longer than usual tomorrow if I need to.
So what was the trigger for this time? I'm not sure. I did eat one piece of pizza yesterday, but I have done that in the past and been okay thanks to my pancreatic enzyme pills. My doctor has suggested that stress might trigger this and I suppose that is possible. I had a busy day yesterday, but it was not necessarily stressful. The morning was just the usual stuff, get up and get the kids ready and off to school. Then I picked up my good friend and her daughter and we went to work. (She is the one who is having stress right now. Her car broke down last week and her oldest daughter just got married.) Yesterday the students had early release and went home a little before two. At two I had a grade level meeting that was still ongoing when I left a little before three to take my 9 year old son to scouts. I came back and went immediately to another meeting for ELL (English Language Learners) teachers. After that, I went back down the hall to the first meeting that was still not quite over. Then I hurried and picked my son up from scouts, dropped him off at home, and went back to the school. After that, I made some copies of papers for my parents for open house and typed a letter for them which I printed out in English and then Spanish. At 4:30, I took my 14 year old son to his counseling appointment and dropped him off and went back to the school for open house that started at 5:00. After the open house thing, I went and picked him up, bought a couple of pizzas, and headed back to the school to pick up my friend. (My 10 year old normally has scouts at 6:00, but it was cancelled this week.) Then I went to my 10 year old's open house at his school and left there a little before 7:00. Next, I dropped the pizzas off at the house for the kids to eat and my friend and I went to Heber to pick up her car. It was kind of relaxing to just drive and visit. I don't get to visit with my friends as much as I would like to, so it was a nice chance to get to just unwind and talk. It was nice to relax and visit a little. I have always enjoyed driving, but don't do it as often as I used to since the gas prices have gone up so much the past couple of years. We got back into town around 9:30ish. That was when I ate the piece of pizza. Maybe it was not the best choice, but it was not something I would have to prepare. I got the kids off to bed and was actually in bed myself by a little after 11:00. I fell asleep pretty quickly and slept fairly soundly until I woke up feeling this way. So, as I said, it was not really a stressful day, just a little bit busier than normal. I guess I will finish up the laundry I started a little while ago and then get ready for today. Hopefully, I will not feel any worse as the day progresses than I do now.
I woke up with the usual headache and nausea, but also with more pancreatic pain than is normal. It is not unbearable right now, so that is a good sign for the time being. If it does not get worse than this, I should be able to make it though the day at work today. I may leave right after and come home instead of staying there until 8 or 9 tonight working on stuff I need to get done. The boys will be at their dad's house this weekend anyway and I can always go in to work for longer than usual tomorrow if I need to.
So what was the trigger for this time? I'm not sure. I did eat one piece of pizza yesterday, but I have done that in the past and been okay thanks to my pancreatic enzyme pills. My doctor has suggested that stress might trigger this and I suppose that is possible. I had a busy day yesterday, but it was not necessarily stressful. The morning was just the usual stuff, get up and get the kids ready and off to school. Then I picked up my good friend and her daughter and we went to work. (She is the one who is having stress right now. Her car broke down last week and her oldest daughter just got married.) Yesterday the students had early release and went home a little before two. At two I had a grade level meeting that was still ongoing when I left a little before three to take my 9 year old son to scouts. I came back and went immediately to another meeting for ELL (English Language Learners) teachers. After that, I went back down the hall to the first meeting that was still not quite over. Then I hurried and picked my son up from scouts, dropped him off at home, and went back to the school. After that, I made some copies of papers for my parents for open house and typed a letter for them which I printed out in English and then Spanish. At 4:30, I took my 14 year old son to his counseling appointment and dropped him off and went back to the school for open house that started at 5:00. After the open house thing, I went and picked him up, bought a couple of pizzas, and headed back to the school to pick up my friend. (My 10 year old normally has scouts at 6:00, but it was cancelled this week.) Then I went to my 10 year old's open house at his school and left there a little before 7:00. Next, I dropped the pizzas off at the house for the kids to eat and my friend and I went to Heber to pick up her car. It was kind of relaxing to just drive and visit. I don't get to visit with my friends as much as I would like to, so it was a nice chance to get to just unwind and talk. It was nice to relax and visit a little. I have always enjoyed driving, but don't do it as often as I used to since the gas prices have gone up so much the past couple of years. We got back into town around 9:30ish. That was when I ate the piece of pizza. Maybe it was not the best choice, but it was not something I would have to prepare. I got the kids off to bed and was actually in bed myself by a little after 11:00. I fell asleep pretty quickly and slept fairly soundly until I woke up feeling this way. So, as I said, it was not really a stressful day, just a little bit busier than normal. I guess I will finish up the laundry I started a little while ago and then get ready for today. Hopefully, I will not feel any worse as the day progresses than I do now.
How are you?
This is the question people ask, but they do not really want an honest answer unless that answer happens to be a positive one. I have learned this and really, it's okay. I wouldn't want to hang around somebody who just complains all the time either. I have found that it is best to just answer in relative terms. If you always compare how you are feeling to a much worse situation, you can always honestly answer that you are feeling fine.
So, there are subtle ways that you can tell if I am feeling well or not. The big one (#1) is my contacts. If I am feeling horrible, I certainly do not take the time to bother with putting contacts in. When I am wearing my glasses, it is a good sign that I feel bad or I felt bad in the morning when I was getting ready for the day.
The second big thing is that I will not be quite as social as normal. This may be a relief to some people who get sick of listening to me talk all the time. I am not generally rude or anything, I just don't feel like talking as much and will keep more to myself.
Another lesser way is by what I am wearing. I will wear clothing based on comfort. It will not be jeans that are tight or that require much effort to remove in an emergency. (I know, too much information.) My shoes will be ones that I can move quickly in or kick off of my feet in a hurry and run.
Make up is another way to tell. The worse I feel, the less I wear. It is just not worth the effort. This isn't the best indicator because I am pretty attached to my foundation and mascara. I will usually have at least those two things on unless I am knocking on death's door (or feel that way anyway).
I'm not really sure why I am writing all of this. It's not like anybody has ever read anything on here other than myself. I guess that sometimes writing is a little cathartic.
So, there are subtle ways that you can tell if I am feeling well or not. The big one (#1) is my contacts. If I am feeling horrible, I certainly do not take the time to bother with putting contacts in. When I am wearing my glasses, it is a good sign that I feel bad or I felt bad in the morning when I was getting ready for the day.
The second big thing is that I will not be quite as social as normal. This may be a relief to some people who get sick of listening to me talk all the time. I am not generally rude or anything, I just don't feel like talking as much and will keep more to myself.
Another lesser way is by what I am wearing. I will wear clothing based on comfort. It will not be jeans that are tight or that require much effort to remove in an emergency. (I know, too much information.) My shoes will be ones that I can move quickly in or kick off of my feet in a hurry and run.
Make up is another way to tell. The worse I feel, the less I wear. It is just not worth the effort. This isn't the best indicator because I am pretty attached to my foundation and mascara. I will usually have at least those two things on unless I am knocking on death's door (or feel that way anyway).
I'm not really sure why I am writing all of this. It's not like anybody has ever read anything on here other than myself. I guess that sometimes writing is a little cathartic.
The most recent hospital visit
After leaving Mayo, I actually started to feel gradually worse over the next several days. The following weekend, the pain became pretty severe. I toughed it out over the weekend, but called and went to the hospital on Monday. The vomiting was the thing that put me over the edge that time.
After checking my enzyme levels a couple of times that day and the following day, I was sent home. My levels were not high at all. That does not mean that I didn't have pancreatitis, because I have had it enough to recognize that pain. I honestly don't know why the levels were not high. Maybe it was because I waited so long to seek medical attention. Perhaps the levels had dropped by that time. They dropped very rapidly between the Saturday I was in the hospital and the Monday when I was at Mayo. I just hope that this doesn't mean that my pancreas is not working as well. Here's one of several articles about not having elevated enzyme levels: http://gut.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/44/4/542
Of course, that particular article mentions alcoholics as the primary patients with pancreatitis; a category that I do not happen to fall into. Honestly, this constant pain is getting frustrating. I am just kind of tired of it.
I did have a theory that maybe there was some chemical imbalance in my brain causing this to happen. I have had recurrent headaches with increasing frequency. They are usually worse in the morning when I wake up. Often, they are accompanied by nausea (yuck!). I also have dizziness, visual disturbances (for lack of a better description), memory problems, and sometimes ringing in my ears or "stuffiness" in my ears; you know that feeling that you are in a tunnel, but you ears won't pop? Maybe it is nothing and I am just a freak or something. I just want them to find a reason for this that can be quickly remedied.
That's about all for now. I have to mull these ideas around for a while. I don't know that it matters. I am just the patient, not somebody with any answers or expertise.
After checking my enzyme levels a couple of times that day and the following day, I was sent home. My levels were not high at all. That does not mean that I didn't have pancreatitis, because I have had it enough to recognize that pain. I honestly don't know why the levels were not high. Maybe it was because I waited so long to seek medical attention. Perhaps the levels had dropped by that time. They dropped very rapidly between the Saturday I was in the hospital and the Monday when I was at Mayo. I just hope that this doesn't mean that my pancreas is not working as well. Here's one of several articles about not having elevated enzyme levels: http://gut.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/44/4/542
Of course, that particular article mentions alcoholics as the primary patients with pancreatitis; a category that I do not happen to fall into. Honestly, this constant pain is getting frustrating. I am just kind of tired of it.
I did have a theory that maybe there was some chemical imbalance in my brain causing this to happen. I have had recurrent headaches with increasing frequency. They are usually worse in the morning when I wake up. Often, they are accompanied by nausea (yuck!). I also have dizziness, visual disturbances (for lack of a better description), memory problems, and sometimes ringing in my ears or "stuffiness" in my ears; you know that feeling that you are in a tunnel, but you ears won't pop? Maybe it is nothing and I am just a freak or something. I just want them to find a reason for this that can be quickly remedied.
That's about all for now. I have to mull these ideas around for a while. I don't know that it matters. I am just the patient, not somebody with any answers or expertise.
The crappy thing
So, in the last post I mentioned that something crappy happened during that visit to the hospital. Sometime while I was either in the ambulance or at the hospital, someone stole a bunch of my pain medication! I did not notice that it was gone until the next day when I was taking my stuff out of the bag from the hospital. I noticed that a lortab pill was on the bottom of the bag. I thought that was strange because I hadn't opened it after I put everything in the bag. When I opened the medicine bottle to put it back, I noticed that I hardly had any pills left. There were four pills in the bottom of the bottle. It was nearly full when I took it to the hospital. Then I checked my other medications and discovered the same thing had happened with my percocet. The zofran and my blood pressure medications were not touched. This would indicate that the person knew what kind of medicine they were looking for. I called the hospital and reported what had happened. They said that they would make a report, but that there really wasn't much else they could do since it was kind of after the fact. I guess you really have to be careful. It's too bad that you can't trust people to be honest even when you are ill. I will not do that again. I have decided that I will save my empty bottles and put them in a box or bag. That way, if this happens again, I can just take them empty bottles to show them my medications and the dosages. I was really upset that someone would do something like that.
July 18-19, 2008
This was the weekend of my 20 year high school reunion. That was a little bizarre when I stopped to think about the fact that 20 years just sailed by. I actually was not sure whether or not I would attend, but decided to go shortly before it. We met at a local bar in my hometown on Friday night (18th). That sounds like the perfect place for a little pancreatitis to get started. HOWEVER, I did NOT drink anything that night (as usual). I did notice that there were a few other people who should probably be having some pancreatic issues, though. I was glad that I had decided to go. It was fun to see old friends and even the people I didn't hang out with as much in high school were friendly. It was nice to see that everyone was pretty much contented with their lives at this point, but did not feel the need to try to "impress" anyone.
Anyway...the only thing that I did that was bad was ate a piece of pizza; which I did after taking my enzymes. Maybe that was what set me off this time, but the actual pain didn't start until 4-5 hours after I ate the pizza. I left the bar around 10:00 p.m. because I just wasn't feeling very well. My pancreas was hurting noticeably more than usual, so I decided to go back to the hotel. By the time I was back at the hotel about 10 minutes later, I knew this was going to be one of those especially unpleasant attacks. I took some lortab and ran a tub full of hot water to soak in. I did not have a heating pad with me, so I thought maybe soaking might help. The kids and I went to bed after that, but there was not going to be sleep for me that night. I curled up with a pillow and tried some of this junk where you massage pressure points, but that didn't help either. (I guess I'm not a very good witch doctor.) By 2:00, I couldn't stand it anymore and took 1 percocet pill. That didn't really help at first. After about 45 minutes, I felt slightly better, but the pain was still pretty bad. By this time the nausea and vomiting were kicking in rather strong as well. I took some zofran and actually stopped vomiting, but was still hurting and very nauseated. I took another percocet pill at 5:00 a.m., but it just wasn't helping. At about six, I had Erica call an ambulance while I gathered up my junk to take to the hospital. (insurance cards, medications, note from my pcp). I was in no condition to attempt to drive. I went outside to wait and told Erica to just go back to sleep and to let the boys sleep in. Soon two fire trucks drove up. I was a little grouchy about this and told them, "I'm NOT on fire! I just need a ride to the hospital." They called the ambulance on their radio and off we went. The paramedic went through the whole questioning me about my drinking habit routine and then asked about my gall bladder. (big surprise) He gave me some morphine in my IV, but that did not do anything. Sometime after that, they gave me more morphine and that time it worked almost immediately. I also started itching like crazy, but who cares? It made the pain stop. They took a blood sample and sent it off. My amylase was 889 and my lipase was 1254. I asked for a copy of my lab results to take with me to Mayo. They let me go a while later. Actually, they called a police officer to take me back to the motel because I had no way of getting there. I guess I had criminal pancreatitis. I did learn something I didn't know before, though. The normal range for amylase is 28-100 and for lipase is 13-60. I had been told my levels before, but I didn't really know what was considered normal to have something to compare it to. Two days later at Mayo, my levels were almost normal. I was amazed that they dropped so quickly. I guess that I now have a smaller window of time in which to decide whether or not to seek medical treatment before my levels go back to normal.
More about this junk later. I found out that something crappy happened while I was incapacitated this time. See the next entry for more info.
Anyway...the only thing that I did that was bad was ate a piece of pizza; which I did after taking my enzymes. Maybe that was what set me off this time, but the actual pain didn't start until 4-5 hours after I ate the pizza. I left the bar around 10:00 p.m. because I just wasn't feeling very well. My pancreas was hurting noticeably more than usual, so I decided to go back to the hotel. By the time I was back at the hotel about 10 minutes later, I knew this was going to be one of those especially unpleasant attacks. I took some lortab and ran a tub full of hot water to soak in. I did not have a heating pad with me, so I thought maybe soaking might help. The kids and I went to bed after that, but there was not going to be sleep for me that night. I curled up with a pillow and tried some of this junk where you massage pressure points, but that didn't help either. (I guess I'm not a very good witch doctor.) By 2:00, I couldn't stand it anymore and took 1 percocet pill. That didn't really help at first. After about 45 minutes, I felt slightly better, but the pain was still pretty bad. By this time the nausea and vomiting were kicking in rather strong as well. I took some zofran and actually stopped vomiting, but was still hurting and very nauseated. I took another percocet pill at 5:00 a.m., but it just wasn't helping. At about six, I had Erica call an ambulance while I gathered up my junk to take to the hospital. (insurance cards, medications, note from my pcp). I was in no condition to attempt to drive. I went outside to wait and told Erica to just go back to sleep and to let the boys sleep in. Soon two fire trucks drove up. I was a little grouchy about this and told them, "I'm NOT on fire! I just need a ride to the hospital." They called the ambulance on their radio and off we went. The paramedic went through the whole questioning me about my drinking habit routine and then asked about my gall bladder. (big surprise) He gave me some morphine in my IV, but that did not do anything. Sometime after that, they gave me more morphine and that time it worked almost immediately. I also started itching like crazy, but who cares? It made the pain stop. They took a blood sample and sent it off. My amylase was 889 and my lipase was 1254. I asked for a copy of my lab results to take with me to Mayo. They let me go a while later. Actually, they called a police officer to take me back to the motel because I had no way of getting there. I guess I had criminal pancreatitis. I did learn something I didn't know before, though. The normal range for amylase is 28-100 and for lipase is 13-60. I had been told my levels before, but I didn't really know what was considered normal to have something to compare it to. Two days later at Mayo, my levels were almost normal. I was amazed that they dropped so quickly. I guess that I now have a smaller window of time in which to decide whether or not to seek medical treatment before my levels go back to normal.
More about this junk later. I found out that something crappy happened while I was incapacitated this time. See the next entry for more info.
Food and (lack of) weight loss
I think I have mentioned a couple of times that when I am having an acute attack of pancreatitis, part of the treatment is to abstain from consuming food or liquids for a while. You would think that this would make me nice and skinny, but NO! I am not nice and skinny. In fact, unless I don't eat for several days, I do not lose any weight. I think that this may be due in part to the fact that I normally (during the school year) only eat one meal a day. I think that this has helped to slow my metabolism a bit because when I do eat more often (during the summer for example) I gain weight. I know that all the studies out there say that you should eat breakfast and if you want to skip a meal it should be later in the day. I do not skip breakfast because I am dieting, even though I should be. I just don't eat in the morning because eating=pain. I always have more pain shortly after I eat. The pain doesn't usually become severe, but sometimes it does. When I have things I need to do or places I need to go, I do not have the luxury of eating first because I am afraid that it will hurt. Depending on the severity of the pain, it could effect my ability to do the things I need to do. I eat after the kids go home for the day and I eat something for dinner. In the summer I eat more often because I can stay at home when it hurts too much.
What I eat:
I used to really be a junk food person. My weakness was sweets. Now I don't really eat that many sweets, I just enjoy them more when I do. I do like to snack a lot on sunflower seeds. That may not be the best choice of snacks because of the fat in them, but the salt seems to help settle my stomach a little. Did I mention that I am constantly nauseated? Zofran helps with that when it gets bad. Recently, I have been eating a really delicious salad. The main ingredients are fresh spinach and berries (usually strawberries or raspberries). That sounds pretty benign. Ha! Well, I don't stop there. Then I add feta cheese, slivered almonds, and a poppy seed dressing. YUM!!! I eat this at least once a day now. I would eat it all the time if I could. That salad and sunflower seeds are the main staples of my diet right now. As always, I take my enzymes every time I am going to eat. I don't really drink soda very often. I actually prefer water. Since it is summer, I have been getting a lot of slushes at Sonic. I am ashamed to say that I get at least one a week.
Okay, that is enough writing for now. I better go and get some actual work done around here. I will write more later.
What I eat:
I used to really be a junk food person. My weakness was sweets. Now I don't really eat that many sweets, I just enjoy them more when I do. I do like to snack a lot on sunflower seeds. That may not be the best choice of snacks because of the fat in them, but the salt seems to help settle my stomach a little. Did I mention that I am constantly nauseated? Zofran helps with that when it gets bad. Recently, I have been eating a really delicious salad. The main ingredients are fresh spinach and berries (usually strawberries or raspberries). That sounds pretty benign. Ha! Well, I don't stop there. Then I add feta cheese, slivered almonds, and a poppy seed dressing. YUM!!! I eat this at least once a day now. I would eat it all the time if I could. That salad and sunflower seeds are the main staples of my diet right now. As always, I take my enzymes every time I am going to eat. I don't really drink soda very often. I actually prefer water. Since it is summer, I have been getting a lot of slushes at Sonic. I am ashamed to say that I get at least one a week.
Okay, that is enough writing for now. I better go and get some actual work done around here. I will write more later.
Catching up? Not hardly.
I decided that I should just forget the idea of catching up on the junk I haven't written. To summarize, over the last couple of weeks I've had constant pain (the normal stuff) mingled with intermittent bouts of pretty severe pain. There was one time since i last wrote that I was VERY close to going to the hospital. I didn't because my two older nieces were visiting and that would not be very much fun for them. I just did the whole pain reliever and don't eat things for a day or so until I was feeling better.
People often ask how I am feeling and I usually just tell them that I am okay. I don't think they really want to hear the truth. It is just one of those questions they ask to be polite. I don't know that telling them I feel bad most of the time would help anything anyway. It would only make them feel uncomfortable or make them want to avoid me. It's not like there is anything they can do to help me feel better. So my answer is that I am feeling okay or fine.
Actually, I guess it is all relative. When they ask me my pain level at the hospital, I have never said ten. They describe ten as the worst pain imaginable. Well, I happen to have a pretty good imagination. Regardless of how bad the pain is, it could always be exacerbated if someone were to stab me or smack me with a hammer or something. I have a fairly high tolerance for pain. After all, I had all but one of my children naturally. That hurt pretty badly, but even that would never be a ten. Something could make the pain be worse. Actually, some of my bouts of pancreatitis are worse than labor. At least during labor, there is a chance to breathe a little bit between the contractions.
Hmmmm....this is kind of a downer post. I really do not feel bad emotionally. I don't feel discouraged or anything except when I am feeling really bad. I do feel a little stressed, but that is due to a combination of factors; not just my pancreatitis. Actually, my doctor has mentioned that she thinks I am depressed. I need to find out why she feels that way. If I am depressed, I am not aware of it.
People often ask how I am feeling and I usually just tell them that I am okay. I don't think they really want to hear the truth. It is just one of those questions they ask to be polite. I don't know that telling them I feel bad most of the time would help anything anyway. It would only make them feel uncomfortable or make them want to avoid me. It's not like there is anything they can do to help me feel better. So my answer is that I am feeling okay or fine.
Actually, I guess it is all relative. When they ask me my pain level at the hospital, I have never said ten. They describe ten as the worst pain imaginable. Well, I happen to have a pretty good imagination. Regardless of how bad the pain is, it could always be exacerbated if someone were to stab me or smack me with a hammer or something. I have a fairly high tolerance for pain. After all, I had all but one of my children naturally. That hurt pretty badly, but even that would never be a ten. Something could make the pain be worse. Actually, some of my bouts of pancreatitis are worse than labor. At least during labor, there is a chance to breathe a little bit between the contractions.
Hmmmm....this is kind of a downer post. I really do not feel bad emotionally. I don't feel discouraged or anything except when I am feeling really bad. I do feel a little stressed, but that is due to a combination of factors; not just my pancreatitis. Actually, my doctor has mentioned that she thinks I am depressed. I need to find out why she feels that way. If I am depressed, I am not aware of it.
My doctor
I realized after typing the previous post that it sounded a little negative about the medical professionals. Generally, I do not have negative feelings about them. It is just very frustrating to go to the ER. I realize that they know the normal causes of pancreatitis so that is what they look for. I just wish they would take what I am saying at face value.
My personal doctor is actually amazing. I just love her! She never is condescending towards me. She is very kind and compassionate. Most importantly, she believes me when I tell her what is wrong. She is also my children's doctor and she is great with them as well. I have actually been at her office with my children for THEIR appointments and she will ask about me. I usually try not to discuss any problems I am having at the time because I am not paying her for an appointment for me at that time and I don't want to be a big time drain for her. But that is how she is...kind, caring, and concerned. When I am in the hospital, she actually talks to me and listens. She does not just run in and run out. I am not just some medical condition to her, I am a person and she genuinely seems to care about me. I am lucky to have her as my doctor and my friend.
My personal doctor is actually amazing. I just love her! She never is condescending towards me. She is very kind and compassionate. Most importantly, she believes me when I tell her what is wrong. She is also my children's doctor and she is great with them as well. I have actually been at her office with my children for THEIR appointments and she will ask about me. I usually try not to discuss any problems I am having at the time because I am not paying her for an appointment for me at that time and I don't want to be a big time drain for her. But that is how she is...kind, caring, and concerned. When I am in the hospital, she actually talks to me and listens. She does not just run in and run out. I am not just some medical condition to her, I am a person and she genuinely seems to care about me. I am lucky to have her as my doctor and my friend.
Going to the hospital
No, I'm not going to the hospital, but sometimes I do. I normally take the measures listed below first to see if they help. I will try lying on my stomach with a pillow against it or lying in the fetal position with the pillow. If that doesn't help, I will move on to a heating pad. I don't know if there is any medical evidence that this helps, but it seems to ease the pain a bit for me sometimes. If that doesn't help make the pain where I can tolerate it, or the pain gets to a level where I might consider going to the hospital, I will usually take one or two of my lortab pills. I normally just take two. The prescription says to take one, but I have found out that one doesn't usually cut it and I don't want to wait around for the pain to stop when I know it isn't going to. Then I assume the position (see previous sentences) to wait for the meds to kick in. If that doesn't work, I will often take percocet. I don't know if this is stronger, but it seems to do the trick a little better. I think it is stronger because it does not have a refill and the lortab will have one refill. Maybe it just works better because by the time I take it, I have already taken the lortab as well. Who knows? I do know that people get addicted to pain meds fairly easily. You read about it all the time. So I have a certain fear/respect for pain meds. I do not want to become one of those people, so I will not take them unless I know I will be going to the hospital otherwise.
As I mentioned, sometimes the meds don't help enough and I actually do go to the hospital. I hate going there because I sometimes feel like the doctors and nurses think I am "faking" the pain so I can get drugs. They seem skeptical about it when I tell them it's my pancreas...like I'm some idiot that doesn't know what I am talking about. I also feel like they think I am lying when I tell them I haven't had anything to drink and that I don't drink. One time after going to the ER and telling them all of this, they told me I needed to stop drinking. When they do believe that I don't drink, they will suggest that it is my gall bladder...which I do not have. When I inform them of this, they will suggest that maybe a stone is "still" lodged in there from when they took it out. I will then tell them there is no stone; there never were any stones. The stupid thing just wasn't functioning the way it was supposed to. At some point, they will finally draw some blood to check my enzyme levels. Elevated lipase and amylase levels are a sign that you have pancreatitis. Quite frequently, my levels are not high. This fact reinforces the medical personnel's belief that I am trying to get drugs. The funny thing is that the first time I was admitted to the hospital with pancreatitis, my levels were not very high either. The next day they were higher and I was moved to the ICU from my room. My levels are not usually high at the onset of the pain. If the levels rise, it is several hours after the initial pain. It's frustrating! The ironic thing about this is that I DON'T LIKE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL. I always try pain management things at home first. The hospital is the last resort for me. I hate it when these people who don't even know me act as if I am over-reacting. When I went to the hospital and was subsequently admitted for a week in March, the ER doctor was going to send me home. I heard her talking about it to the nurses. (It's funny that the medical people seem to think that you can't hear what they are saying if they are standing on the other side of the curtain. Come on, people! It's a curtain, not a door!) I started crying because I knew I was ill and needed help. Fortunately for me a nurse stepped behind the curtain at that point, saw me, and went right out to the doctor and told her she REALLY thought I should be admitted. The ER doctor reluctantly admitted me. I have not had good experiences with the ER and that is why I really do not go to the hospital unless I feel there is no other alternative.
As I mentioned, sometimes the meds don't help enough and I actually do go to the hospital. I hate going there because I sometimes feel like the doctors and nurses think I am "faking" the pain so I can get drugs. They seem skeptical about it when I tell them it's my pancreas...like I'm some idiot that doesn't know what I am talking about. I also feel like they think I am lying when I tell them I haven't had anything to drink and that I don't drink. One time after going to the ER and telling them all of this, they told me I needed to stop drinking. When they do believe that I don't drink, they will suggest that it is my gall bladder...which I do not have. When I inform them of this, they will suggest that maybe a stone is "still" lodged in there from when they took it out. I will then tell them there is no stone; there never were any stones. The stupid thing just wasn't functioning the way it was supposed to. At some point, they will finally draw some blood to check my enzyme levels. Elevated lipase and amylase levels are a sign that you have pancreatitis. Quite frequently, my levels are not high. This fact reinforces the medical personnel's belief that I am trying to get drugs. The funny thing is that the first time I was admitted to the hospital with pancreatitis, my levels were not very high either. The next day they were higher and I was moved to the ICU from my room. My levels are not usually high at the onset of the pain. If the levels rise, it is several hours after the initial pain. It's frustrating! The ironic thing about this is that I DON'T LIKE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL. I always try pain management things at home first. The hospital is the last resort for me. I hate it when these people who don't even know me act as if I am over-reacting. When I went to the hospital and was subsequently admitted for a week in March, the ER doctor was going to send me home. I heard her talking about it to the nurses. (It's funny that the medical people seem to think that you can't hear what they are saying if they are standing on the other side of the curtain. Come on, people! It's a curtain, not a door!) I started crying because I knew I was ill and needed help. Fortunately for me a nurse stepped behind the curtain at that point, saw me, and went right out to the doctor and told her she REALLY thought I should be admitted. The ER doctor reluctantly admitted me. I have not had good experiences with the ER and that is why I really do not go to the hospital unless I feel there is no other alternative.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Did I mention that I really like to sleep in? Ha! It is 6:15 a.m. right now during summer vacation and I am awake. Once again, my pancreas and I are at odds. I am extremely nauseated and hurting quite a bit. I am at my parent's house visiting so I wil have to try to mask the pain as much as possible. For now, I am just taking Zofran for the nausea. If the pain becomes unbearable, I will have to take something stronger than just nausea medication. The prescription pain meds and I have a love-hate relationship.I do like the fact that they can lessen the pain to a level where it can be tolerated. Once, the percocet actually made the pain completely stop hurting! It was amazing! I hate how the meds make me feel otherwise. I feel very groggy and am not really "with it" when I take it, but it also makes me unable to sleep-which is particularly bad at night. On the other hand, would I rather be awake and in severe pain or awake and feeling weird? Given the options, I'll pick weird. I do worry that these meds are damaging my liver. My pancreas is already causing me problems. I do not need to add liver problems into the mix. Okay, enough writing. I am going to try holding a pillow tightly against my abdomen and lying still. I am sick of this stupid pancreas.
11:00 a.m.-I guess I will try taking one lortab and see if that helps.
11:00 a.m.-I guess I will try taking one lortab and see if that helps.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
In case you haven't noticed, I am not exactly writing these things as they are happening. I actually started out by writing a pancreatitis journal and then decided after the fact to create a blog. For now, I am trying to just get my journal typed in here. After I get caught up, I plan to do most of my writing here. So while I am actually writing this in July, these things occurred in June.
I was still feeling worse than usual since Friday. I slept in and woke up with that familiar pain. It was worse than usual, but not as bad as it had been on Friday. I took the kids to church at 2:00. The pain was getting worse and finally, about halfway through, I actually left to run home and take some lortab. That took the edge off the pain and I returned to church. I didn't eat for the rest of the day. I was still hurting, but not enough to justify taking more pain meds. The heating pad helped make the pain manageable. I went to bed earlier than usual.
I was still feeling worse than usual since Friday. I slept in and woke up with that familiar pain. It was worse than usual, but not as bad as it had been on Friday. I took the kids to church at 2:00. The pain was getting worse and finally, about halfway through, I actually left to run home and take some lortab. That took the edge off the pain and I returned to church. I didn't eat for the rest of the day. I was still hurting, but not enough to justify taking more pain meds. The heating pad helped make the pain manageable. I went to bed earlier than usual.
Thursday, June 12 & Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday: I was feeling kind of bad (tired, nauseated, a little more pain than usual). I didn't feel much like eating during the day so I ate some sunflower seeds and raspberries. Later, I did something really stupid and ate a slice of pizza. That was around 6:00 p.m. (As a side note, I always take my enzymes before eating.) Needless to say, I started feeling worse. The normal cramping in my upper abdominal area became increasingly severe.
Friday: By about 1:00 a.m. (now Friday) the pain was so bad that I took two lortabs and then curled up in the fetal position on the couch, waiting for relief. At 3:00 a.m., I was almost ready to head to the hospital. I took one percocet pill as a last-ditch effort and fortunately, the pain began to ease after about 45 minutes. I finally drifted off to sleep sometime after 8:30 a.m. I awakened around noon and felt kind of groggy and tired, but the pain was not nearly as bad as it had been the previous night. I ate a few raspberries and blackberries in the evening. If my five year old niece had not been visiting, I probably would have gone to the hospital.
Friday: By about 1:00 a.m. (now Friday) the pain was so bad that I took two lortabs and then curled up in the fetal position on the couch, waiting for relief. At 3:00 a.m., I was almost ready to head to the hospital. I took one percocet pill as a last-ditch effort and fortunately, the pain began to ease after about 45 minutes. I finally drifted off to sleep sometime after 8:30 a.m. I awakened around noon and felt kind of groggy and tired, but the pain was not nearly as bad as it had been the previous night. I ate a few raspberries and blackberries in the evening. If my five year old niece had not been visiting, I probably would have gone to the hospital.
Information about pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is my nemesis. Many people do not know very much about it so I am including a little link with information about it. I'm not sure what I dislike about it the most. The pain is probaby the worst part, but the vomitting is not a fun part either.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pancreatitis/DS00371
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pancreatitis/DS00371