Nervous That This Won’t Be The One
I was officially diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and I have to stick to a low fat and non spicy diet.…
Image by jasonEscapist via Flickr
One of these days I will write out the whole history of my pains and surgeries in the last 10 years. You can read about the emotional side of my pains, but I will write about the medical procedures, tests and surgeries I’ve had too.
ERCP
Today, I am having an ERCP. I will be given the good drugs and will be totally out during the ERCP. The doctor will go down my throat with a camera and a few other tools. He will test the pressure of my pancreas to see if I have Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction. If he finds the pressure is high, he will put a stint in to let stuff flow through better (my non-medical interpretation.)
Pancreatitis is NOT Fun
The pancreas is such a sensitive organ and it doesn’t like to be messed with. When you do a procedure like this, the chances of getting Pancreatitis are really high (my regular doctor said about 95% for me.)
I have had pancreatitis twice in the past.
- After I had stones removed from my bile duct and had an ERCP. I was in the hospital for almost 10 days.
- Out of the blue, I woke up in the middle of the night with HORRIBLE pains and went to the ER.
The pain from pancreatitis is worse than childbirth. It is the worst pain I’ve ever felt. The way to get rid of pancreatitis is to rest the pancreas. The doctors put you on IV fluids ONLY and you get pain meds for the pain. I don’t remember much of either of my previous pancreatitis hospital stays.
There is a very good chance I will end up with pancreatitis tomorrow after the ERCP and I will be in the hospital for much of the week.
I do not know if this will get rid of my pains. My doctor says I have about a 50/50 chance of it working 100%. Not the best odds, but I’ll take it.
I have been in bed and on pain meds since Thanksgiving. I’m ready to move on… Hoping this is the end and not just another flare up. If you don’t hear from me all week, I’m in the hospital with pancreatitis.
Let’s Talk! I want to hear about your digestive health issues. I know I’m not alone.
Related articles
- ERCP – All Information (umm.edu)
- Bile duct obstruction – All Information (umm.edu)
- Digestive Trouble After Gallbladder Surgery (everydayhealth.com)
- Whipple Surgery for Chronic Pancreatitis (everydayhealth.com)
I'm so sorry to hear you have had such problems with this for so long.
Now I see today you are still in the hospital with the doctor version of Nurse Ratchet…not cool!
You're not alone. I had my pancreas removed to get rid of several tumors, they were incredibly painful but they were benign. All I could do was lay on the couch and try as hard as I could not to cry. Fortunately for me, my surgery (with 6 day hospital stay and a KILLER scar) solved my problems except I don't digest fatty foods very well. They actually taste bad to me, I don't even like french fries anymore. I am praying for you and a successful outcome. It's a hard time of the year to be laid up. May your doctors' hands and decisions be guided well.
I was officially diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and I have to stick to a low fat and non spicy diet. Sure hope I get to the point where fries don't look appetizing because right now all I can think about is all the foods I'm not supposed to eat. LOL!
I so hate this for you! Please let me know how it goes. Text me if you need ANYTHING! Hope this works and provides some relief!