Bethany's Story

Bethany's Story

I have spent a few days in "solitary confinement" at the local hospitals. I stopped counting my days at 160, and that was 2 hospital visits ago.

Oh, but why you ask? Well, let me fill you in…

I passed a gallstone around February 15th, 2000. I had a little pain, but not too much. I knew something was wrong when I woke up on the 16th and pewked a little, and still had some pain. So, when to the doctor & the doctor said, " that’s what you get for jumping on the bed." No, not really, but they did some blood tests, and ultrasound, and then I had to go straight to the surgeon’s office. From the surgeon to the hospital. Passed out while they were trying to get me prepped for surgery. After surgery, I spent the following 29 days in the hospital, and then 3 more surgeries, and I am still not healthy…

After 3 months, I had the psuedocyst drained, surgically because the radiologist's stent was WAY TOO SMALL for the amount of debris that collected. After 8 months from passing the stone, most of my pancreas was removed: Distal pancreatectomy with a spleenectomy. 6 more months passed, and I had to have adhesions removed.

After the adhesion sugery, the GI told me that I would have pain and that I just needed to deal with it. NOT!!! That hospital group stopped taking my insurance, so I had to find another doc. The next one I saw was a jerk, then I went to Baylor Dallas & found a surgeon who reviewed my case then gave me a list of lots of GI doctors there. Finally, after lots of calls, I found the "doc of my dreams". Even on my first visit with him explaining that me enzyme levels had not been elevated for quite some time, he finished the statement with "they will never be elevated."

I have been with the doc since, and I have nothing to say but great things about him, his understanding of my conditions, and his bedside manner, totally warped like me... I suppose that is why he has not fired me as a patient.

On that first visit with the latest GI doc, he started me on enzymes so that I can digest foods. As of last week, I am OFFICALLY, DIABETIC. I take insulin. Oh, well, it’s a hell of a lot better than taking pain medications and the doctors saying that it is all in my head. That GI is the one who chewed my out about taking insulin instead of pills. So, that is why I went back to the PCP/Internal Med Doc, so that I could get the insulin.

I probably will still go in for a special test on my pancreas this month, which would place my finances at a strain, again. Or, better said, as always. Remember, I told you I passes that gallstone… Hell, pure, unadulterated hell. If I have the test, called an ERCP, I will probably be in the hospital for a week afterwards. The doctor will place a TV type camera down my throat and into the pancreas. There, the doctor should find, or not find, scar tissue causing the pain. So, because the also place dyes into the area, and exray the dyes, and stuff, that will probably cause the pancreas to get sick, again and more, causing pain, causing me to stay in the hospital, eating my favorite food… JELLO!!!! Yeah, right. Jello. The staple of all staples. Even if I eat only jello, I STILL have to take the insulin!! Can you believe that?!?

So, the purpose of my telling you all of this… don’t take health for granted. Did you know that the number one reason for folks developing chronic pancreatitis is DRINKING? Every time I go to the ER, they always ask me if I drink… NO. They don’t believe me.

Now, Kelly, this email has been cut from a letter I wrote to a nephew of mine, so I did add stuff that you might have more interest that him. I hope for your husband, that things will get better. I hope you don't have to suffer with him going through rock-bottom for him to get the understanding needed to defend his life, and quality of life.

I was talking with another person recently about he had developed pancreatitis because of drinking. I was told, and don't know how true it is, but he said there is a genetic defect in the folks who drink & get pancreatitis. He said something about the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct don't merge at the correct location, and as a result, the fluids back up into the pancreas, instead of draining promptly. Food for thought...

I GOT A NERVE BLOCK FOR THE Celiac-Plexis nerve. My doc stated that if it worked for 4 hours, GREAT, anything over that would be a gift. I am currently in day # 5 of not having to take pain meds daily.

Anyway, email anytime.