More cancer for my friend

Well, I wouldn't be too sure; it depends on how long ago. This fellow is fairly young and just joined the group in 2014.

But they're probably all excellent at what they do. I wish your son the best possible outcome. Let us know what happens with the skiing.

Meanwhile, is your friend still in the hospital, I hope not?

My friend is still in CCU. She was converted to normal sinus rhythm. Will observe for a day or two out of the unit and discharge if rhythm is maintained.

Son is having surgery on Thursday. Lipase, pancreatic enzyme is elevated 244. Still thinks it has been the gall bladder all along. His BCBS will work out.

I still stick with gallbladder pancreatitis.

Gosh... sorry do much at once. Best wishes for all.

Thank you!

Joanimaroni wrote:I still stick with gallbladder pancreatitis.

Sounds like a good bet, Joani. Of course, I thought when my gallbladder was removed last May that that first ever bout with pancreatitis would be my last. But the second round which unpleasantly surprised me in December was, I really hope (and as at least one hospitalist opined), a fluke, based on prior irritation of the pancreas in May, plus (especially) my having eaten a couple of further irritants when friends visited the morning of the late day attack - namely, especially - as I may've previously reported - the wonderful file gumbo at Margaritaville, but also a rich steakburger enjoyed at the same meal. Big mistake I'll never make again -- especially the spicy stuff, as a spicy rice also made me strangely ill at one point in summer even though I didn't progress into pancreatitis that time.

The good news is that a follow-up abdominal MRI with contrast yesterday showed the December bout fully resolved, and (most importantly) no masses detected, which was, of course, the worry.

Now my task is to stay away from anything hot and spicy for the duration, and will have to hope that's the end of it.

Don't forget to let us know how everything goes for your son, Joani.

Thank you Linda, I think the pancreatic situation, probably caused by the gallbladder, will continue secondary to food choices.

Well, if that's the case, Joanie, I dearly hope your son and I will always make the right choices. I'm sure he'd agree when I say it's not something I'd ever want to go through again.

Did I tell you that when I was hospitalized with my second bout in December, one of the nurses remarked, "There must be something in the water," because there were THREE other cases of pancreatitis on the floor at the very same time? And GBH just isn't that big.

I'd hardly even heard of pancreatitis (just pancreatic cancer) before last May, and now it seems stories are everywhere I turn.

Same with gall bladder removal -- I had three or four GBH nurses and other staff (all younger than I) tell me last May they'd had their gall bladders removed (though they didn't mention pancreatitis). And most of them said they can now eat whatever they want with no problems. On the other hand, a gall bladder-less friend closer to my age tells me she "pays dearly" on the rare occasion when she breaks down and has spicy or fried foods. I guess everyone is truly different.

It is a trial and error situation with your post gallbladder removal. My daughter had her gallbladder removed at age 23. No problems.

As of now, my son is afraid to eat. His pain was so bad even though he was very stoic. He was going to hold off on the morphine and take it if the pain got worse. No way, I told him to take it. Ten minutes later he was so relieved.

Yes! Good for you for wisely informing your son (but then, of course you would). Morphine was heaven sent relief with my gall-bladder-caused pancreatitis last May, but I only allowed one dose the second time around in December, because the pain was much milder. Got along with Tylenol that time, though it didn't do much except damp down the fevers.

Fingers crossed for successful surgery tomorrow (Wednesday).

Surgery is Thursday. Only time in the hospital was for the Pancreatitis in 2006. You never stop worrying about your babies....no matter what age.

Right- Thursday - sorry. Even better - no severe weather in the area that day.

Pancreatitis in 2006 - you, or son?

Son... never really sick! One bout of viral meningitis when he was 12. Resolved in one week. A broken ankle at 16. He is not use to being sick or injured!

Surgery went well, in recovery sleeping peacefully. Dr. said he will feel better now. He said the gallbladder was very inflamed and damaged. This has been going on for a long time.

Glad to hear that.

Get pathology on the gall bladder.

Sea, they do that as a matter of routine, I believe. At least they did for my (also inflamed) gall bladder upon removal.

Joani, glad everything is going well so far! Sounds like a good bet indeed that he'll feel much better. In fact, my surgeon told me that many of his cholecystectomy patients tell him, weeks after the surgery, that they feel way better than they did even long before they knew they were sick (if that makes any sense - does to me).

He got sick just before going home. Apparently, anesthesia causes him nausea and vomiting. After medication and an extra 2 hours he was discharged. The portable knocks him out. So glad this is over. RL I guess he got use to the pain and didn’t really pay attention to it.

"The portable" -- ? Please explain what this is.

Sorry he was sick - ugh - but glad he's home now and hopefully on his way to full recovery.

In my case I don't know that I ever had any chronic pain per se to "get used to," but I did realize that for a long time I'd often had a sense of pressure at the upper stomach area, and that seems to have almost fully resolved.

Auto correct...Loratab.

I have chronic pain and had to learn to ignore it.

Gotta love auto-correct. That one was outta sight. lol

Personally I wouldn't let them give me any opioids nor prescribe anything strong at all to go home with, but that's just moi.

Sea, they do that as a matter of routine, I believe.

I had my gallbladder removed at a local hospital on an out patient procedure. They noted disease on the gallbladder, but never did pathology. It is defacto malpractice not to take pathology. I could have been on injections and this cancer could have been better managed without this malpractice, but it is in a long list of screwups, but despite the same people survive despite inferior care in some facilities.

I have chronic pain and had to learn to ignore it.

How do you DO that, Joani???

2seaoat wrote:I had my gallbladder removed at a local hospital on an out patient procedure.  They noted disease on the gallbladder, but never did pathology.   It is defacto malpractice not to take pathology.   I could have been on injections and this cancer could have been better managed without this malpractice, but it is in a long list of screwups, but despite the same people survive despite inferior care in some facilities.

Still, it's maddeningly frustrating to read of the times you weren't properly taken care of, and the results of same.