Argh - fed up of being in bed!

So, long story short, I got rushed to hospital by a big, loud, siren-y ambulance on Saturday evening, and it works out I have acute pancreatitis for the third time in my life. Long story short (again), they know what isn't causing it (alcohol, gallbladder problems, scorpion bites) but have no idea what IS. As the treatment is basically rest, hydration and plugging you so full of painkillers you can't remember what your name is...I persuaded them to let me do those things at home. The caveat, the consultant said, is that I have to treat home as a hospital and STAY. THE. HELL. IN. BED. until at least the end of the week.

Gah.

I'm bored.

I'm really, really bored.

Since it's something I can do whilst sitting still, I've been practising my face painting, but even that can only distract me for so long. I'm not a TV type, and my concentration's not up to reading much because of the pain.

There. That's my rant done. If any of you would like to put on a fully-fledged cabaret show for my benefit, that would be very nice.

Thank you for listening to my vent. I'll return to normal service after the end of the week, whether my *&$*&#%^ consultant likes it or not. So there.

Kammy xx

I am so sorry--I hope that the pain quickly goes away and they can figutre out what is going on in your body!!

Read "The One Minute Cure" by Madison Cavanaugh while you're there! (Maybe a solution...)

Kammy, Did they give you a spirometer for you lungs? If not, practice deep slow and steady breaths at least once an hour or you could find yourself with pneumonia... or on the verge of it like I was last month after hospital.

Also, look at "My Little Unicorn" picture often when you are bored... it can only help!

Lungs? I'm confused, Miss Ronnie - I haven't heard that pancreatitis can affect the lungs. In any case, I don't feel like I'm having any trouble breathing, and the pancreas pain is improving a little now.

I reckon I should be much better by the end of the week. Then it's just a case of tests and so on, before (if it's anything like last time) they name me an idiopathic (i.e. "we don't know what the findoogle is causing it!") case.

Thanks for all your kind words. I know it's OT to complain about illness, especially as I'm just a newbie here, but I swear I'm usually a pretty happy-go-lucky, non-complainy type.

Kammy x

P.S. I think I just realised what you meant, Ronnie - that being too still and reclined can cause lung problems? I do a lot of diaphragmatic breathing, so hopefully that'll help lower any risk. Thanks for caring, though!

Hi Kammy,
Just came across this. Hope you are back to yourself now.

I've never known anyone personally that had pancreatitis, but my Schnauzers are prone to it and one almost died...so I know it is PAINFUL and BAD.

How odd that they can't find out why it is happening to you so often (but then maybe not odd...my husband has some medical issues and he went to 6 specialists!!! not one could even determine what was causing the pain and swelling!)! Must be pretty scary knowing that it could happen again.

Please take care!

Kammy,
I think the concern for pneumonia is more because you are inactive, and therefore not getting the lung use you normally would get. Fluid can build up in your lungs and you can get pneumonia. Sitting for long periods of time is really bad for you.
Are you doing any better?

Hi Diane,

I'm doing much better, thanks for asking! I'm properly up and about again, for a start, which is always good. Had a crazy week full of visitors,which was bad timing energy-wise but took my mind off things. I'm a little easily tired and my pancreas still hurts, but I'm having tests in the hospital tomorrow and I'm sure it will be completely back to normal soon.

It's very sweet of you to care - I appreciate it.

Kammy x

I just saw this. Praying for a full recovery & glad to hear you're up & about again!

Just saw this too... wishing you a speedy recovery and hoping that they find a solution.

Awww Kammy! Missed this one!
You're so sweet to me, and wasn't feeling well yourself! Glad you recovered a bit, hope they'll find out soon what causes it!
Big hug's on it's way to you all from over here!!!

Thanks everyone, you're all so kind! Niele - yeah, it's legendarily painful, unfortunately. As soon as the diagnosis hits, the docs are pretty free-handed with the morphine and diamorphine, and some people who can't deal with the pain of pancreatitis have apparently even been put into purposeful comas until the initial inflammation has gone down. I never asked for that, but I've had acute pancreatitis three times and have been known to ask them to knock me the hell out with morphine so I didn't have to be conscious anymore.

In any case....yes! I'm feeling far better. Off to the hospital shortly, where they'll plug me full of nasty radioactive chemicals and take photos of my internal organs. Yayyyy!

As weird as it sounds, I want them to find something. Not because I want to be ill, but quite the opposite - if they DON'T find anything, they still won't know what's causing the problem and then it could happen again. If they find something that's small, fixable and non-life threatening, then once that's fixed, I shouldn't have to collapse with a bad pancreas ever again. At least, that's the theory....

Aww, my other half just brought me a cup of tea, and my little boy says he wants to come with me to hospital to hold my hand! My family are Officially The Best.

Thanks everyone for your very kind words, wishes and prayers. I'm a hardy old wench and I'm sure I'll be fine, but I've certainly got a smile on my face now, at the idea of such a widespread group of people sending me pleasant thoughts.

Lizzie - you deserve the good thoughts far, far more than I do right now. Being in pain doesn't stop someone caring about OTHER human beings in pain.

Kammy x

{{{{{ bigggggggg hugggggggg}}}}}

So, today went just fine. I came home feeling a little sore and went to bed for a couple of hours....only to wake to find that my cute little lad and his daddy had baked me fresh banana and chocolate muffins, and brought me one in bed.

I'm feeling fine now. Won't know anything until the radiologist has compiled and examined the images and then got back to me, but the testing bit's done.

Thanks to everyone for the lovely thoughts. Now, back to practising splodging paint on faces...

Hi Kammy!

Glad you got that part over with. And your husband and son were so sweet to bake and bring you muffins!

PS Did I scare you "driving" around Edinburgh? or have you been to busy to read?

Ohohoh! I did read that, but I've been so busy I've not replied! Sorry about that - I'm not ignoring you, I promise. I think it's so funny that you "drove" around Edinburgh. You even came to my street!

What a nice surprise they gave you!
Hope you'll get the results soon, and they'll be able to fix it! Thinking of you!!

Thinking of you! My husband had pancreatitis when we were first married, it was awful- he was hospitalized foe 2 weeks, he ended up being diabetic- have they tracked your blood sugar?

I hope you are back to feeling good again soon!! Hey, use your down time to watch u tube facepainting videos

ParTIA wrote:Thinking of you! My husband had pancreatitis when we were first married, it was awful- he was hospitalized foe 2 weeks, he ended up being diabetic- have they tracked your blood sugar?

I hope you are back to feeling good again soon!! Hey, use your down time to watch u tube facepainting videos

I'm so sorry you had to see your poor hubby though this horrible illness! I was hospitalised for aggggges the first time I had it, so I can totally sympathise.

Yes, they're tracking my blood sugar. It does keep taking a dive at unexpected moments because my pancreas is still healing (that's REALLY inconvenient when I'm painting, btw, and my hands start shaking uncontrollably!) but I'm not actually diabetic. Obviously I'm at greater risk from diabetes and pancreatic cancer as I've had pancreatitis three times now, but hopefully neither of those will happen.

I'm sorry your hubby got unlucky and developed diabetes. It's very common in pancreatitis patients because the organ just kinda gives up! I hope he's in good health right now and that memories of his illness are well in the past. Give him my regards. It's a horribly painful disease.

Kammy x

anniel wrote:Read "The One Minute Cure" by Madison Cavanaugh while you're there! (Maybe a solution...)

I just got around to reading about the "one minute cure"....and found reputable scientific sources stating that hydrogen peroxide can CAUSE pancreatitis when ingested, not cure it! Sorry, but I don't think I'll be trying that one...I'm not looking to die anytime soon!

Kammy xx

P.S. Much better now, don't have pancreatic cancer according to current test results, more tests in the new year.

Kammy, Did I read somewhere on the forum that you had another pancreatitis bout recently? (like last week, maybe??)
I'm sure glad you don't have cancer...and I hope they get to the bottom of it, soon! That's got to be sooo painful!
Take care!

Kammy, have you tried acupuncture to address your pancreatitis? I know personally it can be very helpful with pain management and in reducing inflammation. I hope you stay healthy and pain free!

The pancreatitis that happens is acute, MrsThe, not chronic, so while it's actively painful I'm confined to hospital, hooked up to all manner of machines and on IV treatment. No way I could get to an acupuncturist even if I could afford one. Thanks for the advice though, and I'll keep it in mind. I do have a chronic pain condition and use complementary therapies to help with that, as well as allopathic treatment - I'm a qualified holistic therapist.

Valerie - nope, last bout was September, and that's quite recent enough for me, thankyouverymuchly!

Didn't really mean to restart this thread, sorry - it's just that I read about the "one minute cure" and was startled about the whole hydrogen-peroxide/pancreatitis link!

Don't worry about starting the thread again!
We're interested how it is going.
Does your missing avatar mean you have a new one coming up for us??

Kammy, I just saw this since it was bumped up with the replies. So sorry about your crummy September, and thinking healing, anti-inflammatory thoughts for you for the New Year.