Some Good News
The pain block went very well. I got three
bags of IV solution (they said I was extremely dehydrated). So that
was a plus.

When I woke up, that was the first time I'd ever woken up in a
recovery room not in horrible pain. Sure, I know, I wasn't expecting
pain for getting a block, but it just felt odd, because all of the
other times I've woken up I've been in pain.

I think the block worked, but I haven't had any pancreatitis attacks
to test it (and certainly don't want one!).

I did have another attack two days before the block (Tuesday, September 25th). I was
so disappointed. I was really hoping this was behind me. Eventually
I had to go to the ER, although we tried to head it off at the pass
here at home.

In the ER I got dilaudid, zofran and phenergan. Once my pain was
under control, my PCP called to say that if I didn't want to be
admitted, that was fine, since my labs weren't elevated (most times
they aren't, during an attack). So I got to go home and sleep
comfortably.

I saw another doctor in the PCP practice. My regular PCP
wasn't working. This doctor seemed a lot more familiar with
pancreatitis and said that if it is sphincter of oddi, then there is
nothing I could have done NOT to have the attack. So he said not to
beat myself up over my diet, even if I am trying to stay as low-fat
as possible. That made sense.

Hopefully when I have surgery on October 3rd (the exploratory one up
the feeding tube), he will find it is SOD and be able to do a
sphincterotomy at that time and I'll get some relief. Until then, I
have the block to protect against the worst of the pain (I pray!),
and I have a PICC line now to aid them in giving me IV fluids, pain
meds, nausea meds and to take labs. I also have the feeding tube if
I find myself NPO. The tube is in the jejunum, which is past the
pancreas, so it doesn't cause attacks. At least I have that!

Look for another update later today (post surgery).

Cheers,

Felicia :)