Acute Pancreatitis

I think that's what they called it, but whatever it was, it was as painful as full on labor with no relief.

A week and a day after I had been home from my surgery, I was relaxing on my couch, just finishing up Pride and Prejudice, when as I sat up I got a HUGE pain in my stomach. I ran to the bathroom seeking relief, but none came. It just got worse. I was feeling like I had been stabbed, the pain went through to my back and up my right shoulder. I layed down on the floor to overcome with pain to cry out for help, I prayed that my kids would find me and get their dad.

After about 10 mins of crying, sweating and writhing on the floor, my oldest came to save the day. He ran and woke daddy from his nap (he had been at the hospital with his mom since 5am for a surgery she was having that morning).

Daddy came running, and tried his best to help me. But NOTHING helped. After numerous phone calls to people who might be able to help, and no answers, he called 911. They rushed to my aid and I am so grateful! I had to go on my own, but I am in turn grateful for Tommy and Alisha for relieving John so he could come to the hospital to be with me.

In the ambulance, the pain continued, and the paramedic was finally cleared to give me morphine. It helped, but the pain was still there. When we arrived at the hospital, they took blood, and a urine sample and gave me more morphine and nausea meds to help ease my pain. It worked this time. Then they sent me off to get an ultrasound. When we got back, the blood results had come in, bad news.

Pancreatitis.

Side note: your pancreas is located behind your stomach, towards your back. So that explains the location of the pain. It made sense.

They said that I had to stay. I was admitted on Thursday afternoon and didn't get to come home 'til Sunday morning.

Things we found out in the hospital: my liver enzymes were really high, in the 500's, they are supposed to be below 80, I think. My white blood cells were high, don't know the count. My Lipase levels were high, in the 200's, not sure what the normal levels are. My potassium levels were very low, not sure where they were but that's the only thing they were able to resolve completely while I was there, other than the pain.

There is no medical treatment for pancreatitis, no cure, the only thing that will help is called NPO. That means no food or drink. Seriously.

I was on fluids through an IV for the whole stay and was able to try jello and broth twice, and finally before they released me I was able to have breakfast.

I saw three different types of doctors: GI, Surgeons, and the Hospital Docs. My OB was informed but the baby seemed fine so he didn't come. They all were very attentive and concerned with my condition. As were the Nurses.

I am so grateful for all their help.

The funny (not funny, ha ha, funny strange) thing is the GI doc said it was caused by a rogue gallstone that escaped before the surgery, but they never found it. Even after an MRI, they found nothing. The surgeons thought it was a combination of things, one being my diabetes.

Whatever it was, or is, I hope the pain doesn't come back.

I still have elevated liver enzymes, lipase, and white cell count, but they are going down.

If you want to know more about the Pancreas and it's functions, which as it happens, are very important, go here .

I never did get to finish my movie. :(