I think that the biggest mistake that we can make as patients with Pancreatitis and Doctors is assuming that they always know more about it than we do about the subject.
I mean after all – they do have the white coats and have spent years going to medical school so you’d think that they would know more.
Plus, many Doctors always seem to have the attitude that they do know more than you. But while they may know more about a lot of different diseases chances are that you know more about Pancreatitis.
When you have a chronic disease like Pancreatitis the fact is that we as patients tend to ask questions and research the subject. We also have the experience from multiple visits to the hospital, our various Doctors and specialists.
Plus we know our medical history, what has worked for us in the past and what caused more problems.
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The Dreaded ER Visit
Every time that I have gone into the hospital because of an Acute Pancreatitis flare up I’ve always had to start with the ER.
The first question that Doctors always ask – like it should make any difference at all in how they treat you – is whether you drink alcohol.
The fact is that I don’t, haven’t had more than an occasional sip since I started to have these attacks and I never was a heavy drinker.
Yet every Doctor that you see asks this same question. If they would just look in my file they would see that I have been admitted around 14 times with an Acute Pancreatic Attack that has always been idiopathic in nature.
A person would have to be an idiot to drink when they have had that many attacks.
Still, always the first question – do you drink?
I’ve had good Doctors that worked with me and gave me the pain meds that I needed and others that insisted that we wait on any pain meds at all until the blood tests came back.
I’ve had one that insisted that we try the same pain med that I have at home to see whether it would be enough to control my pain and wouldn’t listen to me when I said the reason that I was in the ER was because that wasn’t working.
But for the biggest part I’ve had mostly good experiences at the ER. They give me the pain meds that I need for relief and let me rest.
Then comes the transfer into the hospital and everything changes.
Pancreatitis and Doctors In The Hospital
It always seems that there is a distinct change in the care once you get transferred into the hospital.
It’s not that it gets worse but the tone changes. First you go through the – are you a drinker phase again.
Then you fall into a routine. Doctors and Nurses in the hospital aren’t dealing with the emergency cases that the ER does so their visits become more regular.
They run tests, take blood, and check vitals every few hours to make sure that you’re still there and kicking.
In many ways I’ve been pretty lucky so far. I haven’t had any major side effects, needed surgery, or had anything other than the Pancreatitis.
I’ve read in various groups about people who have horrible experiences but in that way I guess that I’ve been lucky.
Recovering From Pancreatitis
On top of my Pancreatitis I also suffer from Ileus (slow moving bowels) and Gastroparesis ( slow moving stomach).
Both of these issues are aggravated by the narcotics that I take for pain at home and the narcotics they give me for the pain in the hospital.
So the two things that always happen to me is the Doctors always want to put me on powerful laxatives to get things moving – and they want to cut the pain med dose as quickly as possible.
But I’ve learned over time that my stomach and bowels need to be coaxed into moving more regularly rather than shocked by strong laxatives.
The last time that I was in the hospital the Doctor kept insisting that I take one of the stronger laxatives to get things moving because she was reluctant to let me out of the hospital until I had a bowel movement.
But I had come prepared and had the GI Doctor write a note in my file that using a milder approach was better and gave his recommendation on what should be done.
It took a little back and forth with the hospital Doctor but eventually she saw that I wasn’t going to allow her to do what she wanted so she talked to the GI Doctor and changed her approach.
If Only Doctors Could Feel Our Pain
The other thing that always happens is cutting back the pain meds. The Doctors always seem to want to keep you right on the knife edge where you are in as much pain as you can possibly tolerate when they are prescribing pain meds.
Now I know that the pain meds complicate things and they certainly fire up the Gastroparesis and Ileus that I suffer from, but it always seems that when I have the proper amount of pain meds I can rest better and get past the flare up faster.
I’m definitely not a drug seeker and if I don’t need a pain med I won’t ask for it but Doctors seem to just assume that you are always just seeking drugs.
I just wish that there was a way to hook up the Doctors to your pain so they could experience what you were feeling. I bet that getting the pain meds that you are asking for would become much less of a problem.
But by this time I know what they are going to say and what they are going to do so it isn’t much of a surprise when they keep cutting my pain med dose.
Conclusion To Pancreatitis And Doctors
I always advocate being pro-active when you see your Doctor. I think that you should understand and agree with everything that they are going to do to you.
But I have to admit that when I am in the middle of the intense pain of an Acute Pancreatitis flare up I have tended to allow the Doctors to tell me what they were going to do to me.
This is where having someone who understands what you are doing on your side is invaluable. Whether it is your regular Doctor, your spouse, or your partner – having them there to help you can be invaluable.
I am also a strong believer in making sure that my regular Doctor understands everything that is happening and understands the complete picture.
All too often with this disease you get different Doctors who only see part of the picture.
Bottom line is that Pancreatitis and Doctors is a complicated mix. Because you end up in the ER so many times you tend to see a lot of different Doctors and have to keep presenting your case every time.
Not the best way to get the care that you need but if you are prepared before you get the next flare up it might help.
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