Reaching me

If you attempt to reach me, you will have to leave your email address. The way these blogs are set up, there is no way for me to know your email address. If you want me to respond to you, somehow you will have to leave away for me to contact you.
It is my sincerest desire to assist ALL who have suffered with this affliction. Please allow me to respond to your requests.
Lisa

I am still here

I wanted to let anyone who has ever kept up with the blog know that I am still here. I have celebrated the 5th anniversary of my surgery tp/ict. Our lives this years have been so busy. My husband just finished his Masters in Nursing. He will sit for his NP exams very soon. My days were spent packing lunches, trying to keep up with the laundry and the house. For those with chronic illness, you understand how difficult minor tasks can be at times. Even though I did not earn an academic degree somehow I feel like I have accomplished something, by just doing what I have done. This self directed learning procees was so intense, he did not have time to focus on anything but school.
I make posts when I do to let those searching know that 5 years out, I am still here, enjoying my life. I don't want to give people false hope, I suffered for 10 long years waiting for something. I still have deficits, I still have pain, but this pain is controllable, the other was not. I still have times when I have to lay in bed which btw is my least favorite thing in the world, but that seems to be something that assists with the pain, so lay down I will do. I have survived long enough to see my only child marry, give birth.. twice. Hold two precious little girls who have their grandmothers eyes. What more could a person want? If you are on the fence deciding about surgery... don't wait another minute. Don't let pancreatitis steal one more minute of your life.
Yes, I check my blood sugars frequently, my last HA1C was 5.7 equal to that of a non diabetic. I also give insulin every night ( just to keep those little islet happy and snug as a bug in a rug in my liver) to answer the next question the amount Lantus is 3.5 ( yes I said 3 point 5 not thirty five). I purchase special insulin syringes that measure half units. I eat a lower cab diet. Carbohydrates are the building blocks we need to burn as fuel, so eliminating ALL carbs in not the answer, without some carb we burn muscle. I am here if there are any QUESTIONS that some may have. After reading my blog you have probably determined that I am a Christian. I will leave this post with this scripture.

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Deuteronomy 30-19

My 44th birthday

Today is my 44th birthday. I have spend the last 3 days in bed. This has be happening quite frequently lately. I went to church on Sunday ( the first time in 2 weeks) I knew that I was getting really hungry, and I know this is not good, I was trying to get home to eat. Today is better than Sunday afternoon and yesterday.
I have survived longer than I ever thought. Each day is a miracle, soon I will be a grandmother again.

Chinese posts

I really don't mind if people leave comments regarding pancreatitis, but this is MY blog. It is rude to leave comments in another language, but to leave explicit content on a blog intended for people with a life threatening illness is another thing. Find somewhere else to post your comments, I won't tolerate this, I will pull this blog before I let this become a place for people to post what ever they want. It is simple enough to get a blog, why not get one and do what you want on your own. Enough said.

Life goes on

It will soon be 4 years since I had surgery. The big question every one asks was it worth it. The answer is YES! Did it take away all of the pain, NO. That said, I have not woke up screaming in agonizing pain since the day of surgery. I had still had pain that made me cry and have felt pretty bad, but that pain is gone. Since my surgery, I have had chronically elevated liver enzymes. I was told that this would go away, it never has, occasionally they will get pretty high. There are times that I feel pretty bad, but I am able to eat some, which is a big deal, before I was tube feeding with no hope of ever eating again. My quality of life is better, I do get bummed when I have to spend my days in bed. I would say that I spend about 4-5 days in bed per month compared to getting dressed about 4-5 per month previously. The amount of pain medicine that I take has drastically decreased. No where on any of the journal articles that are posted does it say that people who have tp/ict receive complete pain control. If these articles are read, they will give a percentage of people who were able, most do NOT receive complete pain control. Most continue to live life with pain, and challenges. We were challenge prior to surgery. No one promised us life would be easy. We have God's promise, that he will always be with us, even to the end of the earth. I am counting on this, I have put everything on his promises. To date, he has never left me or forsaken me. Nor will he ever.

I have notice that there is a several Japanese posting going on the blog. I don't really know what this means and I will find a way to translate. I will assume that what is written here is good until otherwise determined to be something else. Just know that I am still watching and reading posts.

I hope this finds all with pancreatitis well ( as well as you can be with the beast within) just know that you are not alone. There are many fine yahoo groups that deal with the topic of chronic pancreatitis and I high suggest that you join them. I will NEVER forget the day I found one person who knew exactly what I spoke of when I talked about the pain. NEVER forget when I spoke with another woman who was getting the run around just because "women have a lot of abdominal pain that is never diagnosed" I was told this by a very respect physician at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, despite the fact that I had a documented known, visually seen annular pancreas from an open gallbladder removal. I was told "poor interpretation by your surgeon". No it was really there, causing a small bowel obstruction for me.

If one person learns that they can trust what they are feeling through these blogs then it will all be worth it. Don't let someone tell you what you feel, just because they have been to school for years, does not give them the ability to know what and how you feel. Be blessed and know that I read all comments. If you have questions ask them, I will get back with you.

I wanted to add some pictures of my life here

This is a five generation picture. From lt to rt

Thelma Russell ( my grandmother) holding Madeline Riley Herth

Teresa Wolf ( my mother)

Lisa Atwell (me)

Ashley N. Herth ( my daughter)

Life after.......

It has been such a long time since my last post. We have had many celebrations since my surgery, and felt the need to blog today.
I have become a grandmother. My dg was born 2-11-08 and her name is Madeline Riley Herth. I was present during her birth and actually got to cut the cord, as her father didn't think he could do it. She is a much loved little girl and like her mother, she is spirited. That is my way of saying she is a handful.
It is with great regret that I post my mothers husband passed away last month. He had been in the hospital since March 6, 2008, he passed May 28, 2008.
The topic of this blog is to chronicle life after tp/ict. My quality of life is better. I am able to eat without rolling in the floor screaming. I still have chronic pain. I have pain after eating and through out the day. Life isn't easy, and I have not returned to work. However, I do consider the surgery somewhat successful. I do have a few days where I can accomplish things. I have some bad days where I find it difficult to get dressed. I have always been the type of person where I will do what ever I can to get done what needs to be done. If it meant taking the tube feeding off the pole and carrying the pump and solution down stairs to another pole and staying down there to get the laundry done ( while tube feeding myself) well that is what was done. Someone had to wash the clothes and at the time my husband was working and a full time college student.
Michael finished his bachelors in nursing in the summer of 2007. He was of course 1st in his class. Currently we are looking at NP school. He is attempting to switch jobs so that he can full fill his clinical obligation. NP education requires a certain amount of clinical time observed by a physician and it must be done around your schedule. It is impossible to work M-F 7-3:30 and accomplish the clinical requirements so we are looking for a weekend option position.
It is my hope to post some pictures of the events of the last year. I will however need to find them first so that I can post them. Most likely the pictures are divided between 4 computers. OH, the joys of technology.
Lisa