Doctors and Pancreatitis (My personal thoughts)

There is something I want to mention in regards to pancreatitis and doctors and, this is strictly my own opinion about doctors and pancreatitis.

My own personal experience with doctors (the medical community as a whole) and pancreatitis has been less than satisfactory. However ...

My opinion is NOT intended to influence your thoughts about doctors and pancreatitis so take it for what it is worth because the last thing anyone should do is forego medical care when they are ill, especially with a life threatening condition such as acute pancreatitis yet ...

I personally stay away from doctors as much as possible, especially when it comes to pancreatitis. I might change my mind if I truly thought I was dying, most folks do anything to live but ...

Oh wait!

I have felt like I was dying, does that count?

The pain is so intense you feel like you are actually in a dream or on another planet in the cosmos - planet pain, yet I did not go but ...

The reason I didn't go is because I was told there was really nothing that could be done for me, I'd had a horrible experience with the ER's and it was 33 years ago when I was diagnosed yet when I had my last acute attack which was only about 5 - 6 years ago I still did not go in because, well, I am so used to getting through it myself it is just easier. I know what to do to stop the attacks and pain so unless I start bleeding from my orificies I am not sure there is a good reason to go in.

I must admit that some people think I'm an idiot but then, at times, I too think I'm an idiot. Anyway ...

I have NOT let doctors poke and prod me after I was diagnosed with pancreatitis because most everything they do in regards to pancreatitis either doesn't work, can actually cause another acute pancreatitis attack or even kill me and ...

They have NO idea how to cure it anyway.

The sad part is they don't even know how to treat it!

They guess, that is all they do.

I can do that myself.

I'm actually good at guessing. And ...

I think, I ain't sure you understand, that I am alive and fairly well today (30+ years after diagnosis) because I never went back except to keep my nausea med scripts current and available. I simply used my head, did research and got lucky.

Let me give some examples of why I feel this way.

1) Most doctors that I have met (except one) weren't even able to recognize the condition. I'd rush to the ER in massive pain and almost every ER doctor looked at me like a bull with a bastard calf and NO clue as to how he got it. I would guess that even in this age of technology and improved diagnostic tools that unless you blurt out you are an alcoholic (if you are one) the chances are still very good they couldn't diagnose pancreatitis to save their soul, especially if it were due to some factor other than alcoholism or gallstones because ...

Most still seem to think if you don't drink large amounts of alcohol or have gallstones that you simply couldn't have pancreatitis and so never do the appropriate testing. This thinking of course leads to mis-diagnosis or no diagnosis at all.

Even if they do the appropriate testing such as checking enzyme levels they may draw blood only ONE time (happened EVERY time in my case) when you are first admitted to the ER which most likely, in the case of an acute pancreatitis attack WILL NOT show increased enzyme levels on the first blood draw (unless you have been in the attack for sveral hours before seeking help). And ...

IF your enzyme levels do show a minor increase the fact will most likely be dismissed due to a lack of knowledge in regards to acute pancreatitis enzyme levels and while doctor Ima BirdBrain hands you a misdiagnosis of gastritis, spasdic colon or some other imbecillic diagnosis YOU ...

Are in danger because your pancreas is slowly devouring itself, causing more and more damage that may be irreparable. However, I must admit that there ARE good doctors out there, I know cuz in almost 58 years of life I have met two.

2) Even IF you get lucky and have an ER doc who is smart enough to read your prior med records (you've been diagnosed with pancreatitis already) he or she may be one of those who think they know more than the doc before and tell you that you have some other condition and let you suffer while he looks for some off-the-wall goof ball diagnosis like giardia and all this time you are in pain, puking and the damage to your pancreas is increasing.

3) Let's go so far as to say you get even luckier. You get an ER doc who is not only smart enough to read your prior med records but actually takes them seriously and he or she draws blood to check your enzymes. Your enzymes (Amylase and Lipase) are up, he or she orders a CT and stuffs a tube down your throat, injects morphine, demerol or some other opiate which irritates the pancreas even more and can even CAUSE acute pancreatitis! And ...

In my case demerol didn't do shit for the pain.

Instead of trying to "mask" the pain with an opiate they should be administering an anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen and other NSAIDS carry risks as well but at least they address the problem, the inflammation where opiates don't do a damn thing in that regard. Then ...

He or she may also decide they need to do an ERCP.

They do an ERCP and actually cause another acute pancreatitis attack or damage a duct or actually slice something on accident. Don't roll your eyes ERCP has an 11% complication track record which means 11 people out of 100 suffer complications from ERCP! How would you like to be one of the lucky 11? Yes, ok, in all fairness that also means that 89 out of 100 patients supposedly come through with no problems but ...

If I have other choices, I'll pass.

I personally do NOT want anyone poking around my pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts or pancreatic duct with some sharp instrument that can do me more harm when there are other choices such as, US, EUS, CT, MRI and so on that have a lessor chance of creating further damage. However ...

YOU need to make your own decisions in regards to your life, health and the care your receive.