Just copying from an email I sent to a Friend, because I'm feeling lazy but want to give you guys an update:

I'm home. I was released last Saturday ( Read more... )

I'm being released today! Diagnosis is Autoimmune Pancreatitis, so this is a new chronic condition I'll need to learn how to manage. I've been told the pain should continue to decrease over the next few days. New medications and serious dietary changes are in my future.

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Originally was supposed to go home today, but after one day of clear liquid diet, the pancreatic pain has returned. I'm back NPO today. Slightly discouraged, but trying to be patient.

ETA at 2PM: My pancreatic blood levels continue to drop back towards normal. The doctor I just saw thinks the pain is from the rawness inside my pancreas from the ( Read more... )

Only diagnosis that hasn't been ruled out is autoimmune pancreatitis. Plan is to take meds by mouth today and start clear fluids tomorrow, with hopeful release Friday afternoonish.

Lipase level on Monday was 900; today it's 100, with the normal level going up to 70.

So things clinically are definitely improving rapidly... And I was really really ( Read more... )

This hospital stay for pancreatitis is feeling more and more like a retreat. I've been doing a lot of walking gratitude/mindfulness meditation to aid my rheumatic knees and a lot of breath and mantra meditation. I've never been able to attend a formal retreat because of my health; I am full of gratitude that my health has given me this opportunity.

( Read more... )

Ended up taking an ambulance to the ER yesterday, my first ambulance ride. I was in extreme pain and was woozy, faint, and running a low fever. Long story short, I have pancreatitis (no obvious cause yet, though I've had lots of tests done) and will be staying in the hospital until it gets resolved. Nothing by mouth except ice for now, but the ice ( Read more... )

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The most notable parts of 2012 weren't good ones. What this means, though, is that my life is mostly good overall and that when something bad happens, it's unusual enough to be notable ( Read more... )

Just got a call from my GI's office. My C-Reactive Protein value has dropped from 8.9 in early November to 1.5!

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With the diagnosis of Crohn's came a prescription for Pentasa. Pentasa is an interesting drug. It's an anti-inflammatory that specifically reduces inflammation only in the intestines. (For those curious, this brings the total number of anti-inflammatory medications I take per day to 3: I also take 2 for my JRA.) And it works really fast. This drug ( Read more... )