Beger procedure
Hi everyone! My name is Karen Craven and I am a (sort of) new member.
I haven't posted in a looooong time. I have had pancreatitis for
nearly 25 years, since I was 16 years old; mine is due to hereditary
reasons. I have been chronic for about 7 years now. Both of my
children (ages 7 and 11) also suffer from HP, the 7 year old more than
the 11 year old.
I was wondering if anyone in this group has ever had a Beger procedure,
and if so were the results worthwhile? I am scheduled to have this
done on July 26 at St. Paul Hospital in Dallas and was just wondering
what to expect. Previously I had a thoracoscopic splanchicectomy at
the University of Cincinnati in 2001. Both times my doctor was Dr.
Charles Ulrich, who has been involved in a lot of research on HP.
Hope everyone is doing well; looking forward to getting to know
everyone!
Karen Craven
Amarillo, TX
THX! Isn't there another nerve that is sometimes severed? Celiac, I
think. How nasty that the pain came back through another channel after 4
years. :(
I wonder (just speculating here) why the surgeons don't just remove the
pancreas more often. Esp. if the patient is on insulin due to islet cells
being destoyed.
Nancy F, SoCal
Can you elaborate on this point a bit?
My doc told me that in addition to the enzymes my panc is no longer
making sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the HCl from the stomach, so I'm
supposed to take Nexium. I didn't even know we had an acid neutralizer, but
it makes sense when I think about it. That acid from the stomach is powerful
stuff and I guess our GI tracts aren't lined the same as the stomach, or our
small intestines couldn't absorb anything! DUH!
I am type II diabetic but I don't need insulin (and now I'm reading
about inulin, another hormone that helps regulate glucose utilization) so my
islet cells are still working.
I guess that I'm looking down a dark road toward my personal future and
I really empathize with those on the list who are in such constant high
level pain. It just seems as tho the medical establishment has few answers
for us. The nerve blocks or removals are a partial answer, the enzymes for
the chronic panc., and some surgeries that may or may not work 8^(((.
Nancy F, SoCal