EUS Results

I had the EUS Monday morning at UAB. Everything went well besides the usual affects of the anesthesia. I slept all day and had a terrible headache. Dr. Eloubeidi found that I had a very diseased pancreas. The criteria for pancreatitis is measured on a scale 0-9 with 9 being the worst and mine was a 7! It was actually more diseased than we had expected. I am back to waiting for all of the pictures and results to be sent to Minnesota. Once Dr. Sutherland recieves my infomation hopefully he will have all the tests he needs to present my case to the team. I just hope and pray that we know something soon. All of this waiting is the hardest part!

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)

Dr. Sutherland called me Sunday night. He asked lots of questions and we discussed several things in regard to the Auto Islet Cell Transplant. He said he is trying really hard to schedule only one trip for us. He did need me to go a head and have another procedure, it is a Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS). I called my doctor at UAB and it is scheduled for Monday morning (4/26) at 8 am. I will be admitted that morning and put to sleep. They will go in and measure the criterias for my chronic pancreatits. Hopefully I will be discharged Monday afternoon once most of the anesthesia wears off. These criterias will help Dr. Sutherland a lot with the planning process. I will update you all again next week after my EUS.

Another week of waiting...

I talked with Dr. Sutherland today. They did not get my file together in time to present Wednesday, but they have it ready now and will present it next week. We did discuss having one other procedure in the next week or so here at UAB with Dr. V, an Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS). This will give some other helpful information for Dr. Sutherland. I'll be admitted to the hospital and be put to sleep with a mild sedation. Dr. V is in Switzerland until Sunday, so I will not know any details of the EUS until Monday. This week of waiting seems like its lasted FOREVER! Now we have another week to wait on any details. To me waiting and wondering about the "What if's" is the worse part. I am ready for some detail answers and dates so I can begin to prepare and have some closure about it all. Today was not a good day for me. I did not have any energy and had some sensitive abdominal pain, but most of all a terrible headache! Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Just Registered...

Louise from the transplant center called today. She said that she was going to compile all of my records and CD's of previous surgeries and if she could get it all together before Wednesday she would present it to the team. If she did not do it Wednesday it would be next week. After talking to her I just don't feel so great about it all. She was very nice, dont get me wrong, but so matter of fact about the transplant, so now I feel so apprehensive and nervous about it. My emotions have been going 90 to nothing since last week as it is and now they are going even faster. I know this is what's expected in a time like this, but my nerves are starting to get the best of me. I have ALWAYS gone to bed around 8-9:00 and now I am wide awake at 12:00!!! I just can't seem to get it all off my mind..... I hope and pray that the days ahead will get better :)
I did however get registered. That put me on the official transplant list and they will be sending out a packet of what to expect in the days ahead. They will call regarding the surgery after the team meets. Could be a couple weeks or so before we know any details.

Why I decided to blog...

A sweet friend I work with called me one day and said she had a friend that struggled with the same problems as me for years until she had her pancreas removed. She called her friend in South Carolina and told her about me and got all kinds of WONDERFUL information for me to read. Dr. Sutherland removed her pancreas in 2009 and she is now pain free and so blessed to have her life back! Through her surgery she met a girl who blogged her entire transplant. I have read her blog over and over!!! It has helped me to see what I will soon be facing, some good things and even the not so good parts of the transplant. Regardless, her daily posts have been a blessing to me :)
I decided to do this because I have family and friends all over the place who have been sOo WONDERFUL to pray for me and keep up with me this past year. I thought this might be the easiest way for my Scott and I to update everyone. We will try our best to update things as soon as we can.

How it begins.....

My husband (Scott) and I met with my Gastroenterologist, Dr. King last week. After a year full of hospitalizations for chronic pancreatitis, we decided that the next step for me is going to a Pancreatic Surgeon in Minnesota. As much as we have tried to avoid the possibilty of having my pancreas removed, we decided that is the BEST option to end a year full of frustration and pain. I emailed Dr. Sutherland at The University of Minnesota Thursday morning and he replied that same day!!! He told me to have my medical records sent to his office as soon as possible and that he and his team would review my case. That day I called every hospital and had my records sent. I typed up my medical history and emailed it to Dr. Sutherland. The next morning I recieved another email from him! I was so amazed at how quick he responded! He said that after reading my medical history I was certainly a candidate for the Auto Islet Cell Transplant and that he would put me in contact with the RN of the Transplant Center. I replied thanking him for emailing me back and asked if we would fly out for an intial meeting and schedule a surgery date or would we fly out and meet/ have the surgery the same week. He once again emailed me right back and said they would do their best to schedule one flight out, but could not promise. I have not met Dr. Sutherland yet, but I already feel the passion he has for his patients and doing all he can to make them feel well again. Dr. Sutherland and his team will meet this week about my case. They will call after the meeting to set up an appointment. I will update you all as soon as I find out.