Thanksgiving and a Pancreatic Attack

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I will be making a twelve-pound turkey.

I'm one of those simple eaters with simple taste. You know the kind, the ones who don't like to mix their foods and aren't too adventurous. Yup, that's me. Nonetheless, I love to eat and I am so looking forward to eating some nice juicy turkey for Thanksgiving.

The problem with pancreatitis is that when your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you end up eating so much you feel like you could float your pancreas can't handle it and there is a chance that a person who suffers from problems with the pancreas could have a pancreatic attack.

So, the goal is balance. Enjoy the food but don't over eat. If you put to much food on your plate then allow for that error rather than risking an attack.

If I feel my pancreas getting the better of me I go for certain things in my cupboard to fight off the inflammation as soon as possible because I have found that it can stave off a pancreatic flare-up.

Things I do to Fight Off a Pancreatic Attack

1. Chrissy's Tea is something I have fairly regularly because it can help bring down the inflammation and also helps with liver issues. When my pancreas is sore this is the direction I most often take for relief. The tea can be made with any number of different anti-inflammatories including fresh ginger from the grocery store and dandelions from your yard.

2. Eat Pink Ginger. This is the same ginger you will find at a sushi restaurant. If I can feel inflammation coming on I go for the ginger and eat several slices straight up. Its effects are pretty much immediate. You can feel the difference right away. Pink ginger is available at my local food store... and probably your local grocery market, as well. It is something I like to always keep on hand, just in case. It's always helpful and readily available.

3. Marijuana soothes the symptoms of a pancreatic attack. I found this

out while I was in Amsterdam. I very much recommend it, if it's your thing. Otherwise there are plenty of other options that also work. I do not use marijuana to stave off a pancreatic attack simply because it is not legal in my state. If it were legal, I would keep it on hand for when I needed it and if it ever becomes legal in my state I will certainly do that. It doesn't take much as all. You can eat it straight. Just a tiny bit is enough to do the trick while still not being enough to alter your mind. My suggestion is if you know your kid or neighbor smokes and you are mid attack ask for it. If your system reacts anything like mine then you'll feel the difference. No, it doesn't mean you can go for the munchies but it is an option if it is around and you are comfortable with it.

4. Wobenzym N is something that I haven't used in a while. It can be found in your local health food store or bought online. The lady who sold it to me said that it's like gold when it comes to cancer. It makes me very dehydrated so I make sure to drink a lot of water with it. I find that dehydration is very hard on my pancreas. I do like to take things to are proactive in fighting cancer. I wouldn't like my chronic pancreatitis to turn into cancer or to have problems with my liver which are both very real options for a person who suffers from chronic pancreatitis.

I don't take medication for pancreatic pain. I don't want to mask the pain. Rather, I want the pain to go away by healing the wound (the pancreatic flare-up). Therefore, my remedies tend toward decreasing inflammation and trying to prevent it in the first place.

The best ways I have found to fight off a pancreatic attack are through eating small meals that do not include spicy or fatty foods and not drinking alcohol. Stress is also very hard on the pancreas so try to avoid those pesky little things that really tend to break the harmony in life. I know that can be difficult during the holidays. It's always good to keep in mind though.

Enjoy the holidays!

Pancreatitis & Thanksgiving

It is possible that I am beginning to have a better understanding of and relationship with food. This more advanced relationship will help with the holidays.

It seems like now might be the perfect time to talk a little about how to survive Thanksgiving without enduring a pancreatic attack.

Alcohol should not be considered an option. People with pancreatitis have a pancreas that is too weak or dysfunctional to properly digest alcohol. Therefore, the only safe option is to stay away from it.

Some people are usually used to celebrating with an alcoholic drink. It is fine that such a place

is where you have come from but it is now time to realize that drinking and holidays are not where you are at anymore. Why? Because you want to keep living for as long as possible and you would like to do that pain free. Therefore, celebrate with something that won't hurt you. Martinelli's Apple Cider might be a nice choice. (Hint: The Martinelli's Website has a whole section on non-alcoholic drinks!) Maybe a cold premade anti-inflammatory tea that you can that you can put in a high baller or something like that if it makes you feel better to have a drink in your hand.

Here is the calorie information on Turkey:

Calories in Turkey

TURKEY SELECTION	SERVING SIZE & PREPARATION	NUTRITION NOTES FOR TURKEY	TURKEY CALORIES
Calorie in Turkey-Dark Meat	3 ounces	Excellent source of protein.	159
Calories in Turkey Gizzards	3 ounces	Excellent source of protein. Good amounts of zinc and B Vitamins.	139
Calories in Turkey Liver	3 ounces	Excellent source of protein. Good source of Vitamin A, folate, zinc and riboflavin.	144
Calories in White Turkey	3 ounces	Excellent source of protein.	133

Maybe a simple green salad with sliced carrots and radishes and slivered almonds? Remember not to weigh the salad down with added calories. Sugared walnuts are bad. Dried cranberries have added sugar. If you use a salad dressing, perhaps opting for a 'lite' or fat-free dressing will be proactive in protecting your fat intake.

The potassium in potatoes is necessary. Smothering the potato in condiments kind of defeats the point. I love lots of sour cream. Thankfully, there is fat-free sour cream. Fat Free Margarine or the equivalent will be easier on the pancreas then a rich butter.

The goal is to be able to eat and enjoy the holiday food while not suffering the ramifications of a pancreatic flare-up as a result. The goal is balance.

If you eat sugar and want a dessert than go for a fat-free dessert. There are fat-free pies and chocolate dishes.

If you are spending the holidays with others than be participatory and bring a dish. No need to tell them it is because you need a fat-free option. Heck, do you even need to tell them it is fat-free. Just be a helpful guest and bring a food dish. This will also help ensure that there is food to eat. If your sister or friend is also going and the group doesn't know you have pancreatitis maybe your sister or friend can also bring a fat-free dish which will mean you will have at least two dishes you know will be safe to eat. No one needs to know your circumstances if you are a private person. None of this needs to be a big deal. It's just something you can set up as a safety

measure, a precaution to ensure you can both enjoy the holiday in a participatory way while not suffering from a pancreatic flare-up as a result.

If Auntie Mame is insisting you eat a little of this or that and you know it will hurt you but she's trying to guilt you into it just look at her lovingly directly in the eyes and say, "Auntie Mame, I love you and I want to see you again next year but eating that could kill me so I'm not going to have it so that next year I can come back and see you again." Smile, kiss her on the forehead and continue with what you were doing. She'll probably back off.

Enjoy the holidays!

Fat Free Dessert Recipes

Pancreatitis, Eating & the Holidays

Note: The above is for not meant for people who are just out of the hospital and not on solids. Each person is different and their process to recovery and maintenance will vary. Toast w/Jam, Chicken broth, baby cereal, jello, tapioca pudding, pureed veggies, etc are going to be much better options for many pancreatitis sufferers who are feeling more sensitive and tender and who have systems that are not in the mood for solids. Some people will only be ready for an IV hook-up. Some will only be ready for clear liquids. We're all different and each stage of recovery needs to be respected and appreciated.

Holidays do not affect our current stage of pancreatitis and what a person, at that stage, can eat. Being alive while enduring a life with pancreatitis gives us an awful lot to be thankful for... and isn't that really what Thanksgiving is about. Homemade Turkey pictures and turkey hats are just as wonderful as any other aspect of Thanksgiving. There are many ways to celebrate the holiday and thankfully we are alive to enjoy our options!

Pancreatitis Pain & Diagnosis - Letter From PD

Thank you for sharing your personal experiences with Pancreatitis. I was specifically intrigued by the lack of pain with your case. I am a 40 year old heavy drinker with swelling in the upper left quadrant. Aside from the dull aches under my ribs, in my back and left chest, I experience none of the other symptoms like jaundice, oily stool, sick to stomach, weight loss etc. I am wondering what were the symptoms that provoked you to go to the ER? Like when yours was discovered, I feel my pancreas may be huge at this point. Best, PD

Hi PD,

Yeah, your symptoms sound very similar to what mine were... and are, at times.

I did reflexology on my feet. That was how I initially found out about the pancreas in the first place. The bottom of my foot was sore in the spot that pinpointed to the pancreas.

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I had never heard of the pancreas before and eventually looked it up online. I didn't pay too much attention to it over a period of time - probably about three years - until the symptoms seemed to become clearer and perhaps more regular then ongoing.

The only way I can describe what sent me to the hospital is that when I would drink it felt like a waterfall was going over the center of the bottom of my ribcage in the middle.

I had had problems over the past several months before I had gone to the hospital. There were times when I had stopped drinking for a few weeks and times when I had pretty much stopped eating. I knew there was a serious problem from the 'waterfall' feeling and other symptoms and by the constant soreness on the bottom of my feet in the places that would indicate the pancreas.


If you are having a problem as a result of your drinking then you might consider that you might have a problem with alcohol.

Acute severe pancreatitis is not kind. It has an incredibly high mortality rate, the long term does not necessarily look bright for many who do not deal with it early and even some who do. Eating can end up being difficult and burdensome for the rest of your life.

Pancreatitis can sometimes happen once, or a few times, or it can even take a couple years before one recovers from it then it go away (this is what I've been told but not what I have experienced) and sometimes it can it can turn into chronic pancreatitis which (if you live long enough with it - statistics say that 50% of people diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis die within 2 years) can turn into pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest and most painful forms of cancer. People don't live with it long enough for doctors to be able to study it for very long. It's basically a hopeless disease at this point.

Look at Steve Jobs. He had all the health care money could buy but there was only so long he could live with the disease even though his form of pancreatic cancer was one of the mildest with some of the most hopeful statistics.

My suggestion is that you stop drinking, fix what's going on in your life which has put you in a position to want to drink so much and move forward.

I have heard that Alcoholics Anonymous has meetings in most large cities throughout the world and even many small cities and towns in the US.

It might be worth looking into. A sonogram or ultrasound are options to have the state of the pancreas diagnosed. A simple blood test (ask them to look for pancreatitis specifically) can tell you if there is a concern with the pancreas.

Another thing to keep in mind is that often the liver becomes the problem. So, even if the pancreatitis doesn't kill you the problems that then can occur with the liver can kill. Again, if you relate this to Steve Jobs, his liver gave out before his pancreas did. Although, as of today, I do not believe the actual cause of his death has yet to be announced.

I believe that each of us has a biological system makeup that is slightly different from everyone else based on lifestyle, diet, etc. Therefore, it only makes sense that the symptoms one person feels will vary from what another person experiences.

Do you have bloating after you eat? If so, it could be a sign that your pancreas cannot handle that much food intake. This is my case. So, for me, less food more often seems like the easier, softer way for the health of my pancreas for the long term.

How to locate the Pancreas Reflexology Zone
Detailed Reflexology Chart

Alcoholic Pancreatitis

In April of 2008, I created a website called Alcoholic Pancreatitis. From researching my disease, pancreatitis, I realized that doctors didn't know much about pancreatitis, that the disease was often left undiagnosed until at a terminal state, that people who suffered from this disease were often blindsided by the disease and hope and a cure was no on the forefront of medicine. In fact, doctors seem to just accept that if you have pancreatitis there is nothing they can do for you beyond pain killers and that too little is known about the disease for traditional western medicine to be able to help us.

Hopeless, helpless suffering wasn't and still isn't an acceptable solution for me. I don't want life put in the hands of someone who has that mentality, belief or limited knowledge about my disease. Therefore, I started a website to track my disease and my progress and to share my experience with chronic pancreatitis with others who suffer from the disease of the pancreas.

This blog, Living With Pancreatitis, came out of my website. From a purely technical position, the blog is easier to manage.

Although many factors probably contributed to me getting chronic pancreatitis. I doubt I would have it if I hadn't been drinking alcohol day-and-night for an extended period of time before I went into the hospital and was diagnosed.

Once hospitalized for Severe Acute Pancreatitis, I was told that I would never be able to drink again. I already knew this because I had self-diagnosed the disease before being admitted to the hospital.

I no longer drink alcohol. I will never drink alcohol again.

I want to live. My pancreas cannot tolerate alcohol. If I drink, I will die.

There is a very good chance my chronic pancreatitis will turn into pancreatic cancer if the chronic pancreatitis doesn't kill me first. I completely accept this.

My goal is to live as long as possible. I'm not done with this life. There are a lot of things I want to do. Therefore, extending my life as long as possible is extremely important to me.

Drinking alcohol would be the equivalent of committing suicide. I don't want to die. I wanted to drink through a period of my life and stop when it was over. I didn't realize I could get pancreatitis. I didn't realize the drinking so much could kill me. I was ill educated on the subject. I am not today. So, today, I do not drink alcohol.

It feels good to be able to share my story of pancreatitis with others who are experiencing similar difficulties.

Living with pancreatitis can be scary and isolating. Doom and gloom can be a bad neighbor constantly knocking at our door when we are mid crisis and our pancreas is inflamed and we can't get the flare-up under control. But the pain can be temporary and there are things we can do to allow our pancreas to heal - such as not drinking alcohol, sometimes refraining from eating for a days or weeks and reducing stress levels.

It is okay to be afraid. This disease is very, very deadly and extremely painful at times. Be patient. Don't expect your pancreas to heal today, tomorrow, this week, this month or ever really... Do expect that times of crisis can diminish over time and the pain you are experiencing can leave you and you can begin to live a softer, gentler existence with little-to-no pain a daily basis.

Do know that when you give your pancreas the love and care it needs the pain you are feeling can subside and you can regain a normal-to-relatively normal life.

The last time I thought my chronic pancreatitis might win and kill me was over a year ago. It's a horrible feeling. Don't give up hope even if it feels like you may never get well. Feelings aren't facts.

Deal with what is in front of you. When I am in crisis mode - meaning my pancreas has flare-up and as a result I can not at that time function normally in life - I must refrain from food and stress.

Fear doesn't help. When my pancreas is inflamed I need to deal with it not live in the false belief that it'll never get better and I will die. Love yourself and know that this too shall pass. Patience, time and the loving care you give to your pancreas will help you recover as quickly and in the best health as possible.

It's easy to worry about dying from pancreatitis when you can't eat and you're in constant pain but the reality is that you probably won't die from starvation. If needed, hospitals can hook you up to an IV to ensure you get enough nutrients to keep you alive.

No food. No alcohol.

Stress is a killer. Stress is not the friend of the pancreas.

Alcohol is the worst enemy of the pancreas. It can send the system into a state of shock and kill you immediately. So, no booze. Even if you want it. Even if you think it is okay. It is not okay EVER!!!!

If you are having a hard time not drinking alcohol then you are are probably an alcoholic because non-alcoholics don't have a problem not drinking. Alcoholics Anonymous is a place where many people go if they have a problem putting down the drink. If you are used to drinking and all of a sudden you can't drink anymore, it can be helpful to be around people who are also not drinking. AA is a place to find people who live life on life's terms while not drinking alcohol.

As a person who suffers from chronic pancreatitis and who wants to live as long as possible, I no longer drink alcohol. My life and longevity is much more important than booze.

If you are unhappy with your life. Change it. No really. I mean it. If you are here, you are probably on death's doorstep. Therefore, you have nothing to lose by reinventing yourself into the person you want to be. The person you've been stuffing through drinking alcohol. The person you've told yourself you cannot be or you do not have the right or time to become.

Now is the time to be the YOU that makes YOU happy. Happiness and joy are an important part of my healing decreasing stress has the potential to help me live longer!



Related Articles:
Is Pancreatic Cancer Treatable?

Pancreas Flare-up and Broth

Eating can be painful when experiencing a pancreatic flare-up. For me, the goal is for the pain to stop as soon as possible. Allowing the pancreas to rest seems to be the best cure when I am experiencing a pancreatic flare-up.

For me, allowing the pancreas to rest means either not eating or eating very little. Usually, I begin with rebelliously eating a little, then I surrender to the fact that I need to eat even less, eventually realizing and accepting that I simply need to be on liquids for a little while.

Chicken broth is one of my favorite liquids and it makes me feel good when I can't eat because my pancreas is inflammed and I'm experiencing a flare-up. The salt and warm liquid is soothing. It's also filling and soothing when I can't eat.

'A little while' could be a few days, weeks or months. Everyone is different. The severity of where a person is at with their disease and how inflamed and/or damaged the pancreas is would probably, at least in part, help to determine how long a person needs to stay away from food.

The longer I stubbornly eat the longer the flare-up will last because it will just take that much longer before my pancreas can rest and therefore heal.

For me, it is important to be willing to give up food when I am experiencing a flare-up of the pancreas. But I don't want to lose weight and I get hungry. So, I want to eat. The sooner I relinquish control and surrender to the fact that my pancreas cannot rest while I am eating the sooner my pancreas can heal and the less likely I am causing it further damage and scarring. As a result, I assume I the earlier I get on a liquid diet during times of pancreatic flare-ups the longer I will live.

Chronic pancreatitis is a dangerous disease. I'd like to live relatively pain-free for as long as possible. YEARS! Therefore, when experiencing a flare-up, I try to remember that liquids are good and food can increase the pain and delay and/or prevent recovery.

If you are or someone you love is experiencing a pancreatic flare-up then my heart goes out to you. It can pass. Patience is necessary. It is always important to remember that alcohol is no longer an option and can put your life at risk.

Living with Pancreatitis & Respecting My Liver

One thing that seems clear is that the liver can be the downfall of someone who suffers from pancreatitis rather than the pancreas itself, or pancreatic cancer. Steve Jobs received a liver transplant a few years back after having fought pancreatic cancer for several years before that.

I do not think Steve Job's survival rate should be expected. I do not expect it for myself. I don't have medical insurance. Would I really be in line for a transplant? In any case, I do believe that the more we learn the longer we can live.

Unfortunately, I don't always pay much mind to my liver. I try to focus intently on my pancreas but it has become clear to me that neglecting the well-being of my liver could inevitably be my downfall.

Generally we focus on things for a reason. About 5 days ago I felt my liver swelling up. I was either having problems with my liver, my bile duct or both. No, I'm not a doctor. I'm guessing. I'm, also, probably right. When I went into the emergency hospital and told the doctor on call that I thought I was having a severe acute pancreatic attack I was right, so there is a good chance that I know and listen to my body well enough to be correct about this, as well.

My liver was swollen to the touch and I might have also had inflammation of the bile duct or something in that same region. I've had a lot of problems in that area when I've experienced pancreatic flare-ups. The only way I know how to deal with that is by decreasing and easing inflammation of the pancreas.

The liver is a separate issue. So, I went back to the basics. I did reflexology on the liver spot on my foot. You can find reflexology charts on Google. Depending on what area of the body I am trying to work on with reflexology will determine the chart I use. It seems different charts better diagram different areas and issues. According the reflexology and the bottom of my foot my liver was sore. Of course, I could also feel that it was extended. The liver - like the pancreas - isn't something we can fix. It doesn't get better and heal itself. Therefore, I want to take the absolute best care of it that I possibly can. I don't want swelling or harm to come to it.

My next step was to google "Foods Good for the Liver". Different pages bring up different results. Read a few pages. Find what seems right. Use discernment when reading and be critical in my approach. Remember, anyone can write anything and really, you only want what will help.

My goal was to immediately work toward decreasing the swelling in my liver. First, I had ginger. Ginger is an excellent anti-inflammatory. I also bought some beet juice, ate some garlic cloves (be careful with garlic, too much is bad for the kidneys), Brazil nuts (high in selenium which deters cancer), ate a few walnuts (not too many because I found it too rich for my pancreas) and then ate lots of almonds and drank black tea (which I don't usually drink but seemed to be quite helpful. Within a day or so my liver was back to normal.

What I have learned is that I do not want to overlook my liver. Many sober alcoholics die from psoriasis of the liver. I don't know yet how to best protect my liver from this disease but I will continue to look into and, for now, I will remember to eat foods that benefit the health of the liver.

The basics were that my liver was swollen and my stool was light in color and that 5 days later my liver was no longer swollen and my stool had returned to a healthy, darker color.

I firmly believe that while we do not have total control over our health there is enough information to help guide us in the right direction more often than not. When it comes to the pancreas, doctors are not well enough informed to be of much help to us. Mostly they seem to believe we're a lost cause by the time it gets to them or that the problem is something else entirely. That sort of mentality is not going to promote longevity. I believe I have more of a chance of living longer, healthier and happier if I am personally proactive in my overall well-being and if I choose to fight off potential problems either before they happen (pancreatic cancer) or as soon as I am aware of them (a swollen liver). I believe my body is completely connected to itself and the healthier I keep each part of my body the healthier I will remain overall. This means that I believe my pancreas and liver can affect each other so the better I treat both the healthier I will be. This also extends to eating well, keeping stress levels low, exercising and not drinking alcohol.

Living With Pancreatic Pain

The longer I have pancreatitis the more I realize the pain is largely based on what I eat and drink. If I stay away from fatty foods and too much juice (I don't drink any alcohol or soda) and if I don't overeat then discomfort in my pancreas seems to be rather minimal.

When I eat until I'm 'stuffed' or eat beyond the time I've honestly had enough, then it hurts my pancreas and makes it more vulnerable to pain and a flare-up.

I don't eat fatty foods. Or, at least I don't eat

nearly as much fatty food as I used to. Now, I drink Fat Free Half and Half. Although, I still eat regular cheese. I just don't eat a ton of it. I stay away from rich soups and sauces. I don't eat cake because I don't eat sugar but not entirely sure how a fat free cake would affect my pancreas. I like German Chocolate Death Cake, whereas my pancreas does not. So, I don't eat it. Spicy foods hurt my pancreas. But Tumeric and Ginger are great friends of the pancreas. Salt and pepper seem absolutely fine. You might try some homemade ginger tea!

Stress is a killer. Stress, like food, can cause a pancreatic flare-up. This can be life threatening just like with foods.

Pain killers can hide the pain allowing the problem that is causing the pain to continue. Whereas, if I eliminate what is causing the pain I will most likely help toward increasing my overall lifespan. Some doctors adhere to morphine and other addictive pain killers. I adhere to eliminating the things that cause the pain. If I don't get to the root of the problem then the problem can escalate, get worse and kill me. It is all too easy to die from pancreatitis. I don't want to hide the pain. I want to fight against it in the first place and increase the odd of living long enough for there to be a cure.

I am not perfect. Sometimes I eat the wrong things. Sometimes I learn the hard way what bothers my pancreas and what doesn't. But I'm learning... and I'm living.

If you are hungry a lot because you're recovering from one of your first flare-ups know that it will pass whether you eat or not, so don't eat before you pancreas is ready for you to do so. Allow your pancreas to heal. Can you eat jello? Tapioca? What about drinking tea? How about a couple potato chips? Baby cereal with honey? If you think these things sound less than appealing let me ask you this, do they sound less appealing than death? With the pain you are feeling you are probably aware that death is a real option with this disease. I'm sorry you are going through this. It's a horrible and scary feeling on so many levels and when you get so skinny it's probably fairly common to hear that 'you should eat something'. Hang in there.

It gets easier. In time, you will learn what works and doesn't work for your system. Eat small

quantities. Drink water and tea. Maybe a few saltines if your pancreas can handle it. How about popcorn? Go slow. Keep it simple. Ginger decreases inflammation. Honey soothes my appetite and doesn't seem to hurt my pancreas.

Sometimes when I haven't been as kind to my pancreas as perhaps I should have been or if I'm going to do something I think might bother it - like have steak for the 3 time in 3 days - I will start taking 3 Pancreatin before I eat. This seems to help my pancreas digest the food easier. Perhaps I shouldn't eat the meat, but I like steak. I have cut down on the size of steak I will eat which does mean that often I experience absolutely no irritation after eating. Joy!

Please remember that each person suffering from pancreatitis is different and what you experience may be different from what I have and am experiencing. Listen to your body. Listen to your pancreas. This is your battle for life. Please do not drink alcohol no matter what. Your pancreas cannot handle it and will never be able to handle it again. Period! Respect your body. Enjoy your life!

Oh yeah, one more thing... roller coasters hurt my pancreas. :-(

How Can You Tell if Your Pancreas is Flaring Up?

The health of my pancreas is always on my mind. Recovering from a pancreatic flare up can be a difficult task both on the body and the emotions.

Here are some of the ways I try to prevent flare-ups. I don't eat rich foods anymore. Chocolate is pretty much out since about a year ago when a triple-layer double death German Chocolate Cake pretty much set the ball rolling for a pancreatic crisis that lasted a couple of months and from which it took several months for me to regain the weight.

I can feel when my pancreas begins to swell. I know if I've had one too many cups of coffee or if I need to lay off the steak a bit, or simply switch to smaller slices - the easiest way, for me, is to just buy smaller pieces of meat. Can't eat what isn't on the plate.

Stress can take a hard toll on my pancreas. I try to keep things that cause stress out of my life. Nothing is such a big deal that I need to die over it. Nothing. When I get stressed out my pancreas becomes more volatile and more sensitive to foods. Generally if this happens, I will eat less but perhaps up my intake of teas, broths and perhaps baby food and tapioca pudding or simply a spoonful of honey and a few potato chips. It is important to have enough potassium or you could run into problems with your kidney and heart. Yes, I learned this the hard way. Heart failure would be the big problem. But a decent amount of potassium seems to do the trick!

Sometimes, I need to stay off food for days on end. When I'm feeling this bad I'm usually more than willing to stay away from food since I know how bad it can hurt, how long it can take for me to recover and the very real threat that I may not recover at all. That being said, my body cannot due without potassium for that long so ensuring enough potassium enters my body is absolutely essential. Mango Juice (just an ounce or so a couple times a day is probably okay. If it hurts, STOP), dried apricots (eat a half or one, or one, or two... whatever feels comfortable. Dried apricots are very high in potassium so a little will be helpful. Who would have thought that tomato sauce could be such an incredible source of potassium. Buy the plain cheap stuff without any sugar or spices.) and tomato sauce (have a spoonful! Maybe another spoonful in a few hours if the first spoonful was okay) both have high levels of potassium. Remember that it can take an hour or an hour and a half before your pancreas feels the effects of whatever it is you just ingested, so take it easy. Take it slow.

Don't drink alcohol. Alcohol can set off a pancreatic attack. It can kill you. Don't mess around with it. If you really want to drink then you are most likely an alcoholic. No problem. Just accept it, get help for it... and don't drink today! I hear some people go to Alcoholic Anonymous when they have a problem with drinking... or not drinking. You could always try that. It's free, available and all over the world. I bet if you called them right now someone would be able to answer any questions you might have!

If you're in the midst of a flare up... I'm so sorry you are going through this. Take it easy. Rest. Sleep. Back off on the food and anything that is hurting your pancreas - like stressful situations. It takes a while. Patience is essential. Sometimes months of patience... but hey, it beats the alternative!

Diagnosing Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a difficult disease to diagnose. Symptoms of many other diseases look like pancreatitis. For example, if you are bloated from an inflamed pancreas there is a very good chance a doctor will not consider the ailment to be pancreatitis. Or, if you have oil in your stool or a discolored stool, your doctor might not consider this to be a problem with your pancreas. Your doctor might not consider your 'gas' problem related to a pancreatic issue.Pancreatitis rears its often subtle head in many ways that seem to go unnoticed by physicians. It also seems that many physicians do not know as much about pancreatitis as they might an upset stomach. People - including doctors - tend to gravitate toward what they know.

I diagnosed my pancreatitis through reflexology. "Pancreatitis". It seemed like such a silly word. When I rubbed the bottom of my foot the chart indicated that the sore spot was my pancreas. I had never heard of my pancreas and for at least a couple years we laughed it off figuring that if it was that difficult to say it wasn't worth giving attention to. Well, a few years later with continual unresolved stomach pains and an on-again off-again checking of what the pancreas was and what symptoms were attached made me start seeing similarities between problems with the pancreas and what I was experiencing.

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Eventually, I went to an emergency hospital and told the physician on duty that I thought I was having a pancreatic attack. He laughed at me. Took the tests and in the end (after much denial on his part even after reading the test score - 60 was normal, mine was over 200) he realized there really was a problem, that I was having a severe acute pancreatic attack, changed his tune and promptly admitted me into the hospital where I stayed for 16 days. Most of that time was spent hooked up to an IV without food or water which allowed my pancreas time to 'rest'.

For the layman like myself, I would recommend reflexology as a great at home option to see if the pancreas is tender. Foot charts can be Googled. On the foot chart in the middle of the foot will be the pancreas. Rub that area. Is it tender? If so, it might seem your pancreas is having issues.

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Doctors can run blood tests and perform ultrasounds to diagnosis the condition of the pancreas. If you run into an arrogant doctor who wants to blow off your symptoms or invalidate your concerns you can always go to another doctor. Pancreatitis is a serious problem. It will not help you to have an uncaring or uninterested doctor. Diagnosis is possible. If you don't feel your doctor did an adequate job you might consider a GI specialist.

The best thing to do is to take your concerns seriously and to act on it immediately. Damage to the pancreas can be life threatening. For a substantial portion of my hospitalization the process consisted of the nurses freaking out because my heart rate was so low and me walking back and forth along the hospital corridors to keep my heart beat up high enough so that it wouldn't stop altogether.

It is possible to be an accurate diagnosis. This is not a commonly known or understood disease. Chances are you will have to be very pro-active in receiving any diagnosis and certainly an accurate one.

If you think you might have pancreatitis then it is important to stop drinking alcohol. Most often

pancreatitis is caused by alcohol consumption. It is not possible to recover from pancreatitis and drink heavily. If you have contracted pancreatitis from alcohol then you are not only a daily drinker but you drink quite heavily and have for a long time. Not all cases of pancreatitis are caused by alcoholism... but most are. It's time to stop drinking. If this is a problem for you then you probably have a problem with alcohol and might want to look into a recovery program. Pancreatitis can and does kill. You're worth more than that. Get it checked out and take it from there. 1. Reflexology 2. Blood Work. 3. Ultrasound Just do it. You're worth it!

The sooner you diagnose the problem the better chance you will have of living a normal life and eating like other people. The longer you wait the more chance there is that damage will be caused to the pancreas if the pain you feel is pancreatic. There is no known cure for pancreatitis. There is no known way to fix it or to heal it. Get diagnosed. It's worth it!

Can Orange Juice Cause Pancreatitis?

Someone reached this site by asking if orange juice can cause pancreatitis.

While this is not a question that ever occurred to me before, it could be an important question especially considering my background.

I have always been an avid drinker of orange juice. So much so that I've actually been warned not to drink so much and told that drinking so much orange juice could rip away my stomach lining.

I never listened to any of this and wrote it off as nonsense.

Nonetheless, it is important to note that there is someone out there who is wondering if orange juice could cause pancreatitis and that I have always drunk an awful lot of orange juice. Well, not anymore. My pancreas cannot handle it anymore. In case it is noteworthy, I preferred Minute Maid with Calcium.

I've read that over time the pancreas - in pancreatic patients - becomes calcified. If orange juice has anything to do with pancreatitis would calcium fortified orange juice be even harder on the pancreas?

Another interjection is that I'm hypoglycemic.

Okay, that's all I got. Did anyone else who suffers from pancreatitis drink an overabundance of orange juice.

Seems like a silly train of thought but it's not. At this point, most everything important about pancreatitis, what causes it and how to live with it is unknown. Therefore, similarities in pancreatitic patients should be noted... even if it is something as simple as an orange juice addition.

One of the big problems is that people with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer don't seem to live long enough for the medical profession to learn enough about our disease to make much headway with it. Therefore, any patterns or similarities should be noted. We don't have to have all the answered. We just want to log our findings, questions, progress and what we experience and see as similar patterns so that hopefully this information can be used to help us and others!

Note: If you have pancreatitis, this does not mean it is okay to drink alcohol. It is not. If you have pancreatitis you cannot drink alcohol anymore. EVER!