Can You Die From Pancreatitis?

From my understanding, a person can die from pancreatitis from their very first pancreatic attack. A person can also completely recover from an initial attack and never have another attack or pancreatic problems again... this is what the doctors in the hospital told me.

I would guess that a person's recovery, whether or not they recover and how long it take them to recover has a lot to do with that person's actions and how they treat their pancreas and whether they give the pancreas ample time to recover.

Alcohol can trigger a pancreatic attack. Therefore, if a person's pancreatitis was initiated by alcohol that person might be wise to steer clear of drinking alcohol particularly during the months following the attack to allow the pancreas to recover.

A pancreatic attack can also be brought on by a severe blow to the pancreas. I don't know (nor do I know that the information exists for anyone to know) if this sort of pancreatitic attack makes the pancreas more vulnerable to alcohol.

Pancreatitis can turn into chronic pancreatitis - which is what I have - which can turn into pancreatitic cancer.

Pancreatitis can kill you, it can become chronic pancreatitis or you can recover completely from it. From what I can tell, it seems that there is more choice than chance in the direction a person goes with the disease of pancreatitis.

If this is a person's first bout with pancreatitis and if it is caught early on - often not the case - then one might assume it is possible to recover completely without additional pancreatitic attacks if a person stays away from alcohol, high levels of stress and fatty foods.

If a person is diagnosed with pancreatitis after having had it for a while - often several years - then it is perhaps more likely that person would be susceptible to the pancreatitis developing into chronic pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis is either reoccurring or doesn't go away. In my case, the chronic pancreatitis pretty much never goes away but can still be kept under control.

From what I've read, if you're lucky enough not to have the pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis kill you then it will in time most likely turn into pancreatic cancer. A brutally cruel disease that usually kills within 6 months to 5 years.... if you're lucky.

One of the reasons it is so hard to find a cure for pancreatic cancer is because people die from it so quickly.

If you or a loved one have pancreatic cancer then heart goes out to you and what you are going through. I hope that in time we are able to find a cure or at least a way to live a longer, pain-free life with this disease.

One of my favorite discoveries are natural bulk herbs that reduce tumors that I turn into teas. Often tumors go undetected. Therefore, I feel like I'm being proactive when I try to fight tumor growth from the beginning.

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!



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Pancreatitis & Roast Beef

I love protein. I love red meat. Always have. Always will. If that were a crime, I'd be a lifer.

Over the past 3+ years of living with chronic pancreatitis I've learned to limit my steak intake, as well as cook steak with ginger in hopes of decreasing any negative effect it might have on my pancreas. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. Therefore, as the theory would go, ginger might work as an anti-inflammatory for the pancreas. My personal experience is that I like ginger and it does seem to work for me.

No that doesn't mean I get to eat whatever I want whenever I want. It means that if my pancreas is sore that I tend to eat foods with added anti-inflammatory spices to decrease the risk of my pancreas getting further inflamed.

What does this have to do with Roast Beef? Hmmm. Nothing!

But it does have to do with Steak!

Recently, while visiting family in NYC I got in the habit of buying roast beef instead of steak. Ends up, I eat roast beef in smaller portions than I do when cooking a piece of steak.

With roast beef, I find myself nibbling on it throughout the day rather than sitting down and having a 4-6 ounce steak in one sitting.

Nibbling small amounts of food might be the ideal diet for someone like me who suffers from chronic pancreatitis. It means I'm never eating too much at once. Therefore I'm not overloading my pancreas with more than it can handle yet I'm able to happily nibble away at my favorite food, red meat!

Note: I buy the roast beef without any additives, preservatives or MSG.

Pancreatic Diet & Curry Rice

I'm making a little rice with margarine and curry. I'm trying to be rather gentle on my pancreas these days.

I was recently in NYC where I perhaps ate a little more all-natural sausage, steak, roast beef, chicken and yogurt.

It's not that I can't have these foods. It is just that my pancreas doesn't like it when I eat too much of them. I, on the other hand, could eat protein rich foods all day long... if I didn't have a pancreas. So now, I'm trying to give my pancreas a break.

Rice is bland. My pancreas prefers very small quantities of bland food when it is 'resting'.

Curry is an anti-inflammatory spice. Therefore, my thought is that using curry might make food consumption easier when my pancreas is inflamed but not to the point where I can't eat at all.

In the hospital the doctor said no spicy foods.

Actually, some spices like ginger and curry might be good to cook with since these spices act as anti-inflammatories to the system. This means curry and ginger could potentially help decrease the inflammation of my pancreas while still allowing me to eat small meals.


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How to Stop a Pancreatic Flare Up

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.

Pancreatitis & Low Acid Coffee

I'm making a concerted effort to switch from regular coffee to low-acid coffee because I think it might be easier on my pancreas.

Someone from this website had suggested that I switch from regular coffee to low acid coffee. She said that she had made the switch and found it helpful. I used to drink low acid coffee before I was diagnosed with pancreatitis and know from my own experience that it is much more gentle on my stomach.

The other day, I was at Fairway Market on the Upper East Side in NYC. So, while at the supermarket I decided to make the switch. I've looked for low acid coffee before and the only place I've found a coffee that is called 'Low Acid' is at Trader Joes. Fairway has a whole section coffee beach section with an employee there to help you decide what you want. I read all the labels and none of the coffees were called 'Low Acid'. So, I asked the man who worked the coffee section. He suggested three different types of coffee stating that those were the market's 'low acid' coffees.

Sumatra was one off the suggestions. I like Sumatra. It always seems smoother and gentler than most. So I bought that.

I don't know for sure if Sumatra is actually low acid or not. I am taking the word of someone who sells coffee at a supermarket. I'd research it online for more information or to see which are the best low acid coffees. For now, I'm back home with my Folgers blend.

I'll probably look into it further before I buy coffee again because I truly do want things to be as easy as possible on my system... uhhh, unless that means having to give up coffee altogether - which I'm not ready to do.

Bug in EYE and Pancreatitis

About a year ago, it seemed like every time my daughter and I would go for a walk I'd get hit with a bug in the eye!

It happened so often it was almost comical.

I had been experiencing a pancreatic flare-up and while I felt the exercise would benefit my pancreas and overall health, the bug-in-eye thing was a bit annoying to say the least!

My daughter agreed that the frequency of my bug-in-eye syndrome was statistically way out of whack and suggested that perhaps the pancreatic flare up changed my insulin levels resulting in sweeter eye juices that those pesky little gnats just could refuse!

Solution: Goggles!

About an hour ago, I was walking the dog and got slammed by gnats with at least a couple landing in my eyes. It is noteworthy to mention that I've been experiencing mild pancreatic pain recently. (Mild) pancreatic flare-up... bug-in-eye. I'm just sayin'...