Finally a test that doesn't come back normal. My amylase was normal though so I don't know what to think. Wouldn't they both be abnormal if I had pancreatitis?
I'm going to do some research now but I'm just so glad that theres now proof of SOMETHING WRONG.
Hooray for not being crazy!

Sarah

In pancreatitis, usually both the amylase and lipase are elevated (and usually very high). Lipase is more specific for pancreatitis. When only the lipase is elevated, it could be something else, such as kidney disease, particularly if the elevation is mild (like 2-3 times the upper end of normal range).

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lipase/test.html

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lipase/faq.html

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/ajg/1999/00000094/00000002/art00759

Jan

Well.. Okay so we don't know what it is. But at least we know it IS something. Thanks Jan

Sarah

Yes, you are now officially taken off the crazy list!!

Jan

My GI just called me, surprised the heck out of me. I have never had him call me personally.. the girls in the office usually relay messages.
Said he thinks that I probably have pancreatitis due to gall stones, even though they didn't show up on the tests. He wanted me to contact my surgeon asap and said he thought I would probably need to have my gall bladder removed. I told him I had an appointment on august 1st and he said he thought I should try to get in sooner. That makes me nervous because the 1st is only next Wednesday, less than a week away.
I think he got irritated with me though.
I was trying to ask him what to do about the pain, if there was something to do. He had mentioned that alcohol causes and can make pancreatitis worse so I asked him if pain medicine would hurt it as well. I was planning on asking my surgeon for a few days worth of pain meds if I still couldn't come until the 1st. Just for when it gets bad.
He was quiet for a few seconds and then said well I think it's more important to get this fixed than to just pop a pill. I tried to explain that I knew that and was just in a lot of pain and couldn't sleep. He then said that if it gets very bad and I can't get a sooner appointment, go to the ER and they will see my blood levels and they will believe me and give me something. He thought that might also be a good way to speed up getting the surgery. He then told me to please call my surgeon and he was faxing the info over.
Called my surgeon, left a message. My mom is going nuts now wanting me to pack my bags for the ER. She's going to drive me batty
I don't feel as much pain today, just a lot of tightness and pulling so I dunno.
Guess I wait and see!
This would happen when my boyfriend has to go away for a week.. what will I do in the hospital with no one to bother with my 3am morphine induced crazy phone calls?

Sarah

Well, you asked for it, and now you've got it. Something's wrong and needs immediate attention. Too bad we don't have better diagnostic tests so that your gallbladder could have been found out before your pancreas had to get involved. Now you have a civil war going on in your gut.

Typically, surgeons will act swiftly to urgent consults from other doctors. Hopefully, this will all come together before your mom drives you nuts.

Jan

The nurse in my surgeons office didn't seem very concerned. She said he wouldn't be in his office until the day of my next appointment and that I could see him then. She said she hadn't even received my blood results yet and that since my other tests were fine, I was probably fine. I explained that sometimes those tests are wrong and didn't my elevated lipase show that something was wrong? I asked her if she thought I should just go to the ER and she said she really can't tell me whether or not to go to the ER, and really can't help me. I was so surprised to hear her brush me off that I didn't even think to just ask her to have the doctor call me. duh. I just have this feeling in the back of my mind that I ought to just go before this gets any worse but I'm not in unbearable pain now so I just don't know.
The pain is getting worse but it always does at night. Feels better when I sit up now, worse when I lie down. I think that, unless it gets bad and I have to go tonight, I'm just going to go to the ER tomorrow morning. My surgeon doesn't even know whats going on. Enough is enough.. they will run new blood work and see that I have a problem.
Do you think this is a good idea? God I must be the biggest pain in the butt on this forum. lol.
Thank you!!!
**getting kind of nauseous now, only threw up once though.. hopefully it goes away.
sarah

This message has been edited. Last edited by: flyte,

Sarah, I believe that you are somewhat stuck in making a decision to do the right thing. On one side you could go to the ER and find a mild case of gall bladder disease that can be treated with diet(and in this scenario ER was a waste of time). Or on the other side you could wait to see the Doc in a week but by than you have waited too long and you actually have pancreatitis( a potentially harmful complication of gall stones). So my advice is if you think things are getting worse go to the ER. If it was me I personally would park my butt in the ER tomorrow and unfortunately deal with their snales pace of diagnostic tests. At least you will have an answer and not be worried about having waited too long for treatment. Pancreatitis is a serious condition not to be taken lighly, with this potential I would err on the side of caution. These are my two cents. Good Luck, Scott Mc

I'm with Scott. If you are still in pain in the morning, march your hiney to the ER. You certainly do not want to let this languish over the weekend. You may want to bring your surgeon's phone number with you so the ER doc can call himself to consult.

Jan

To me it seems bizarre that the doctor can establish that things are not A-okay, say you need surgery and that pancreatitis is on the menu, then leave you to decide how to deal with it all, reminding you that popping a pill is not good for your health?!! I probably don't understand the US medical system, but how come a doctor can say you should get an appointment sooner than you, as a lowly patient, are able to get - yet not do anything himself to hurry it along? In my experience doctors listen to other doctors, not necessarily to the patients. Don't feel like you're being a pain or a hypochondriac by turning up at the ER at the first sign of deterioration. Be your own best friend and get the help you need; maybe your mum has got the right idea (even though she's driving you round the bend in the meantime!).

Your right Soph, I wish my GI would have just called my surgeon.. HE obviously would have gotten through.
I will be telling them to call my surgeon right away when I get there, his office is in the connected building across the street, so it REALLY shouldn't be a problem. He will probably be in the hospital already anyway.
I typed up a list with all my symptoms so that I can just hand it to them and not forget anything. Also, I have listed all the tests they use to check for pancreatitis, since the gall bladder tests all came back normal. I figure if I am there blasting them with names of actual tests they might not be able to brush me off as easily.
I really hope that they'll just listen to me and call my surgeon immediately when I get there. That one rotten doctor who usually consults in the ER better think twice before coming into my little room.. he likes to accuse me of lying and my surgeon told me to just stay away from him. He always manages to pop in. Last time I really told him off, as did my surgeon, so I'm hoping he just stays away.
Well I'm off in an hour or so. Hopefully they just keep me and get this silly gall bladder out. I will talk to you all later.
Bye!

Sarah

Good Luck Sarah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Toes are still crossed lol


Johnny

Good luck! Hope you come back fixed. Good riddance to a useless gallbladder.