Pancreas Pain: It’s BACK!

Last week Sunday: I eat breakfast. As I am in the kitchen sipping some tea before heading back to bed, I suddenly feel a knife like pain cut through my pancreas. It starts in the tail of the pancreas and goes straight across towards the head of the pancreas, but before the pain makes it that far, it stops. It feels as though something is stuck. My pancreas starts spasming. It feels as though my pancreas is trying to expel something from it. I am doubled over in pain and nearly fall to the ground. Spasm after spasm spreads through my pancreas. I become severely nauseous.

After five minutes, the intense spasming stops. I sit in the kitchen too overwhelmed with fatigue and pain to move. I try to collect my thoughts. I think to myself, “This is not normal. I have never had anything like this happen to me before.” Before going to bed, another major pain attack happens. Again, it feels as though a knife is searing through my pancreas. Something gets stuck. My pancreas starts spasming. I feel as though I am going to die from the pain.
 

Fighting through involuntarily sobs from the intense pain, I struggle to the bathroom. I take one fourth of a pain pill. I go to bed and pray for the pain to stop.

I lie in bed, fighting through the relentless pain. I pray this is nothing serious. After two hours, the pain remains. I take another fourth of a pain pill. Two hours later, finally I have pain relief.

The following two days, the pain acts like a nagging memory. It is hard to discern if the pain is there or if my body is simply “remembering” the pain. Then, I eat breakfast on day three. Bam! The pancreas pain is back. Every day, I eat breakfast and then become sick with pancreas pain.

Yesterday was different. I was able to eat breakfast, but when I had a second meal (supper before going to Bible study), my pancreas erupted in pain. I reluctantly took a fourth of a pain pill. The pain subsided enough to get through Bible study. When I got home, the pain started increasing again.

I am concerned this new pancreas pain may need medical attention. I dread the thought of going through an ERCP—a procedure in which a scope is placed down the esophagus through the stomach into the small intestine and then finds its way up the bile duct and into my pancreas. This is a brutal procedure as it ALWAYS causes a severe pancreatitis attack. And what if nothing is found? Will I have to live with this new pain forever.

I am exhausted. This is nothing more draining than pain. I hope and pray this resolves on its own.