Pancreatitis is inflammation in the pancreas. The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. The pancreas produces enzymes that help digestion and hormones that help regulate the way your body processes sugar (glucose).
Pancreatitis can occur as acute pancreatitis — meaning it appears suddenly and lasts for days. Or pancreatitis can occur as chronic pancreatitis, which is pancreatitis that occurs over many years.
Mild cases of pancreatitis may go away without treatment, but severe cases can cause life-threatening complications.
Larry had his first pancreatic attack in March 2013. Since that time, our lives have been extremely unpredictable and to date he has been hospitalized 35 times to manage the excruciating pain and allow him to be on IV's as he is not able to have anything by mouth until the inflammation has resolved. This can take anywhere from a day, to a week, to several months.
For six years he suffered from acute attacks (a sudden and short bout of pancreatic inflammation), but after about a year and a half break from the attacks they came back with a vengeance in the Fall of 2020. He has since been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis (ongoing inflammation) and is in constant pain, especially at nighttime. He also recently suffered from a necrotizing attack (where part of your pancreas dies) and has the start of diabetes as part of the complications from this attack.
About five years ago we were introduced to a procedure called TPAIT (total Pancreatectomy and Autologous Islet Cell Transplant). During this procedure, the surgeon removes the pancreas, harvests those insulin-secreting islet cells from the pancreas, then reinfuses those cells back into the liver where they find a home and help manage blood sugar by secreting insulin.
When we were first introduced to this surgery, we tucked the possibility in the back of our minds and now realize that it is time to move forward and he is scheduled for surgery in the fall. As this is a very invasive and life changing surgery, we are very apprehensive about moving forward, but do have hope of a better quality life and avoiding pancreatic cancer which Larry's paternal grandmother died from at the age of 49. Complete recovery from this surgery is also about a year's time and he will likely be insulin and digestive enzyme dependent for the rest of his life.
