I went to the new GI doc on Friday. I didn't qualify for the EPISOD study due to having gastric bypass surgery. That's ok. The doc can still help me. They feel that I have Spchincter of Oddi (SOD) which would require surgery.
Because of the gastric bypass surgery, the doc can't do the ERCP easily. SOOooo... had to put on my big girl pants, suck up any hatred for the bariatric surgeon and call him. The GI doc cant do the ERCP without a surgeon installing a gastric tube first. Then the tube has to stay in there for 3 weeks before the GI can do the ERCP/sphincterotomy. The surgeon is out until Tuesday. Now I have to wait until at least Tuesday to find out if he will put in the gastric tube. If not, then I have to start calling around to general surgeons to see if anyone is willing to go in and do it. REALLY sucks. If the bariatric surgeon wont do it, the chance of finding a general surgeon who will is slim to none.
With my alkaline phosphatate quickly rising, they really feel that I have SOD. After the procedure, it will take 4-6 weeks to heal and know if it worked. There is a 75% chance that this will help me. At the point, I am willing to try anything to make this pain go away. After all is said and done, whether it helped or not, the likely hood of needed this procedure again down the line is high. Scar tissue building up from the incisions could cause the problems again and also lead to pancreatitis.
Once SOMEONE goes in an places the gastric tube, wait 3 weeks, I am now ready for the ERCP. The GI doc goes in, does a pressure test on the biliary tracts, makes an incision in the sphincter, places stents, injects enzymes and crosses his fingers. LOL.. I would have to stay in the hospital for 2-5 days to make sure the procedure was successful. About a week later, the gastric tube comes out. The stents eventually come out too, just not sure when.
The percentage of developing pancreatitis after this procedure is only 2% and its easily treatable. I can live with those odds. There are a few other possible complications but even lower odds.
This is all going to cause about 2 months of wicked pain, which will be worth it if it works. Something has got to give so I can move on from this crap and live my life.
Here is a link from Johns Hopkins for anyone interested in reading about it.
http://www.hopkins-gi.org/GDL_Disease.aspx?CurrentUDV=31&GDL_Cat_ID=024CC2E1-2AEB-4D50-9E02-C79825C9F9BF&GDL_Disease_ID=7AB086B0-AB01-446E-B011-2E67CAFEF96D
Because of the gastric bypass surgery, the doc can't do the ERCP easily. SOOooo... had to put on my big girl pants, suck up any hatred for the bariatric surgeon and call him. The GI doc cant do the ERCP without a surgeon installing a gastric tube first. Then the tube has to stay in there for 3 weeks before the GI can do the ERCP/sphincterotomy. The surgeon is out until Tuesday. Now I have to wait until at least Tuesday to find out if he will put in the gastric tube. If not, then I have to start calling around to general surgeons to see if anyone is willing to go in and do it. REALLY sucks. If the bariatric surgeon wont do it, the chance of finding a general surgeon who will is slim to none.
With my alkaline phosphatate quickly rising, they really feel that I have SOD. After the procedure, it will take 4-6 weeks to heal and know if it worked. There is a 75% chance that this will help me. At the point, I am willing to try anything to make this pain go away. After all is said and done, whether it helped or not, the likely hood of needed this procedure again down the line is high. Scar tissue building up from the incisions could cause the problems again and also lead to pancreatitis.
Once SOMEONE goes in an places the gastric tube, wait 3 weeks, I am now ready for the ERCP. The GI doc goes in, does a pressure test on the biliary tracts, makes an incision in the sphincter, places stents, injects enzymes and crosses his fingers. LOL.. I would have to stay in the hospital for 2-5 days to make sure the procedure was successful. About a week later, the gastric tube comes out. The stents eventually come out too, just not sure when.
The percentage of developing pancreatitis after this procedure is only 2% and its easily treatable. I can live with those odds. There are a few other possible complications but even lower odds.
This is all going to cause about 2 months of wicked pain, which will be worth it if it works. Something has got to give so I can move on from this crap and live my life.
Here is a link from Johns Hopkins for anyone interested in reading about it.
http://www.hopkins-gi.org/GDL_Disease.aspx?CurrentUDV=31&GDL_Cat_ID=024CC2E1-2AEB-4D50-9E02-C79825C9F9BF&GDL_Disease_ID=7AB086B0-AB01-446E-B011-2E67CAFEF96D