Saturday, July 19, 2008

My Peeved Pancreas

Well the doctor says my Pancreas gets a bit riled up when I eat certain foods. In German the doctor said the following to me: "Der Pancreas ärgert sich, wenn Sie gewisse Sachen essen!" Next steps are to monitor what I eat to determine what causes the pain, or what ticks off my pancreas. I need to keep a dietary journal so to say.

The doctor detected this via a blood test. The Amylase values in my blood are too high, which points to the pancreas. I am just glad to have received a diagnoses that fits with the symptoms. I have had trouble with digestion for a while now and have been to the doctor for the past six months for stomach problems. But the stomach (acid reduction) medication only improved the situation, or made it bearable, it did not resolve the issues.

One thing that puzzled me at the doctor's office was how often he asked me if I drank alcohol. I'm like - but doc, I told you I am a Mormon. I don't drink alcohol. Two minutes later - so, how is the alcohol consumption? I think I'll bring in a flier next time. After reading Web MD I realized why he kept asking - it's the number one cause.

I fear my case may have been caused by poor dietary habits as a wrestler. I had two seasons where weight loss or weight management was a real issue for me. But, who knows. I have it and am now keeping track of what I eat and what causes me the pain in my pancreas.

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