I think "Exocrine Pancreas Insufficiency" is my condition.
Warning! After a few paragraphs, I used some cuss words to describe my experiences. I wasn't focused on grammar and intellectual word choices as much I was on just telling it like it is as I know it.
During a couple of years ago, diarrhea started to affect my life more than ever. At the same time, a hernia developed in my gut between my navel and genitals. I had just begun course work in Cosmetology, and I was getting up at 4:30 every morning because I had to be at work scrubbing pot and pans and doing various other student worker tasks at 6 am. in the campus dining hall. I worked until 7:45, then started classes which were over at about 4 pm. after which I worked a few more hours in the campus dining hall. So I was living a busy life when my health issue began to invade my life. Successfully, I finish my Cosmetology work, got my license, and went to work cutting hair. Did that for over a year before I could manage to have the needed surgeries for my body.
About ten years prior to this, I had had laser surgery to correct 35 years of nearsightedness. I had had an ear surgery when I was a young teenager, and a cyst removed from my butt when I was 25, and a cyst drainage done in 2012. I began taking high blood pressure and cholesterol medications when I was 37.
I don't know exactly how I got the hernia. I worked out regularly, but never had any issues until recently. I think it happened while I was helping my family move heavy furniture from one house to another, or maybe it was that in addition to my working out. The hernia caused a lot of pain, but I was uninsured so getting a hernia belt was the best I could do, and it helped a lot. After a couple of years, I was able to get health insurance and have surgery to repair the hernia.
I had no idea what was causing the diarrhea! It was happening frequently throughout most days and night. It was a challenge to contain, and often I was not successful. My energy level was frequently draining, and I was losing weight FAST.
I was used to weighing around 160-170 pounds, but my weight had dropped to below 150 pounds. I wasn't unhappy about my weight, but wanted to know why it had dropped so much so quickly. Of course, I was worried about losing more. I didn't want to do that, but I was not sure what to do about it!
In the month of May of 2016 I had a colonoscopy done and a hernia repair surgery (two weeks later). My surgeon said my colon looked healthy, and he had been successful taking care of the hernia. However, about a week after that I experienced exhaustion, so I checked into the emergency room at the county medical center. My weight was at 141 pounds. I had not weighed that little since my middle school years. My electrolytes looked "pitiful" said a doctor, so they hooked my up to an IV and checked me in for the night.
Acute renal failure was printed on my health record as my diagnosis. The head nurse told me they felt like the back to back surgeries likely "pushed me over the edge." They recommended that a see a Gastroenterologist.
The Gastroenterologist ordered some tests. He said they showed that my pancreas was not producing "nearly enough enzymes" to digest food, so he prescribed "Creon" (pancrelipase), but my health insurance provider would not cover it, so he said we could give "Zenpep" a try.
Pancrelipase is purified enzymes that come from pigs. Enough for about 90 days could easily cost about $5000.
It get kinda nasty from here on, so don't read any more if you don't want to.
I'm going to be raw as I describe what I've been going through.
My shit stinks more than normal.
My shit is mostly liquid.
My shit is sometimes oily.
My shit contains undigested food.
My shit is usually yellowish in color.
I fart a lot. It's loud. It stinks. Can't help it!
When my shit wants out, it wants OUT. Once on my way into a Walmart, suddenly my shit wanted out. As I was in the restroom about to pull my pants down, it burst out into my pants! I was not happy!
Once when I was driving to work, my shit wanted out! Out it came! I was unable to contain it!
Once when I was in the middle of doing a haircut at work, it wanted out. I said, "excuse me" and went directly to the restroom. Luckily, I made it in time...!
Many times, during the night I've shitted in my underwear. My bed sheet ended up soiled. I had to shower myself a few times on some nights and wash my underwear. I learned to double up on underwear and wear other sleepwear on top of all that plus lay a towel on my sheets in order to avoid soiling my sheets in the middle of the night.
Often when I'm sitting on the toilet, everything seems to have emptied, but as soon as I stand up the churning and movement gets going. I can sit in my desk chair for a long time and feel nothing going on, but when I stand up the churning and movement start going. When I lay down the churning and movement speed up. I can feel the churning and movement of stuff going through my GI tract. When I'm laying on my right side, it speeds up more. When I lay on my left side, it speeds up even MORE. In all cases, the shit doesn't empty out all at once. I'll end up running to the toilet and sitting for awhile. Then I'd go back to bed. Then, after I just got through lying down, things would get to churning again. A moment or two later, ... run back to the toilet. If I went to sleep... often I'd shit in my pants... have to shower myself. It was rare to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep. Dear God, I wish all the shit would come out at once, so I could use less toilet paper (wet wipes) and get some uninterrupted sleep!
"Dear God, I don't want to live like this anymore!" was my most constant prayer.
When I felt that I had emptied my body of all the shit, I'd feel pretty good, but would feel drained of energy and afraid to eat anything.
I had been searching on YouTube and Google for my symptoms. I found that "Exocrine Pancreas Insufficiency" seemed to nail my condition fairy well. I asked my specialist if that was the case. I'm still waiting for an answer.
After taking ZenPep for about year ... along with loperamide and Fibercon, I've not noticed any change except I'm not losing weight as fast. I've been able to keep my weight at about 148-151 pounds, but not easily.
I visited my specialist. He didn't seem too alarmed by what I was telling him. He used his stethoscope to check internal noises, and said he'd up the dosage of my ZenPep and "see ya in about a year."
I've added some home remedy "BRAT" strategy to controlling the diarrhea -- Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce, Toast. But, I've not noticed any change.
I think I'm going to trying taking the ZenPep differently. Instead of taking 2-3 before a meal, I'm going to take a couple at the beginning AND at the end of each meal.
Dear God, I want to do the right thing! This is getting so old!
So here I am feeling fine while I'm typing this. I wonder what will happen when I begin to stand up... then lay myself down... right side... left side... sheesh!
During a couple of years ago, diarrhea started to affect my life more than ever. At the same time, a hernia developed in my gut between my navel and genitals. I had just begun course work in Cosmetology, and I was getting up at 4:30 every morning because I had to be at work scrubbing pot and pans and doing various other student worker tasks at 6 am. in the campus dining hall. I worked until 7:45, then started classes which were over at about 4 pm. after which I worked a few more hours in the campus dining hall. So I was living a busy life when my health issue began to invade my life. Successfully, I finish my Cosmetology work, got my license, and went to work cutting hair. Did that for over a year before I could manage to have the needed surgeries for my body.
About ten years prior to this, I had had laser surgery to correct 35 years of nearsightedness. I had had an ear surgery when I was a young teenager, and a cyst removed from my butt when I was 25, and a cyst drainage done in 2012. I began taking high blood pressure and cholesterol medications when I was 37.
I don't know exactly how I got the hernia. I worked out regularly, but never had any issues until recently. I think it happened while I was helping my family move heavy furniture from one house to another, or maybe it was that in addition to my working out. The hernia caused a lot of pain, but I was uninsured so getting a hernia belt was the best I could do, and it helped a lot. After a couple of years, I was able to get health insurance and have surgery to repair the hernia.
I had no idea what was causing the diarrhea! It was happening frequently throughout most days and night. It was a challenge to contain, and often I was not successful. My energy level was frequently draining, and I was losing weight FAST.
I was used to weighing around 160-170 pounds, but my weight had dropped to below 150 pounds. I wasn't unhappy about my weight, but wanted to know why it had dropped so much so quickly. Of course, I was worried about losing more. I didn't want to do that, but I was not sure what to do about it!
In the month of May of 2016 I had a colonoscopy done and a hernia repair surgery (two weeks later). My surgeon said my colon looked healthy, and he had been successful taking care of the hernia. However, about a week after that I experienced exhaustion, so I checked into the emergency room at the county medical center. My weight was at 141 pounds. I had not weighed that little since my middle school years. My electrolytes looked "pitiful" said a doctor, so they hooked my up to an IV and checked me in for the night.
Acute renal failure was printed on my health record as my diagnosis. The head nurse told me they felt like the back to back surgeries likely "pushed me over the edge." They recommended that a see a Gastroenterologist.
The Gastroenterologist ordered some tests. He said they showed that my pancreas was not producing "nearly enough enzymes" to digest food, so he prescribed "Creon" (pancrelipase), but my health insurance provider would not cover it, so he said we could give "Zenpep" a try.
Pancrelipase is purified enzymes that come from pigs. Enough for about 90 days could easily cost about $5000.
It get kinda nasty from here on, so don't read any more if you don't want to.
I'm going to be raw as I describe what I've been going through.
My shit stinks more than normal.
My shit is mostly liquid.
My shit is sometimes oily.
My shit contains undigested food.
My shit is usually yellowish in color.
I fart a lot. It's loud. It stinks. Can't help it!
When my shit wants out, it wants OUT. Once on my way into a Walmart, suddenly my shit wanted out. As I was in the restroom about to pull my pants down, it burst out into my pants! I was not happy!
Once when I was driving to work, my shit wanted out! Out it came! I was unable to contain it!
Once when I was in the middle of doing a haircut at work, it wanted out. I said, "excuse me" and went directly to the restroom. Luckily, I made it in time...!
Many times, during the night I've shitted in my underwear. My bed sheet ended up soiled. I had to shower myself a few times on some nights and wash my underwear. I learned to double up on underwear and wear other sleepwear on top of all that plus lay a towel on my sheets in order to avoid soiling my sheets in the middle of the night.
Often when I'm sitting on the toilet, everything seems to have emptied, but as soon as I stand up the churning and movement gets going. I can sit in my desk chair for a long time and feel nothing going on, but when I stand up the churning and movement start going. When I lay down the churning and movement speed up. I can feel the churning and movement of stuff going through my GI tract. When I'm laying on my right side, it speeds up more. When I lay on my left side, it speeds up even MORE. In all cases, the shit doesn't empty out all at once. I'll end up running to the toilet and sitting for awhile. Then I'd go back to bed. Then, after I just got through lying down, things would get to churning again. A moment or two later, ... run back to the toilet. If I went to sleep... often I'd shit in my pants... have to shower myself. It was rare to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep. Dear God, I wish all the shit would come out at once, so I could use less toilet paper (wet wipes) and get some uninterrupted sleep!
"Dear God, I don't want to live like this anymore!" was my most constant prayer.
When I felt that I had emptied my body of all the shit, I'd feel pretty good, but would feel drained of energy and afraid to eat anything.
I had been searching on YouTube and Google for my symptoms. I found that "Exocrine Pancreas Insufficiency" seemed to nail my condition fairy well. I asked my specialist if that was the case. I'm still waiting for an answer.
After taking ZenPep for about year ... along with loperamide and Fibercon, I've not noticed any change except I'm not losing weight as fast. I've been able to keep my weight at about 148-151 pounds, but not easily.
I visited my specialist. He didn't seem too alarmed by what I was telling him. He used his stethoscope to check internal noises, and said he'd up the dosage of my ZenPep and "see ya in about a year."
I've added some home remedy "BRAT" strategy to controlling the diarrhea -- Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce, Toast. But, I've not noticed any change.
I think I'm going to trying taking the ZenPep differently. Instead of taking 2-3 before a meal, I'm going to take a couple at the beginning AND at the end of each meal.
Dear God, I want to do the right thing! This is getting so old!
So here I am feeling fine while I'm typing this. I wonder what will happen when I begin to stand up... then lay myself down... right side... left side... sheesh!
I'm not trying to solicit sympathy, but am simply sharing what life has been like lately -- been feeling pretty ragged out! I still love life, and try to remain optimistic! I'm getting older and well, this body seems to be wearing out! Sometimes I ask, "Is this body dying?" and "For how long will live through this?" and "Dear God, what are you up to?"
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