Pancreatitis Supporters Newsletter Number Seven

"Hello fellow sufferers, I am a comparatively new entrant to pancreatitis, my first attack having taken place in December 1993.  After having a substantial number of scans, I have now been told that my pancreas has healed.  In the meantime, however, I have lost well over a stone in weight.

Is there anyone out there who has also suffered a weight loss?
Have you managed to regain any weight?
What procedure did you adopt?
I also suffer from bouts of tiredness - I can be full of life one minute and no energy half an hour later.  Is this common?
Is there anyone with a similar problem?
Did you receive help for this and if so, what?"

The above was submitted to me by Joan Hemingway.  Anyone out there like to send in thoughts and comments?

Famous People with Pancreatitis

One of the all-time greats of the Jazz world died 9 January 1993, at the age of 75.  Dizzie Gillespie, the son of a bricklayer was born in South Carolina in 1917, and took up the trombone when he was 12.  He won a scholarship, but abandoned his training before his last year when he joined his first band.

Always the innovator, Dizzy soon began taking jazz to new heights.  With his own big band, he bought in the Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo, bringing Latin rythms to his music.   In 1953, after an accident in which someone sat on his trumpet,  he found that the upward tilt of the bell improved the sound - and ever after had his  instruments made this way.  As well as being a musician he also ran for  President in the write-in vote in 1964.  He remained a towering figure until his  death, from pancreatic cancer listening to Dizzy's Dime, one of his most
famous recordings.

I thought that you may be interested to know of some of the famous people who have had pancreatitis.  Apart from Jeffrey Bernard - who still suffers from it.   Martin Landon from "Little House on the Prarie" fame died from cancer of the pancreas as well as Dizzie Gillespie shown in the middle column here.  The last two people were written about in Hello Magazine and I have written to them to inform them of our existence.  Also, we are becoming topical! Note:  Beth's friend, played by Sylvia Simms in the TV programme "Peak Practice."  They also have our name as a contact point.     (Italics are my own personal comments - Editor)

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT PANCREATIC DISEASE - Submitted by C D Johnson, Secretary, Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland

What is Pancreatitis?

 Pancreatitis means inflammation of the pancreas.  There are two main  types  of  pancreatitis,  acute  and  chronic.  Acute pancreatitis will get better completely and will not recur if its cause can be removed.  The commonest cause of acute pancreatitis in this country is gallstones, which are relatively easy to deal with.    A  single  attack  of  acute  pancreatitis  caused  by gallstones, which  gets  better  and is followed  by  appropriate treatment of the gallstones should not cause long term problems.
 
Chronic pancreatitis is a very different disease.  It leads to progressive destruction of the pancreas and may be associated with repeated attacks of pain or almost constant severe abdominal pains.   Gradually the pancreas is destroyed and  then  becomes unable to produce sufficient enzymes to allow proper digestion of  food.   Enzyme  supplements may  be  necessary.
Insulin  is produced  in  the  pancreas, and  so people  with  severe  chronic pancreatitis may also become diabetic.

What causes chronic pancreatitis?

In  Europe and North America almost all cases of chronic pancreatitis are caused by excessive alcohol consumption.  Many cases in the United Kingdom are also related to alcohol, but there seems to be a higher proportion of cases in this country which are caused by inherited factors (familial pancreatitis) for which no cause can be found.  This is probably because the overall levels of alcohol  consumption are low, so the numbers of alcohol related cases is also relatively low.

How  can  I  modify  my  diet  and  daily activities  to  help treat pancreatitis?

The single most important change that any sufferer from chronic  pancreatitis can make is to stop drinking alcohol.  Even if your pancreatitis is not directly caused by alcohol, it is likely that drinking alcohol will harm the  pancreas  because it stimulates the production of a thick, sticky pancreatic juice which tends to clog the pancreatic ducts.  This adds to the drainage already taking place in the pancreas.

It  is  probably  also  helpful to stop  smoking, because  smoking stresses   the   body's   natural   defence   mechanisms  against inflammation and may contribute to the damage occurring in the pancreas.
 
A well balanced diet is probably helpful.  You need not restrict fatty food  and  in fact  an  adequate intake of fat may  help  to prevent weight  loss.  If you have access to a  dietician, you should ask for advice on how to maintain an intake of 100 grams of fat and 100 grams of protein each day.  If this diet causes symptoms such as diarrhoea or looseness of stools  it is better to begin or increase the dose of pancreatic enzyme supplements rather than to cut down the amount you are eating.

Can vitamin supplements help?

There is some evidence that antioxidants help to protect against inflammation  in  a  wide  variety  of  diseases    There  are many vitamin  preparations  with  added  antioxidants  available  from chemists  and  Health  Food  shops.    These  preparations  will certainly do no harm, and some patients find their pain is less severe or less frequent when they are taking them.   Look out for formulations which contain vitamin C, vitamin E  and Selenium .

(Interesting the information about fat consumption - Editor)
 
Benefits Section - Relating to the UK only

1) COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT

If you are living in the one room through Pancreatitis or you have a room set aside DOWNSTAIRS for your sole use and have to use a commode or downstairs toilet you should be eligible for the Disabled Persons Council Tax Relief.  This will drop your house into the next lowest Council Tax band.  Eg If you are in Band B you will drop to Band A.  However if you are already in A you cannot get this benefit.

2) SEVERE DISABLEMENT ALLOWANCE
 
If you are of working age but have not paid enough NI contributions you should be eligible for this one but see the information in the following column.

MORE BENEFITS NEXT NEWSLETTER.

Get the booklet "WHICH BENEFIT" for more information from your local Post Office or Social Security Office

Some of you will no doubt have had problems with getting benefits with a condition such as Pancreatitis.  For those of you claiming for SDA (Severe Disability Allowance) you may be interested to know about a case that went to Tribunal and the member was assessed as follows:

Condition:  Chronic Pancreatitis
Disability (if any):  Severe  abdominal pain
% Disablement (if any):  55%
It was most important to stress on your application the depression caused by this condition as was the following outcome from the Tribunal:
Condition:  Depression
Disability (if any):   Impairment of enjoyment of life
% Disablement (if any):   10%

Now for those of you quick on the uptake you will realise that you have to be MORE than 80% disabled to claim SDA and the total only comes to 65%, however this member had other conditions as well.  It is probable that if you have a sympathetic Doctor you may be able to come up with other qualifying conditions to help you in your claim for SDA.   This I hope will explain why you will NOT get it on Pancreatitis alone and ALSO acts as a guide for the rest of us in filling in DLA forms (Disability Living Allowance Forms).

Note:  I have not revealed the members name nor will I.

End

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