In February of 2007, I had a massive attack of Acute Pancreatitis. In the hospital, pancreatitis is treated by basically starving the pancreas for two or three days, allowing the swollen organ to rest. The pancreas produces our digestive enzymes, and two of them, Amylase and Lipase, are involved in an attack. The best way to describe the pain is: your worst "stomach ache" times 100—and it doesn't stop! It is excruciatingly painful and, if left unchecked, can result in death. Basically, the pancreas begins eating itself from the inside, leading to scarring in the pancreatic duct's lining. Over time, this scarring can result in necrotic (dead) tissue, leading to organ failure and death.
That year, I had at least five other acute attacks, a month or two apart. “No food and pain management” was the buzz phrase, and for the pain I was given Morphine every two to four hours. I was also administered Demerol at times to lessen the worst of the pain at the outset of an attack, since it relieved most of the pain in less than 10 minutes. During one hospital stay, I was administered Demerol almost exclusively through the night and by morning I had the worst migraine of my life. I was given one migraine reliever, but it didn't help at all. Then they gave me Toradol; the migraine vanished in five minutes. Too much Demerol had given me the emperor of hangovers.
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