Perhaps your pancreas didn’t appreciate that White Castle snack in Minneapolis last weekend?

We hope you feel better soon, Marko, and we’re praying for you here in IL.

oh man, i’m laughing out loud here. i’m so glad you’re feeling better, but i’m so sorry you’re being starved. hope the time in is giving you some much needed rest, and not just for your pancreas!

still praying!

Self-care

Chronic pancreatitis may leave you with lifelong signs and symptoms, such as pain & malabsorption of certain nutrients. However, most people with acute pancreatitis recover completely. But even if you experience no lingering symptoms, it’s important to take steps to keep your pancreas as healthy as possible:

Avoid alcohol. If you can’t voluntarily stop drinking alcohol, get treatment for alcoholism. Abstaining from alcohol may or may not reduce your pain, but it will reduce your risk of dying of your disease.
Eat smaller meals. The more you eat during a meal, the greater the amount of digestive juices your pancreas must produce. Instead of large meals, eat smaller, more frequent meals.
Limit fat in your diet. Limiting fat will help reduce loose and oily stools that result from a lack of pancreatic enzymes. Discuss with your doctor or a dietitian how much fat to eat each day because some fat is essential.
Follow a diet high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates give you energy to help fight fatigue. They’re present in foods made from starches (complex carbohydrates) or sugars (simple carbohydrates). Try to get most of your daily calories from complex carbohydrates found in grains, vegetables and legumes. If you have diabetes, a dietitian can help you plan an appropriate diet.
Drink plenty of liquids. If you have chronic pancreatitis, be sure to drink enough liquids so that you don’t become dehydrated. Dehydration may aggravate your pain by further irritating your pancreas.
Find safe ways to control pain. Talk with your doctor about options for controlling your pain, including the benefits and risks of prescription and over-the-counter pain relievers and the use of digestive enzymes.

Prevention

Although pancreatitis isn’t always preventable, you can take steps to reduce your risk:

Avoid excessive alcohol use. Overuse of alcohol is the leading cause of chronic pancreatitis and a contributing factor in many acute attacks.
Stop smoking. Tobacco use increases your risk of pancreatitis, especially if you also drink alcohol.
Limit fat. Eating a high-fat diet can raise your blood-fat levels and increase your risk of gallstones — both risk factors for pancreatitis. A healthy diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, and limits fats, especially saturated fats such as butter.

i see that chris e. is a really good friend of yours and knows you well. ;)

lol. marko - i enjoy your sense of humor. i wish i had more of it.

Praying you feel better soon

[…] well, i can’t say i’ve ever purchased a weird al yankovic song or album in my life, until now. a co-worker tipped by off to the fact that weird al has a song on his new cd (straight outa lynwood) called ‘pancreas’, which is, in fact, about the function of the pancreas. and, given my new attention to and affection for my pancreas, i have paid the 99-cents to download it from itunes. […]