Delima

[lmgs]

I am a wife,mom and greatful recovering addict. I have been in the hospital for 8 days and have been told that I have pancreatic cancer. It is in the early stages. My records have been sent to the pancreatic center in Cincinati to find the best treatment available. I have had an addiction to oxycontin and went to detox and rehab. I am 11months and 5 days clean and sober and am enjoying life being sober!!!! I was given dilaudid in the hospital and I have been sent home on the Duragesic Patch. I had full disclosure with the doctor and he knows my entire history. Unfortunately, the pain is to bad to just be controlled with over the counter meds and I was told that Tylenol will just aggrivate the situation. Needless to say, I am scared to death. I had a long converstion with the pallative care physician and he told me that every precaution will be made to keep me out of a relapse. I am going to have to have a major surgery to remove my pancreas in a couple of weeks. I will be in the hospital for 10 days. I am being told that this will fix the problem without chemo or radiation. I have a good friend who passed away Wed from the same thing. I guess I would just like a little feed back on the best thing to do. I am very into my recovery and do not want to have to go down that road again.  Thanks for your help and input.

[avisg]

As long as everyone is aware you will get threw this ,but you don't deserve to suffer just because you have addiction issue. In order to heal well the pain has to be controlled.  

[lmgs]

I am just on the patches and not anything else. I did give him the patches and they are locked up. He actually puts them on and all that. The pain is awful...but this does help. I am on the lowest dose. I am only going to be on them until the pancreas is removed...about 2 weeks. After the surgery...I am hoping to just be on something in the hospital and I HOPE to come home on just Darvocet. I know that my not be a realistic view of things....but my doc does know and the pain management(pallative care) are on top of things as well. I was told that I could be given some suboxone at the end to be sure I can make a clean break.

[extrmeski]

I am so sorry to hear about your illness, hopefully they are correct and everything will be fine.  I hated to see that you are on duragesic though, that basically is Fentanyl which is 80 times stronger than morphine.  I had a heck of a time getting of that patch.  But then again I was on 100mcg's every 48 hours for over a year.  
Good luck and God speed.

[avisg]

This is a hard one .you have done great !!!! you are going to need pain relief .your doctors are aware of your problems . Can hubby hold any pills you might need ? I don't know the severity of your pain but I do know duragesic patches are really strong and hard to come off of .how long are they planning on keeping you on it .How are you doing my child was diagnosed with cancer a 8 .I know what this can do to the whole family .Its never easy.