Hello @mike961,
Thank you for that response and for your kind words.
My experience wasn't so bad. It came and went quickly. At least I had the presence of mind to assert myself and the sense that I could assume control of my own treatment. A lot of people are more submissive.
Because you are a treating physician and this may help you as you deal with patients in the future, I will share more details. I have SLE--mild SLE and yet this is a tricky animal. Once things go south they go south pretty rapidly. Usually, it's difficult to say what's going on, exactly. In my case, one of the suspected causes of the pancreatitis was prednisone. For a while I was not allowed to take this very effective remedy because of the fear that it might cause another attack. However, in the fullness of time it became obvious that my episode was SLE related, as other GI manifestations (equally mysterious) appeared. So, if you meet a patient with SLE, please know that GI manifestations are more common than most physicians realize. It actually seems that in some cases a GI manifestation may be the first sign of SLE. (see, for example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4602607/)
As I explained in my original comment, the trick to treating the various manifestations of SLE is to keep it quiet. Once it acts up, it can do all kinds of mischievous that may defy understanding.
Please know that I've never revealed my SLE status on Hive before. I do this so that maybe someday the information might help in the treatment of patients you encounter.
You have a delightful writing style. This is rare in a person with your technical skills. It's a great combination.
Here's hoping, for your happiness and for your patients health, that you are successful and effective in your medical career.
Regards,
AG
RE: Dr. Mike's Guide to Acute Pancreatitis