Just last week I was admitted to the hospital with yet another in a recurring series of stomach issues. This time it was diagnosed as a small bowel obstruction. Frighteningly, this carries with it an 8% mortality rate. However, while this was the diagnosis this time, last time they were unsuccessful in coming to a definitive reason for the terrible debilitating pain I was in. They finally removed my gall bladder which the pathologist declared unbelievably diseased and full of stones.

At the time that my gall bladder was removed I was thrilled that the years of pain would once and for all be behind me. Unfortunately, as you can see that has not been the case. This latest attack took me on my own search for answers. My research brought me to emedicinehealth.com where I discovered that the symptoms that I had been complaining about for a minimum of seven years fit perfectly in with the symptoms for a condition call Pancreatitis.

After much research I discovered that the usual cause of Pancreatitis is alcoholism. That being the case, and with my being a teetotaler, I could somewhat understand why my doctor’s wouldn’t have looked there but unfortunately there are other conditions that can result in this disease. One of those conditions is undiagnosed gall bladder disease, which as I mentioned I had suffered from for years before it was removed and another is steroid dependency. I have Cushings disease which makes me Prednisone dependent due to previous treatment by doctors. Given those two situations alone I continued to pursue my inquiry into Pancreatitis.

The first and most significant symptom of Pancreatitis is the debilitating pain that is associated with it. The pain is so intense and the accompanying nausea and/or vomiting so uncomfortable that I couldn’t even walk to the car to go to the hospital and therefore had to be transported by ambulance. Be aware that this pain may come suddenly or build up gradually and if it begins suddenly, it is usually going to be severe. If it starts out less severe that doesn’t mean by any means that it isn’t also going to end up getting worse as time progresses. In addition, while you may think that eating a cracker may help lessen the nausea you will find that eating only tends to increase the pain and this pain may last for days on end.

Additional symptoms may include feeling worse if you lie on your back, fever, chills, swollen abdomen, rapid heartbeat, (Possible internal bleeding), dehydration, Low blood pressure, weakness, lightheadedness, a feeling of lethargy, irritability, confusion and/or headache.

If the disease becomes chronic you may find yourself suffering less pain but for those who did not get this reprieve the pain may get even worse as the condition worsens. In long-term conditions the person may experience diabetes, weight loss as the body becomes unable to digest food, anemia, or jaundice.

While in the hospital this last time several exams were performed to evaluate enzymes, and to look for signs of infection. The test confirmed that my magnesium and potassium counts were both extremely low. In the past two years my iron count had also dropped to dangerously low levels. All of these are signs of Pancreatitis.

However, for some the blood tests may be inconclusive if the pancreas is still making digestive enzymes and insulin. Therefore, my advice to you is if you get unbelievable pain in the vicinity of your umbilicus, mine was immediately above that area, that radiates around to your back and you have consulted with specialists I would demand to be checked for Pancreatitis. The test you need is called an Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

Remember it is a hard disease to get diagnosed, unless you are a heavy drinker, and there is little that can be done to prevent it but once you have the diagnosis you can begin to take charge of your life once again. One thing that I discovered is that an extremely low-fat diet helps. Don’t eat anything that is deep fried or you will pay for it.

So, keep the faith out there and I pray that this information may be used to help anyone else out there who has been suffering with this type of recurring pain.

When a woman experiences menopause several key body factors change sometimes taking with them her enjoyment the sexual act. It doesn’t mean that she loves her partner any less just that issues like vaginal dryness, fatigue, and emotional mood swings make the act itself less enjoyable. Even for men, there are many physical challenges such as shrinking prostrates, high blood pressure, or diabetes that can rob them of their desire for sexual intimacy. Basically, anyone over 50 is going to be faced with issues that may decrease their sexual desire.

To counteract these changes you may have to change the way you think about sex. In what ways you might ask. Well, first don’t start out saying no because you aren’t feeling aroused. Instead, say yes to sex even when you’re not in the mood. Often you may find that the games leading up to sex can bring arousal and pleasure with them.

Second, assemble a good support team if you suspect your libido problems may have a medical factor involved. To do this it is important to find yourself the right doctor to help you. This doctor should make you feel comfortable discussing such intimate details.

A knowledgeable doctor is one who will ask a lot of questions and listen carefully as you attempt to describe the problems you are experiencing. This doesn’t mean that even this doctor will have a take two aspirin in the morning answer so be prepared to be patient and to return later if needed to further discuss any additional problems that you might experience. In addition, your physician may choose to prescribe one of many drug options that are available today.

Thirdly, you may be able to increase your libido if you go outside of your comfort zone by trying something new and different for you. You may be uncomfortable at first but just taking the challenge may cause you to become aroused.

Next, confront any fears that you have by putting them out on the table to discuss with your partner. These issues could involve unresolved anger, hurt, or resentment which until dealt with can get in the way of intimacy. Remember in the case of hurt feelings forgiveness not only helps the one you are forgiving but also may heal you of the bitterness that is standing in the way of your sexual satisfaction.

Then set a schedule to insure that you have sex at least once every two weeks. This is necessary to keep the blood flowing in all the right places. While scheduling may seem to businesslike it is important because if you wait until everything is perfect you may be ninety before you ever want sex again.

Lastly, remember that regular exercise will make you feel better and even sexy and when you feel better about your body you don’t mind others seeing you without your cloths on. So don’t give up. Remember that love does not require a perfect body but it does require a lot of patience, work, and honest discussion to lead it to its ultimate conclusion.