The final step in my approach, is to clearly state your expectations and goals for the visit to discuss pain management for pancreatitis.  This is the stage when both you and your physician establish the “game plan”.

Again, being specific is the best way to do this. For example, if you believe that more tests should be run to find a possible treatable cause to your pancreatitis pain, then state that. If, on the other hand, you believe that all appropriate tests have been done and all you want is assistance in controlling your pain, state that.

In my case I was up-front with my belief that the pancreatitis pain was not going to “magically” disappear; that I accepted that it was going to be part of my life; but I didn’t accept that there was nothing the medical field could do.  I made it very clear that I expected to leave that day with medicine to reduce the pain to more tolerable levels (I felt that an average pain of a 4 wasn’t too much to ask for) and with a treatment plan that acknowledged that I needed long-term medical care.

Like your pain descriptions, your goals will be unique to you. However, what is common to all pain patients is his or her right to have pain treated.  For most situations, do not accept the advice that pain treatment should be delayed until a cause can be found or withheld completely because all tests and exams are normal. In my opinion, pancreatitis pain should be treated through pain management for pancreatitis, regardless of why it is there.

The first step when discussing chronic pain for pancreatitis is to be comfortable talking about it.  In my case, admitting that I had chronic pain felt like announcing to the world that “I am a wimp and a failure.”  I became anxious, and I think my body language conveyed the idea that I didn’t deserve to be taken seriously.

After I learned to accept that pain was not a weakness in my character, I was able to discuss what it felt like, how often it bothered me, and how bad it gets in a more matter-of-fact way.  This also conveyed that I expected and deserved to be listened to.

Being comfortable also reduces the chance that your emotions could take over the situation.  Emotions are part of the examination, no doubt. Physicians will ask you how the pain impacts your quality of life, but they will also look for signs that suggest you are exaggerating your situation.

“Histrionics” is the term that is often used to describe overly dramatic examinations.  Bizarre and unusual descriptions or peculiar behavior can all be seen as dramatic.  Avoid focusing on frustrating or failed previous physician care because this can also side-track your doctor from properly treating chronic pain.

Talking to your Doctor about Chronic Pain
When asked about pain management for pancreatitis, I am frequently asked how to talk about it with a doctor.  It would seem as if this should be a simple matter.  After all, outside of routine visits, pain is probably the most common reason for seeing a doctor. It would seem natural then to assume your doctor would be very proficient in diagnosing and treating chronic pancreatitis pain.  However, in my experience, this is not so. I often left a physician’s office believing that my doctor didn’t quite “get it”.
Why is this? Over the years, I have learned that many factors affect diagnosing painful symptoms. The obvious factor is that there are many different kinds of pain.  Pain can be either acute or chronic.  Acute pain is relatively easy to assess and treatment is usually straight forward and curative.  Chronic pain, however, is the opposite: it is difficult to assess and treatment is complex and most likely will not cure.  Assessing and treating chronic pain requires time, patience and commitment from both the patient and the physician.

I think that the biggest factor that influences our treatment is that chronic pain often cannot be “proven” by methods that doctors are most comfortable with.  Lab tests, radiology procedures (x-rays, CTs, MRIs etc) and physical exams may not show reasons for the pain.  Because of this, doctors have to rely mainly on what the patient says or how s/he behaves during the exam.  That is why it is very important to learn how to communicate with your doctor. Your words as well as body language will virtually be the physician’s diagnostic tool and you want to provide them with the best tool you can.

The third installment of pain management for pancreatitis is coming soon