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.