"My name is Rick, I am 59 years old and together with my wife, we are the proud parents of two daughters. In 2015, my life suddenly turned upside down. I had terrible stomach pains and my heart rate was extremely high: 240 beats per minute. Everything in me told me that something was wrong. I was taken to the hospital with blaring sirens. It turned out to be an attack of gallstone. After a week and a half in hospital, I was allowed to go home. I felt weak and very unwell. The following weekend I developed a high fever. I had to come back immediately. After many tests, it turned out that I had acute pancreatitis.
Since then I have been hospitalised several times. The longer it lasted, the worse it became. At a certain point you even think: ‘If they cut the line now, I'll be fine with it'."
Tube in my abdomen
Rick continues: "I suffered from a nasty complication: necrosis developed in my pancreas, in other words: part of my pancreatic tissue died. This occurs in 1 in 5 patients with acute pancreatitis, with all the complications that entails. As a result, my pancreas now consists of two parts instead of one. This meant that for over six months I walked around with a tube in my abdomen: my pancreas could not get rid of its fluid naturally. It was a period full of ups and downs. For example, during a weekend away in Limburg, I had to be admitted to the local hospital. I was also unable to be at my daughter's birthday for the first time in 28 years. That is not something a father takes lightly. It is quite an art to remain positive and keep hope alive.
At one point, I weighed only 75 kilos, I had lost about 30 kilos and the only thing I could be prescribed was rest and antibiotics. I only realised later how sick I had actually been. My illness is now chronic and my pancreas is partially calcified. My gallbladder has been removed as well."
The eye of the needle
"The period that is now behind me really knocked me for six. Only afterwards did I realise. The doctor literally said: ‘Do you realise how ill you have been?’ It was a close call. All things considered, I am now doing well. I still suffer from stomach aches and severe cramps and with everything I do, I take it into account. I will have to take enzyme capsules for the rest of my life. I live more in fear now, whereas I never used to. With every twinge of pain, you think: ‘could this be it again?’ You want to rule everything out. That carefree attitude will never return, I will no longer take anything for granted."
Impact
"As an active man, I have had to drastically adjust my lifestyle. Before I became ill, I had obtained my golf certificate, I played darts and I enjoyed working in the garden. Now I usually tire quickly and I have to make sure that I eat and drink on time and get enough rest.
My wife, daughters and grandchildren give me the drive to keep going every day. They have also had to learn to live with it and it has had a big impact on them too. It just so happens that all three of them work in healthcare and they know better than anyone how much impact the pancreas can have on your overall health. But they also know how serious it is. They supported me when I needed it most. They pushed me to eat, despite the fact that I had no appetite. I now weigh about 85 kilos again. I no longer see my food as something simple, it is my nutrient.
My employer is also very understanding, which is really important. They are still taking it into account, as I need to take more rest. My physical condition is not what it used to be, I tire quickly. And stress, for example, immediately affects my stomach. And if the inflammations return, I will have to take antibiotics again or, in a serious case, even be hospitalised. Although my life is now organised very differently because of this disease, I encourage myself to keep breathing, to enjoy life and to keep going. I am not going to worry."
Heavily underestimated
"Nevertheless, I realise that I am one of the patients who are now doing relatively well. It's bizarre, really, but I keep hearing stories from people around me with pancreatic problems. And believe me when I tell you that these stories are often even more harrowing. The pancreas is seriously underestimated. It is the catalyst for your entire digestive system. Every step we can take towards better treatment is worth its weight in gold. I can only hope that thanks to the support of donors, more research into pancreatitis can be made possible."