Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction

Nightstand Contents

1. Medicine Bag- Misc meds for nausea and other meds for when it gets really bad, to try to stop a bad episode.

2. Body Lotion.

3. Aromatherapy Essential Oil.

4. 5 Prescription Medications- Take at bedtime to help with pain, spasms and sleep.

5. Senna prescription- For side effects.

6. Benadryl- For nights when I can't sleep.

7. 2 Books- Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith.

Children's Bible.

8. Reading Glasses.

9. Tums.

10. Lamp.

11. Chapstick.

12. Phone Charger.

13. Remote- For my bed that goes up and down, I can no longer sleep flat on my back.

14. DVD- Game of Thrones

        I have an illness that you do not hear about much. In fact it is so difficult to treat that I see a doctor 7 hrs away to be treated. It's not unheard of, most doctors know about it, it's just not something that brings in money for them. Medicines do very little, and the cure can be worst than the disease. It is called sphincter of oddi dysfunction. I have been suffering for 4 years now. I get pancreatitis all the time I have excruciating pain when I eat, and vomit, along with a list of other effects. It affect the bile and digestive system. One little muscle that wants to stay closed all the time can cause all this trauma and it is virtually impossible to be rid of 100%. I have had 2 procedures to try and help but both caused tremendous side affects. Again the cure can be worse than the disease.

       I cope and power through for my family to maintain a life for all of us, and to also not give my illness the power to take it away. My mom and I have this conversation all the time. She sees me suffer and says, stop relax rest, and I say "no it can't win today", the more I stop then I think the more it wins. That's how I always deal with it. I'm fact this last year is only when I started even being vocal about my SODS.