Pancreatic Divism

[Mochi]

I had an MRI back in late July to look at my pancreas. This is the third time I have checked on this area of my body and each time I am told: no mass, looks good. The last report came back saying no mass, but it mentioned that my pancreatic divism was stable.

WHAT??? Nobody told me I had a pancreatic divism!!! I read a little.

Here is what I read on the internet:
it can cause pain, but is not life threatening.
Most people don't know they have it as it does not always cause symptoms
It is something that you have from birth

Then I found a forum conversation on another website that scared me a bit so I stopped reading right away and came here.

Does anyone have experience with pancreatic divism?

Thanks!

M

[Fishmanpa]

Never heard of it so I looked it up. It's like you said....a congenital defect that in most people never causes an issue... like you!

Positive thoughts

[Mochi]

Thank you for your response. I have pain that has caused me to freak out about pancreatic cancer... scans have come back with no mass so I've been sent on my merry way each time. My husband thought the divism was good news as it might explain the discomfort I feel....

My anxious mind struggles to accept this.. especially since my doctor never addressed it directly.

M

[Mochi]

So I wrote a letter to my primary care doctor about this issue and she told me that they did not see this divism on my last CT scan. What??? I have heard so many stories of things being missed.... what if they missed something on this latest MRI!!!

I have two different health worries right now that have caused me to sit at my computer for hours, neglecting all sorts of responsibilities I should be paying attention to....

I am so tired of all of this!!!!!!!

[Catherine S]

Apparently it's quite common and goes undetected throughout life with no problems or required treatment. It was seen on the CT scan which shows up more than normal Xrays I guess. It seems that most people are born, live and die without ever knowing it. I on the other hand, have a deviated septum which means the cartilage that separates nostrils is off centre, and causes breathing issues and sinus pain. I know which one i'd prefer to have.

ISB x

[swajj]

I had a CT scan because yes, I feared I had pancreatic cancer (I now shake my head at the unnecessary tests and subsequent torture of waiting for the results, that I put myself through) and it revealeddiverticulitis. It had nothing to do with my perceived symptoms but I didn't know I had it until the CT scan. I think most people who undergo tests probably find out about one thing or another that they never realised they had. I also underwent an ultrasound on my kidneys and bladder because I feared bladder or kidney cancer (see the part in brackets above) it revealed a clear cyst on one of my kidneys which was of no consequence. However I didn't know it existed until the scan.

[Mochi]

I had a CT 2 years ago because they found that the head of my pancreas was enlarged. That caused quite a freak out! The CT report came back that there was no mass and that the head of my pancreas looked normal. Well I asked for another scan, this time an MRI because I was still experiencing pain. The MRI came back saying that there was no mass found and that my divism is stable.

The two scans were about two years apart.

My worry is that a divism was found on one test but not the other. Could they have missed other things this time around?? I am trying so hard not to spin on this one, but I can't get it out of my head!

Thanks for the responses guys.... feels good to know people care :)

[swajj]

Do you know that pain is not one of the main symptoms of pancreatic cancer in the early stages. By the time it has progressed to the point where pain sets in it is advanced. You would have many other symptoms and you would be very ill. Stop worrying about the divide. Perhaps the individual who wrote the report did see it but didn't think it important enough to mention. It isn't what they were looking for. Trust me they would have checked the pancreas very carefully.

---------- Post added at 17:43 ---------- Previous post was at 17:42 ----------

Not divide divism

[Mochi]

Do you know that pain is not one of the main symptoms of pancreatic cancer in the early stages. By the time it has progressed to the point where pain sets in it is advanced. You would have many other symptoms and you would be very ill. Stop worrying about the divide. Perhaps the individual who wrote the report did see it but didn't think it important enough to mention. It isn't what they were looking for. Trust me they would have checked the pancreas very carefully.

---------- Post added at 17:43 ---------- Previous post was at 17:42 ----------

Not divide divism

Thank you, thank you! Your post makes me feel a little better....