Dennis, sent you a pm.

Hi Dennis Welcome, you made a good choice to reach out on this site. This is out of my comfort zone also but I was compelled to do it just like you. Your situation is a heavy one to bear. Not many have to deal with two major illness in a family, that is tough. The biggest part of getting through all of this is for both of you to stay as positive as you can and as healthy as you can despite your challenges.
All of the advice I would offer you cannot be put into this one response. I do not know your entire situation. I do not even know if I can help but I'm sure going to try.
First, if you absolutely cannot work, contact your HR Manager or Manager at work, apply for family medical leave FMLA. Secure your job and health care benefits. Use your Vacation and sick leave first if you have those benefits. Tell your employer your situation the best you can. Use the information that your Doctor gave you describing Mesenteric Panniculitis.
I'm going out on a limb but your wife should be entitled to Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security benefits if she doesn't have that already. Medicare/Medicaid should help your wife/you with home care.You absolutely need a family member or friend to help you arrange this. Ask them for help. If you do not have a family member available call your Pastor or someone you know from Church. If you do not belong to a Church and no one to reach out to Let me know.
Probably a lot of what you read about MP (even on this site) is going to sound very scary, forget that. How are you right now? That's what is really important. Are you able to manage? if you are able to manage, focus on the above. Once you have help you can focus on systematically knocking out some issues of your illness.
Here is what to expect. I am not a Doctor, but right now I'm going to tell you that what you have is an inflammation in the middle of your body. It can cause pain and bloating and lack of energy as you have described. It could get worse or stay the same. It could get better as did mine after a period of time. If your symptoms are very bad you may need medication to reduce the inflammation. You may need pain medication. This is a basic explanation which is what you need to know right now. Read through this site and follow the diet that is recommended. If you cannot find it I will copy it for you. Your diet should help with the bloating and pain. Eat small soft, mild meals. I ate things like cottage cheese, oatmeal etc.

Let me know how things go, I'll pray for your family.
Von (vdouglas)

Hello @dennisl27,
I can only imagine the pain you're going through, but I'm so glad you joined this discussion on Connect. You will see that there is a wonderful community here, ready to offer the support you need right now.

@bertbiz, @billindc, @lisas444, @billymac65, @snoopdog, @hardclose, @doron, @mjg1160, @obert22, could you please offer some advice and insight for @dennisl27?

Our health plays such a vital role in so many other aspects of our lives; once you see the GI, and he confirms the diagnosis, do consider letting your employer speak to the doctor? Are you able to call or contact The State Disability Council in your state? They often have information and programs available for people experiencing an illness such as yours.

@dennisl27, as you embark on this tough journey, not only as a patient, but as a caregiver for your wife, I would sincerely encourage you to look at the Caregivers group, here: http://mayocl.in/2h1ttpY
I'm sure you will find it a great resource and source of comfort.

How are you managing your symptoms, now?

Hi Dennis,
I am so sorry to hear of what is happening to you and your wife. I agree with everything @vdouglas is saying. The FODMAP diet helped me a lot. I'm sure everyone on this thread has seen me post a link. So I will post it again. http://www.dietvsdisease.org/diy-low-fodmap-diet/ The diet says it's for IBS, but it's for MP, too. Smaller meals are recommended, When I was first diagnosed I was eating chicken broth, adding chicken little by little to it. I made Kefir and banana smoothies adding cinnamon. That seemed very soothing. I stopped eating anything that had corn in it. I've tried several different vegetable, one at a time. Asparagus is not one that I can eat anymore, or onions, either. But through trial and error (I call it Russian Roulette) I've found that I can add some greens (like spinach and steamed artichokes) and not have any problems. It takes a lot of patience to figure things out. You have to find a doctor that is familiar with MP.

I wish you and your wife all the best. You've found a great place to reach out. We're all here to do what we can.

@bertbiz

Thank you so much Von! You have given me a lot of encouragement and hope! I am working with my employer now on my leave of absence. I should mention that I also see a cardiologist for my BP as it has been consistently in the 160's - 180's and I keep a journal for them so they can adjust the meds they have me on to treat this. I saw her yesterday and she has initiated my LOA so I can address my BP as well as my MP (with my GI). They are trying to identify the reason for my BP spike, as it seems to have come about at the same time as the MP symptoms. As a side note.....if anyone has any information if there is a direct relationship between BP and MP I would greatly appreciate it. My cardiologist did not know and I cannot find a lot of information on the internet about this. My wife is currently on social security disability, so you were right about her qualifying for that.
We do have an Aunt that we call on for assistance and she has been a great help!
My primary symptoms are the extreme fatigue, headaches and abdominal pain. I will be able to manage those until I see my GI next week. We are taking one day at a time and trying to stay as positive as possible. But it has been difficult during this Christmas season.
Again, thank you so much for your help and if you have anything else for me please send it at your convenience.
Dennis

Hello!
I am managing my symptoms for the pain and headaches with tramadol, but it really doesn't do much for me. I do not know what to do for the fatigue and heavy limbs except to lay down and rest. This has been very debilitating so if you have any ideas on this that would be great!
I will look into the caregiver group that you mentioned that sounds like a great group as well.
For the short period of time that I have been a member of this group I already feel better knowing that there are others that have been thru the same things I am experiencing.
Thank you for the great advice as I embark on this journey and for letting me know that I am "not" alone.

Hi again @dennis127
We are all glad to help you any way we can.

It sounds like you have things going in the right direction, that's great! I also take Tramadol (50mg) and you are right about it not doing much for pain. I was told by one of my Doctors that when taking pain meds you want to just keep the pain manageable. The goal is not to eliminate the pain completely. I tend to agree with that Doctors advice as it will prevent overuse and the likelihood of needing an increasing amount of pain meds. But If you are not getting results, and your pain is unmanageable, tell your Doctor. Everyone on this site will tell you that being proactive is a must. You really need to partner with your Doctor and help them help you.
Keep working on getting help at home to minimize the stress that you and your Wife are under. Just do the best you can and get a lot of rest. If you have children it can be difficult but focus on one thing at a time step by step. Try not to worry about things you have no control over. Try to relax and plan ahead.

I have one bit of advice for when you see your Gastroenterologist. You will be checking out the Doctor as well as He or She checking you out. Don't feel like you are under any pressure, just have a conversation with the Doctor. When you meet with him or her ask if they have knowledge of Mesenteric Panniculitis. Are they a PA or MD. Also ask if they have reviewed your CT personally. Not just the report but actually reviewed the images. Does He or She have your complete history and your family history. This is information you should know and important for the Doctor to obtain a proper diagnosis, prognosis and plan for treatment.

I realize you have the BP to deal with as well. I have not read that MP and elevated BP are related. I know that my BP increases when I have it taken by the Doctor their office. My BP also goes up when I'm under a lot of stress at home (I have a home monitor).

You are in our thoughts and Prayers, wishing you good results with your appointment. keep us posted.
@vdouglas

Hi @dennisl27,

Yes, fatigue can be very debilitating! I'd like to invite you to check out this discussion (Autoimmune Diseases and Fatigue), here on Connect: http://mayocl.in/2hd6onk
Please feel free to post a message, join in the conversation, and tag other members for more information; I hope this helps.

This site has helped a great deal!
Thanks for letting me know about it and the quick response.
Dennis

Hello Dennis, sorry you guys are going through what youre going through. I was diagnosed in 2010 and had to quit work in 2012. My tumor is about the size of a fist and shares blood vessels with my small intestines therfore inoperable. I hadnt seen your age but would suggest filing for social security disability if you have the work history. Even if you get better at least youve started the process. It takes about 3 years to get a hearing and get a decision if youre not approved right away. My judge apologized that it took so long and the reason being is what i had was very rare.