Introduction

Hi, for some of those who do not know me I am Lauren Sumpter (Williams). I was recently married on August 3 of this year to my best friend Justin Sumpter. This blog is not about my perfect little life that so many people have visioned for themselves but about the true facts of real life. I am truly blessed with a wonderful life and a loving family but that does not exclude me from trials and hardships. In May of 2012, I was diagnosed with Pancreatitis.  We were in Detroit, Michigan visiting my brother and his family when I became very ill and had to be taken to the ER. I was experiencing severe nausea, vomiting, and very harsh pain throughout my stomach and wrapping around to my back. When I arrived at the ER, the staff immediately took me back and began to work one me. They took many tubes of blood for tests and began to question me on what I was experiencing. After they got my pain and nausea under control they began to run more tests on me. After an hour or two the doctor came in and began to go over the results with me. He finally came to the conclusion that I indeed had pancreatitis and that it was very serious. He told me and my Mom that my numbers were so elevated that they stopped counting them at 12,000. I was then admitted into the hospital for five days. I was put on a very strict diet. The first two days was absolutely nothing to eat or drink. This was to help my pancreas rest and help to start recovering. I was put on pain and nausea medicines the entire time and it made me very out of it and all I wanted to do was sleep. After the first couple of days I was allowed to have liquids. You would of thought this was Christmas to me when I was able to drink water for the first time! I slowly began to make progression and by day five I was eating very soft foods. My family and I had already missed our flight home but the airline was very considerate and let us return home when we needed. When I was released from the hospital, we spent another day with my brother and his family before heading home. Even though they released me, I was still very sick. My numbers were still up in the thousands. I still had to be very careful and rest and watch what I ate. We made the flight home and arrived safely. My sister and her kids were at the airport to pick us up and I was so glad to be home. I was never more grateful to sleep in my own bed than that first night home! I remember we arrived home on a Wednesday and I could not wait to see my church family!! My Dad is the pastor of an independent, kjv, baptist church and I considered everyone my family. I especially could not wait to see my grandparents! I only went for a few minutes to see everyone then I returned home to rest because the traveling had completely drained me of any energy I had. I spent the next week recuperating but still having to be very careful of what I ate. We than began the journey of trying to find a good gastric doctor within reasonable distance of where we lived. After a visit with one doctor we were not too fond of, he referred us to his colleague. God had the best doctor possible for me when we were to Dr. Carpenter. It was so refreshing to meet a doctor that believed in the same God that we did. He was a true heaven send to us. We were completely lost and had no clue what the next step would be but he was there for us and is still there for us. The right doctor makes all the difference in the world!!

-This is just a little bit of my story. There is a lot more where that came from!!