Help for the Mottl Family

Mike is having a TPIAT (Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation).   The removal of the pancreas, spleen, Duodenum and lower stomach, taking Islet cells (produce insulin) from the pancreas and attempt to transplant them into the liver where they will hopefully start producing insulin in a year or so.  

This is a 12+ hour dual surgery.  One to remove the organs and another within hours to transplant the Islet cells.  Mike will be in the hospital for a minimum of 8 days post operative.  He will be type 3c diabetic (forced into type 1) requiring insulin.  He will also be required to take digestive enzymes any time he eats for the rest of his life.

Here is our story of how this all came to be.

5 years ago life changed for our family.  Mike began having abdominal pain that put him in the hospital for 12 days, having his gallbladder removed and finding kidney cancer.  After having that surgery and another to partially remove one of his kidneys we thought we were in the clear and life would resume as normal.  Unfortunately that was just the beginning. Mikes abdominal pain not only persisted daily but began having intense pain flares every few weeks lasting up to 2 weeks.  Doctors in Kalamazoo found that his liver had partially atrophied and that he has Barrett’s Esophagus (pre-cancer of the esophagus) but couldn’t find the cause of the pain and referred us to University of Michigan.  After 7 endoscopies in one year the only findings were Gastroparesis (delaying of food emptying from stomach) and that his pancreas was atrophying.  So we moved onto the Cleveland Clinic where a Radiation Oncologist discovered that all the damage was a cause of the mantle radiation for Hodgkins Lymphoma, that Mike had in 1999 at the age of 24.  He is in a state of chronic pancreatitis.  His pancreas has degraded to 1/4 of the size it should be.  After several Celiac Plexus Blocks (nerve blocks) they were no longer lasting long enough to be worthwhile and the doctors recommended this TPIAT surgery.  Cleveland Clinic only does approximately 12 of these surgeries a year as they are only for the most severe pancreatitis patients they have.  After 6 months of multiple doctor appointments, testing and family discussions of the risks the doctor approved Mike for this surgery.  We as a family have come to terms with the risks and benefits. We have taken a big family vacation. Mike is taking a vacation with each of us individually and we are ready for surgery at the end of September. 

Please let’s all come together and help the Mottls.