WHAT IS EPI?

MEL: EPI is really the inability of my pancreas to produce enough enzymes to help me digest food.

RHONDA: I was having these symptoms and I went on the computer and kind of typed it in and did my research and I kind of told them what I had found and then, you know, together he said, “Yep. It sounds like, you know, you nailed it.”

DEBRA: I knew the pancreas had to do with insulin and diabetes, but I really didn’t understand as far as the digesting of food.

RHONDA: What’s happening with EPI is that the foods aren’t being broken down and because you have food in there, that’s undigested, it’s causing these bloating and cramps, and the oil isn’t being broken down, so that’s coming out in your stool. Once we found out it was EPI, I was actually relieved to have a diagnosis.

MEREDITH: For somebody who was recently diagnosed with EPI, I would tell them to pay attention to their symptoms, talk to their doctor openly, and take their medication as prescribed.