An individual experiences intense excruciating abdominal pain.

S/he goes to the ER; gets some pain relief; may undergo some diagnostic tests; likely discharged with no clear diagnosis and/or referral to a GI.

S/he may make multiple visits to the gastroenterologist and or other clinicians and undergo another set of scans and tests.

The person may end up making multiple visits to different GIs, urgent care and emergency departments, many times with no clear diagnosis or even a misdiagnosis.

The person is left in a state of confusion, hopelessness and anxiety while still managing pain.

Some individuals who have the resources may traverse the country, seeking experts to diagnose their condition and/or create a plan to manage pancreatitis.

Armed with a diagnosis, the person may seek care from a trusted GI and pancreas expert.

S/he may also seek help from other specialists to manage related complications. But in most cases, the burden remains with the patient (and/or the caregiver) to coordinate between different clinicians while carrying the burden of pancreatitis.