Some symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency include malassimilation (mal = bad) which encompasses malabsorption, maldigestion and malnutrition. Vitamin deficiencies, weight loss (or inability to gain weight in children) and steatorrhea (loose, fatty, foul-smelling stools) are common. Chronic pancreatic problems are associated with lowered absorption of fats so fat-soluble vitamins may need to be supplemented.
What’s new at our house: Chicken Hill—“A Gated Community” as my brother now calls the chicken pen is also looking good. We’ve got about a city lot mostly cleared and fenced and the girls have spent the entire summer running around and scratching the area in search of bugs. Michael put up a large covered area for them so they will have a place to go now with the snow on the ground because they don’t like going out into that white stuff. It also serves as shelter for when the eagles, owls and hawks come around. We lost two birds to them this year so now when the girls hear anything screeching they all run for the cover and race into the hen house. They stay there about 20 minutes then come out to play again.