Surgery Taking 80% Pancreas Operation experience?

Considering "distal Pancreatomy" . Spleen out, adreanal gland out, Celiac Art out.

Any one have suggestions on expectations, Mental prep, "get buff" prep. Attitude that helps? Post-Op suggestions like get up and walk, move. 

Hope to be in hospital 5 days or so? and fight to recovery with good spirit and attitude and support group.

Thanks for any input/suggestions/experiences. 

Postive attitude, I just had whipple surgery 5 weeks ago and I not going to tell you the recovery was easy but, I made it, I was in the hospital 10 days. After returning home was a bit of a challenge with eating and sleeping. It will all pass  I eat what I want and my sleeping has gone back to normal. I take enzymes to help digest and am on 1 pill a day for sugar control. My surgars are great and will probaly  not take anything in 3 months. Whan I came home I did not take pain pills but, 3 weeks into recovery I started eating more and found that 1 hyrdocodine in the moring would calm my stomach muscle and in my back. I suggest this don;t be a hero like I tried if you can help it. lol. It is a slow recovery but you will make it I am 49 and back up driving and going as much as my energy will let me. I had a great doctor and support from my family and friends. Pray for a speedy recovery try not to worry I was in surgery for 10 hrs and was called short of a miracle. Yes, I was scared but, I put it all in Gods hands. This surgery is so common these days it;s like having a gastric bypass. Have faith laugh, live and love my prayers are with you. When are you have surgery .

 

Bammie/Melinda

 

On 8/13/2009 bammy wrote:

Postive attitude, I just had whipple surgery 5 weeks ago and I not going to tell you the recovery was easy but, I made it, I was in the hospital 10 days. After returning home was a bit of a challenge with eating and sleeping. It will all pass  I eat what I want and my sleeping has gone back to normal. I take enzymes to help digest and am on 1 pill a day for sugar control. My surgars are great and will probaly  not take anything in 3 months. Whan I came home I did not take pain pills but, 3 weeks into recovery I started eating more and found that 1 hyrdocodine in the moring would calm my stomach muscle and in my back. I suggest this don;t be a hero like I tried if you can help it. lol. It is a slow recovery but you will make it I am 49 and back up driving and going as much as my energy will let me. I had a great doctor and support from my family and friends. Pray for a speedy recovery try not to worry I was in surgery for 10 hrs and was called short of a miracle. Yes, I was scared but, I put it all in Gods hands. This surgery is so common these days it;s like having a gastric bypass. Have faith laugh, live and love my prayers are with you. When are you have surgery .

 

Bammie/Melinda

Thanks Bammie/ Melinda  : My twin brother most likely will have this in a couple weeks, end of august.Called a "distal Pancreactomy" . At USC.

I have specific question I will post separately which is basically= what if cancer cells are left will they take over even worse so was it "worth it" doing the operation. Kinda a big question I guess. Are there any actual stats on this...Or do I want to know?  Thanks to any and all. I have posted same thing over on the John Hopkins board. 

 

I;m really not sure about the cancer cells that might be left I would think radiation and chemo would be followed after. Since my as not cancer I did not have to get that far. Knowing cancer survivors they had radiation and chemo after surgery. Have your brother talk to his surgeon or GI doc about this. Good Luck

Bammie/Melinda

All is possible.My husband was diagnosed with neuroendicrine pancreatic cancer, with mets to both liver nodes, and the aortic lymph node. After 10 chemo treatments, a lifesaver surgeon at MD Anderson felt that the tumor on the pancreous could be removed, at the same time clearing out the tumors on the right side of the liver, and removing the spleen. This first operation was done in May of 2007, and my husband came back slowly, got a couple of bloodclots in his lungs, and an infection in the liver site, but did great otherwise. Takes enzumes to help digestion. In September 2009, the Doc went back for the other side of the liver, and the lymph node. He was only able to clear the liver because there was so much scar tissue to cut thru to get to the site. They then did an ultrasound on the liver area, which turned up 2 tumors on his diaphragm, which they also removed, and his gallbladder. As this took 7 hours, they decided to wait on the lymph node, until Feb 2010. This surgury was without the problems of the first one, and my husband is already looking forward to being cancer free next year. They are recommending some more chemo, to ensure there are no more strays out there, which he dreads, but why go to the best Doctors and hospital and not do what they reommend ?Dr.  E.K. Abdalla,Dr. A. Phan, Dr. Jean Vauthey, and M.D.Anderson Cancer Center in Houston can work miracles. Their teams are caring, always listen, Dr. Leigh Samp answers our emails same day, just a great group. Will update as we go, good luck to you all, keep the faith.