Whipple Surgery

I went to my doctor last November for some problems I was having.  He sent me for a CT and then an MRI.  Both showed a cycst in the head of my Pancreas.  After several tests it was determined that I needed to see a sugeon because of the nature of the cycst.  I had WHIPPLE SURGERY on 1/23/2006.  The cycst was benign.  It is almost a year now and thanks to having a great surgeon, prayers and my family, I am getting along very well.  I just turned 70.

I stayed in the hospital a month.  It was very hard getting back on my feet, eating and doing things again.  I lost 25 pounds and had no appetite but the appetite is back and now I have to be careful not to gain weight.

My husband and family have been so helpful during this time and I am so thankful.  The Whipple Surgery is extremely hard.  I feel I came through it fine.  I have good days and bad days and a lot more good days than bad.

In August my husband and I started walking 3 times a week at our church track.  Making friends while walking helped me to get better.  I am so thankful to be where I am at this time.  There are so many more people so much worse off than I am. 

I am going for a physical in February and pray that everything is fine. 

I take Protonix and Enzymes.  If anyone has information about a website regarding enzymes or if anyone is taking them I would appreciate some information.  Thanking you in advance. 

Do the Protonix and Enzymes help your body porcess foods correctly?  My mom has trouble with dehydration and she is always "starving".  Her prealbumin levels which measure nutrition are in the tank.

Her whipple was in June 05 followed by chemo and radiation.  She has never taken anything for the dietary issues and I am thinking it is time !

 Any feedback appreciated.

My husband had the whipple on 12/13/06 It took almost 2 months before they new what was wrong. He had been weak and could hardly make it thru a work day for about 4 months before we new what was going on. He is diabibic,has highblood pressure too. Our family dr. said it was just that. But then he turned yellow, we went to the er and they tested for hepitis and kept him for 1 and 1 half weeks doing nothing. They thought he was a druggie.WOULDN'T BELIEVE US THAT HE DIDN'T DUE DRUGS.Sent him home still yellow (it takes time for hepitis test to be done). Within a week I took him back(real yellow)and they begong to run tests. They found a blockage on the ducts of the gallbladder but could do nothing about it. We had no insurance, so no doctor Knoxsville or Nashville would even talk to us or give us a appointment. By this time he was bad, bad,.

I went to the health dept, amd ask everyone I knew for help getting him to a hospital in Nashville. Our car wouldn't even make the trip there,it is in so bad shape. I finally knew he was going to die if I didn;t do something so I ask a friend if they would take us to Nashville to the er.You can't be turned away at a er. so the er seen my husband and thats how it got started at Vanderbuilt. The first dr. we saw was really rude and didn't want to see my husband. said this will be brief because I have other patients to see. After looking at my husbands tests adn charts he turned and said I'm so sorry for what I just did. From there on out we seen the best on the best and they call my husband a very special case. That hospital was great and so were the doctors. It took the dr. at Vanderbuilt about three weeks to find the tumor. they knew it was there but couldn;t find it. My husband had two small surgeries (stents and wxploratory) before the whipple. The whipple took over 7 hours and he stayed only six days. But

they took the staples out on the 6th day and his incision unzipped like a zipper. Boy that was a mess it had to heal on its own. One week later he was back in the hospital with liver infiction which almost killed him. so if any one wants to talk I here , you would not believe what things we have been thru and are still going thru . He has had four chemo tratments so far and is getting ready for radition for to given at the same time as chem. Chemo is ruff on him , he has already had 2 blood blood shot boosters and one white pallwts shot booster. But we are fighting this but it is not easy. he has changed. But I as trying to understand why, It is hard and sometimes it helps to talk. Thanks.