Hi my name is Michele and I am the caregiver. My husband is 47 and underwent the Whipple Procedure on 8/22/07 for Ampullary Cancer. This has been extremely scarey and unexpected in our life as well as your own I'm sure. I'm looking for some suggestions or to see if anyone is experiencing the same post surgerical complications that he is. In brief: After the whipple procedure they found that it also metastisized into the lymph nodes. They only removed 6 but out of the six 2 were cancerous. The procedure went well and he was only in the hospital for 10 days. He did have a slight infection in his incision but that reopened it and packed a small part until it healed. Approximately 2 weeks after we were home he developed a staph infection in that small part of the incision. He was hospitalized for 1 week and sent home on IV antibiotics. While at home he contracted another staph infection in the blood stream (MRSA). This delayed his chemo treatments. Finally in October he began Chemo gemcitabine and taxol along with radiation at the same time for 5 weeks. Everyday was radiation and once a week he had chemo treatment. By about the 4th week of radiation he began having extreme upper abdominal pain and distention. They want to start another chemo treatment which is oral xelodel and tarceva but they are trying to get his pain under control. This chemo treatment is suppose to be for 6 months. He just had an endoscopy done today and it shows the stomach not emptying and barrets esophagus. He is on oxycodone, oxycoton, steroid, atavan, klonopin, creon, and protonix. Does anyone take this much medication? They say that his stomach may not be emptying because of the pain medication but he can not bear to think of stopping his pain meds. His appetite is fine and he can eat full meals with no problem. It's funny but you would think with the amount he is eating he would be gaining weight. I sure would and have just trying to encourage him in the beginning. I guess I'm just looking for similarities with someone to know he is okay or going to be okay. I never seem to get clarity from doctors. I'm told it is considered pancreatic cancer and yet I was told by another doctor to consider it the best case senario for pancreatic cancer. I'm just wondering if this is going to end or get better. He has a pet scan scheduled for 1/22/08 and then sees the radiologist for results on 1/25/08. Anyone's input would be extremely appreciated. Thanks for listening.
Michele