PJ, Hopefully you have read the only other recent ampullary cancer posting on this website from London, dated 19 Dec, and my responses to her. If you have not and cannot, please let me know and I will restate all from those postings. In short, my 53 yr old wife Sun, had over a week-long diagnosis where the docs repeatedly tried to prove she had gallstones. Finally opened her up more for exploratory surgery than anything else and wound up doing the 5-hour Whipple procedure on 31 Oct. Small community hospital with surgeons that still refused to admit they had removed a tumor until testing of it came back positive 2 days later. Up until that point they said they said it was 'an infected mass' probably caused by gallstones which she must have already passed. Had I known then what I know not, we would have moved to a cancer center for the operation. She still has complications, including swelling, pain and a puss drainage from a hole they cut in her belly 2 weeks AFTER the surgery after a large puss blister developed. She's lost 15 lbs since surgery, down to 90 lbs, and having a big problem gaining it back. She has had 4 different follow-on treatment proposals from different oncologists, and finally started chemo 3 days ago following a procedure recommended by the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. She will take chemo alone for 3 months then switch to another type of chemo with radiation for 5 weeks, then back to her present chemo for the remainder of 6 months. As I said, if you can't find my previous postings, let me know and I'll restate to you. Good luck to you and your brother. Our prayers are with you. George & Sun C, Cocoa Beach, FL
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