Whipple Surgery

On 2/13/2008 sdrobo wrote:

 

On 1/4/2008 julie2 wrote:

My mom just turned 76 & on Thanksgiving day was experiencing black stools. She was admitted to Saddleback Hospital in Laguna Ca. where they did a "scope" down her throat to see where the bleeding was coming from. A "mass" was found in her upper intestine near the pancreatic area. Saddleback immediately sent her to UCI Irvine where the Whipple surgery was to be done the next day. The surgeon was not satisfied with Saddleback's scope and performed their own where they were able to remove the mass thru her throat. (I'm told this procedure is only done at this hospital) The "mass" turned out to be a very very large pollup which was non-cancerous but they were only able to remove 95% and the 5% was left. The area that was left was scraped and a biopsy showed it to be a high grade "pre-cancer". At the time the surgeon didn't feel that the whipple surgery was necessary and that a scope every 3-6 months would be all she needed for now. They would keep an eye on it and biopsy each time. This recent checkup the surgeon strongly suggested the Whipple. He says that she can have another scope to give her more time to prepare for the surgery but he said she would eventually need to have it. The area left is pre-cancerous but he guarantees within 2 years it will turn into cancer. My mom is terrified and I am terrified. We thought this nightmare was behind us but it looks like its just the beginning. My mom is active she has no symptoms. I can't imagine her going through the recovery. After reading some of the experiences I'm having second thoughts on this surgery. Can someone please give me some advise? I'm feeling very lost and confused.

Hi Julie,  not sure if your still reading these messages but I thought I'd share my experiences.  I'm 38 and following tests back in July was given odds of 90% that I had pancreatic cancer. I was therefore informed that I had to have a whipple to give me any chance of surviving the disease. Luckily the surgeon at my local hospital was a bit of an expert and had performed 60 previous ops, which put me a little more at ease.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect, never having been in hospital before, and had no idea want the recovery would be like.  Thankfully the op went like clock work and I was out of hospital within 10 days.  The main problems I had following the op was gaining the weight I’d lost – around 2 stone, fairly constant stomach pains and malnutrition / diarrhoea. At the time it was difficult to comprehend life being back to normal but I’m now six months down the line and things have improved dramatically.  Thankfully, 2 months after the op I was told it wasn’t cancer but chronic pancreatitis, still surgery was the best think I could have done.  I suppose the positive things I can pass on are the pains did subside and are now the exception not the rule.  I’m still working on the malnutrition but things have improved since I’ve been taking enzyme supplements (Pancrex) and have but on nearly a stone since the op. The only thing left is regaining my energy levels, which are improving on a daily basis.  I was, as you are, worried about my quality of life post op after reading forums on the whipple procedure but for me it’s turned out well.  I sincerely hope everything goes well and you and your mum get though this.  For me the main thing that helped was staying positive no matter what the doctors were telling me.