My father, 52 had the Whipple Procedure performed 1 year ago. He had a large portion of his pancreas removed, underwent chemotherapy, and his doctors reported no cancer in lymph nodes.
Before the cancer he also underwent multiple bypass heart surgery and a couple cardiac stent surgeries.
Because of his heart condition he is on many lipid/cholesterol control drugs, and a low fat diet. He didn't display any significant weight changes after all of his heart problems were addressed.
A year after his Whipple Procedure, he has lost a significant amount of weight. He was a fit 180 lb guy before and now he is down to 120 lbs, skin and bones. He takes his prescription enzymes and eats normal portioned meals. He told me he has to go to the bathroom 6 times a day, food seems to run right through him.
Something is wrong, I'm worried that he is becoming malnourished, his energy levels are way down. His doctor tells him that it is common to lose weight and he should just continue doing what he's doing.
Is the bathroom issue common? Can he take protein supplements? How can I help him put more weight on?