On 5/10/2008
gerose71 wrote:
On 5/7/2008 zanam wrote:
My dad had the whipple 6 years ago and was in the hospital for 47 days. He has never been the same since. He is weak, tired, quiet, moody, food tastes terrible....etc. We have been trying to find someone to help our situation for years. Finally today my parents met with the surgen who preformed the surgery. He seems to be the last hope. My dad goes to the VA hospital in Sturgis, SD and it seems like nobody gives us any help. It's just like we are treated as though we are needlessly complaining. Until you or a family member goes through the whipple you have NO IDEA how horrible it can be. My dad went into the hospital a vibrant, happy, 280 lb., dark haired man and 47 days later was 180 lbs., gray haired and basically an old man. He was only 59 at the time. I have watched him and my mom suffer for years. There is no way my dad could have ever went back to work. His day is basically consumed with sleeping on the couch. He eats but complains about nothing tasting good. He has had loose stools for 6 years. Not to be gross by they are very oily and usually his soiled undies get thrown away. His surgen is sending him to Minneapolis to see the VA surgen there, hoping that he will receive better care there. It's not that the doctors here haven't tried to help...I just don't think they have a clue what the whipple does to a person and the on going care they need. I feel so horrible for my mom...bless her, she has been right there with him. My dad did not have cancer but it was suspected. There was a growth on the pancreas and the surgen said his pancreas looked like a shriveled piece of bacon. He also mentioned that this was not a typical Whipple...musch worse. Has anyone been through this or have any advice for us. Thank you.
I have not had whipple surgery yet, but I expect that it will happen. I have familial polyposis and polyps in my duodenum, which are looking rather threatening for cancer. I have been to the U. of M., Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center a couple of weeks ago. MDACC is the number 1 cancer center in the country and they do several whipple procedures. Their doctors are very specialized and even though I didn't trust the U. of M.; and Mayo was reluctant to do this surgery on me due to my lengthy medical history, I would trust MDACC because they are very experienced, their doctors do hundreds of these surgeries and they have doctors that specialize in whipple surgery. I would be happy to discuss this with you further if you wish. Good luck to you and your Dad! Gerry
Thank you very much for your support. My dad has not been well since his Whipple. It is always nice to have people to talk to that are in the same boat. It seems like people either come out from whipple with little recovery or are sick for years. We had no choices where, when or who my dad's whipple would happen. It was a very sudden and unexpected thing for us. Again, thank you. Zana