Ok, I will fill in some blanks about my dad since the 1st go around I was pretty vauge. My dad went into the VA only to have an out patient Gallbladder surgery. Minutes before the operation the surgen came out and asked my mom if while he was "in there" she or my dad would mind if he "looked around" a bit. He had never met my dad before that day and after looking over his chart the night before thought there had to be more going on with him than his gallbladder. Lack of appitite, tired, weight loss, irritability...etc. I didn't even go to the hospital with them initally since he would be in and out of surgery and back home in a few hours. After about 3 hours of no word from my mom we began to worry. Moments later the phone rang and it was my mom. She said the surgen had just come out and told her to get thier kids there ASAP...he didn't have good news. At this point I had no idea he had anything going on other than the GB surgery. When we got to the VA the surgen came out to talk to us. He said my dad had something horribly wrong with his pancreas and he needed to do a Whipple Surgery ASAP. If we didn't do it right then he probably would not have a chance of making it off of the table alive. He also said at this point that had he not came in that day he would have only lived a max. of 20 days. We went into this whole Whipple thing totally unprepared. We had no idea of the risks, outcome...nothing. His pancreas was discribed to us as a shriveled up piece of bacon. He did not have a typical whipple (per the surgen) he removed the whole pancreas, alot of his intestine and of course re-routed everything. He was in ICU for 8 days before moving to a regular room. On day 9 they had to re-open him because his lower intestine was leaking. He then spent the additional 38 days. During this time he did not have a bowel movement, did not eat any food (liquids only) , he had no physical therapy. He lost 100 pounds and I would say ALOT of muscle mass. He literally went in a vibrant man and came out an old man.
He does take prescribed enzymes(plaretase 8000/pancrelipase USP tablets/lipase 8000 USP units/protease 30,000 units/ amylase 30,000 units: this is all on bottle on the enzyme pill.)...although after reading these posts I'm not sure he is taking enough. He takes 4 pills 3 times a day 1/2 hour before eating. He also now takes epoetine injection 10,000 units 2x weekly for anemia, metoprololtartrate 100 mg one tablet 2x a day for heart and blood pressure, terazosin/hcl 10mg 1x day for prostate, nifedipine 90 mg 1x a day for blood pressure, furosemide 40 mg at night and 80 mg tuesday, thursday, saturday and sunday. , levothyroxine .075 mg 1 table 3x a day before meals (thyroid), polysaccharide complex (iron) 150 mg. 2x a day (aniema), B12-1000 mg.shot 1x every 30 days for nutrition. Multi-vitamin senior formula tablet 1x daily. He takes lantis(glargine) morning and night and novelog(aspart) at lunch for diabetes.
With no pancreas he is known as a "brittle diabetic." He can go from blood sugar readings of 650 to 28 in a matter of hours. WIth no pancreas controling his blood sugar is almost impossible. He had seen several nutritonist and they basically throw their hands in the air after a few weeks.
Within the 1st year of the whipple he had a heart attack and had stints put in, (3) I think. And also had a hernia operation.
Due to his diabetes he has congestive heart failure and kidney disease now. He is supposed to (per nutritionist) eat low carb, low fat, low protien and still consume approx. 3000 calories to gain weight. FOr a person that can barely eat that is alot of food.
Honestly at this point I just think it is more important to figure out what he CAN eat with out getting sick and perk him up then worry about tweeking it after he has gained some weight and is physically feeling better? I'm not sure but that is what my gutt says.
He is 6'4" and 175-180 now. He looks like a skeleton. He has shaking in his left hand/arm almost constantly. He is freezing cold all of the time...he sleeps on the couch with a down comforter, a winter coat and a heating pad, year round almost all day.
He does go to physical theapy m-w-th to ride a stationary bike for 1 hour. That is pretty much all of his activity at this point.
Since the whipple, food tastes horrible most days. It seemed like it was getting better and then a few weeks ago it is back, worse than ever. He says most things taste to salty.
Well, I think that is pretty much it. I'm sure I forgot something...but I will update any info.
I am sending this back to you and I will post it again on the message board. Seems like Charlotte's husband is very similar to my dad.
I am sorry this is so long but I guess it had to be. Again, I (we) very much apperciate all of you responses and just the fact that you care enough to help. Already you have offered more help then the medical feild has given us in 6 years! Bless you. Zana