CancerCompass message board discussion started by Terrynyc on 6/1/2006 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,5513,0.htm Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Hello all, My mother just had her visit with the specialist who would perform the Whipple. She is 70 years old. He said she would need to have a stress test to see if the Whipple is even viable. If they proceed with Whipple, the doctor says her quality of life will be deteriorated because of chemo and other health issues that may occur like pneumonia. He says that without surgery she is looking at 6 to 9 months to live. She could also die during the operation or her condition after surgery will be poor quality of life. My question is, would it be better to not have the surgery and live out the remaining months somewhat healthy as she is now, or attempt the surgery and have poor quality of lfe for whatever time she has left? If she doesn't have the surgery, how is the last stage of her life right before death? Would she have a stroke, die in her sleep, spend months in the hospital? I'm so confused. Any feedback/advice from people who experienced would be deeply appreciated. Thanks, Terry Terrynyc Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT thats a very tough question and one that many people face every day when dealing with cancer. The whipple is MAJOR surgery and takes months to recover from. If the cancer is caught early, it can be cureative. The downsides of surgery, they are required to reveal. Yes she could die from the surgery, yes she could get sick from chemo, etc, etc. Dont worry about that. However IF she has localized disease, it could be a cure. On the other hand she is 70 and has already lived a great life. Why spend what time she has left in agony from drugs and surgery? I would try to find out what her doc says about the possibility of a cure from surgery and chemo. Ask her what she thinks, its her life. And I would pray. Pray to make the right choice, for strength and courage and for her health. Oncrx Fri, 02 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT I can tell you what our experience was with whipple surgery. My dad had it 2 years ago and they removed 1/2 of pancreas and also part of stomach and a few other "parts" that he did not need to survive (including 12 lymph nodes) He was 60 yrs. old at the time. The surgery was successful in that he came through it and he recovered. There was only a slim chance of death from the actual surgery (his Dr. said) but recooperation was a long road. He began chemo. and radiation within weeks of the surgery and that was tough. Toward the end of the 6 month protocal, he was pretty weak and had lost a lot of weight. The drugs made him very sick. BUT he was "clean" for almost 2 years. The cancer is now back n the liver and he is back on chemo (Gemzar) I don't know what kind of shape your mom is in but my dad was in excellant health (played tennis every day) and this was all extremely tough for him. He was 220 lbs. a couple years ago and he is 155 now. It's a hard decision. I wish you lots of luck and prayers. Lynnmarie Fri, 02 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT I am late coming to this board, sorry. I am a 69 year old female and had the whipple procedure done 6 weeks ago. Part of the pancreas, the stomach and the small intestine were removed and then the organs were re-attached. The first two weeks were pure hell but from then on recovery has been rapid. I am almost 100% at this point, tiredness is my main complaint. My surgeon also recommended 5 months of chemo follow-up. I asked him if there was a guarantee that if I had the chemo that the cancer would not come back. Of course no guarantees. So I figure if it is going to come back it isn't going to make much difference what I do so I have opted to not have the chemo and the miserable months that go with it. All of life is a gamble and I already know personally two people who had breast cancer and did not take the chemo, one 5 years ago, the other 10 years ago. Quality of life means something and I don't feel I need to life forever. Kygorsk9i Mon, 12 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT Dear Terry, My mother had the whipple in sept. 2005. a 12 hour surgery, 10 days in the hospital, started radiation about 45 days after surgery, and chemo within 2 weeks after that. she became very ill from the treatments, was becoming mal nutitioned, had a peg tube put in early part of december, finished all treatments by the end of december, took january to try and start to recover, february was starting to get back to normal, her CA19-9 tests had not changed since december even after all the treatments, which told her oncologist that there was still disease somewhere, took 2 more treatments in march, CA19-9 went sky high, stopped all treatments as she wanted to attend my youngest daughters college graduation in kentucky, a 1 1/2 hour drive for her, as she wanted to be there for her to be proposed to also. She went continually downhill from there, and passed away June 3, 2006. When the dr. did a CT in March, they found a 2cm lesion in the liver, that had not been detected on any other scan since the surgery, or before, but the oncologist said that at that size, had probably been there a couple years. The whipple is the only "cure" for this awful cancer, and you do take your chances when you are able to have it done. I think it's a huge decision to make, and we were given great odds when mom decided to have it done. We were told it would give her possibly another 5 years, that the cancer would probably come back somewhere in her body eventually, but the risk was probably worth it. Unfortuneately, Mom wasn't one of the lucky ones who was able to bounce out of having surgery and come back with a full recovery. This decision should be a family decision, as the caretaker will be overwhelmed at times, and the patient will sometimes wonder why they even tried. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Best of everything to your mother. My mom was 67 when she passed. Lynne Mamaj Thu, 15 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT Thank you for your reply. I would deeply appreciate it if you could e-mail me at my personal address --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ----? My mother has some questions and I would like to put you in contact with her directly. she just had her stress test today and is waiting for the results. She has more concerns and needs an additional advice. Thank you so much. Terrynyc Wed, 28 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT Dear Terrynyc, I didn't get your personal email address as the site doesn't allow that info to be shared. I would love to just put my arms around your mom & you right now, give great big hugs to both of you. My heart is with you as you try and decide what is the best decision for your mom. I hopw the dr. she is seeing is bluntly honest with her. That is the only kind of dr. to have. The surgeon mom had was wonderful, he actually had done her melonoma surgery back in 2001, so she totally trusted him. I know that the first 2-3 hours of the surgery {whipple} I was on pins and needles, because he had told us, if I don't think this can be done, then I will know after a couple of hours. He came out after 12 hours very optomistic, and her oncologist was so optomistic, and so blunt with her, but gentle at the same time, and she totally trusted him as well. I will assume you live in NYC by your screen name, and I wish I could find out where as I am going to be in NYC in July. We have a family wedding in Albany on July 16, so we will be in Albany July 14, 15, 16, and leaving to go into the city on the 17th, and head back home to Cincinnati, Ohio on the 18th. I would be more than willing to meet with you & your mom, talk, listen, and give you all the support you need & deserve. My dad died in 1992 of colon/liver cancer, my mother in law had ovarian cancer, and my father in law had prostrate/lung cancer, and I thought I knew everything there was to know about cancer, but with pancreatic cancer, it's a whole new ball game. Hopefully we can find a way to reach each other. My thoughts and prayers are with you & your mom & your family. Lynne J. Blue Ash, Ohio 45242 Mamaj Thu, 29 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT I read your message about your decision not to take the chemo after surgery. My husband had a whipple done with grafting to the arteries on April 20th of 2006. He is 48 and came through the surgery with flying colors. Due to the position of his tumor, he really should not have been a candidate for surgery but chemo/radiation with some hard hitting drugs shrunk the tumor enough and our surgeon was able to perform what we call "our answer to our prayers." Now they tell him they want him to take 18 Gemzar treatments, 3weeks on and 1 off. Our first go at it was not very successful. His white blood count dropped very low and we had to do nuepogen shots. HE is like you are and does not want to have anymore chemo and let the chips fall where they may. He had clean margins, but narrow. No lymph node involvement and no metastisis. I'm not sure his decision is right but something in me tells me it is because I feel God has a purpose for him. How do you feel now. How do you feel about your decision and how have you felt since the surgery? Any help would be great! Princess Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT