Pancreatic Cancer Group: Introduce yourself and connect with others

Hi, I'm Kelley and just days before Father's Day, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He is diabetic and has chronic back pain and he retired a few years ago. The time spent on appointments, scans, and consults and waiting to start treatment has been tough on my father. We still do not know what stage his cancer is, whether the enlarged lymph nodes have cancer as well, or whether they are recommending surgery or chemo first.

He is in a lot of pain in the evenings and of course at this point, I don't know whether it's cancer, his chronic back pain (that has worsened over the years), or a combination of both things.

I know this is a dangerous cancer, but I'm trying so hard to be cautiously optimistic for my dad and mom through this. Any recommendations or ways to help at the beginning of treatment? I want to be there for them as much as I can; I don't live too far from them.

Any other recommended sites, or groups on here or reading to support someone going through cancer? I want to give them space to process everything but know I am here when they need me.

Thank you so much for your prayers and same to you.

For newly diagnosed patients as well as caregivers, the following two links provide comprehensive information that is clear, concise and helpful-
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NEWLY DIAGNOSED
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https://pancan.org/facing-pancreatic-cancer/diagnosis/recently-diagnosed/
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https://letswinpc.org/newly-diagnosed/

My treat ment complete 8 cemo cycle and 6 cycle tablet,I am tired and weak.my agé 44 years women in india.

Hello @tharani1960 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I'm so glad that you found this forum where others can share their experiences with you. In your post you say that you have completed eight chemo cycles and six cycles of a tablet. Do you know the names of these medications?

I look forward to hearing from you again. How long ago were you diagnosed with pancreatic cancer? Will you be having any follow-up scans in the near future?

This in medicine

@tharani1960, I think you may have tried to upload a file or image. Perhaps you can simply type the name of the medicine in a message.

@tomdecker1117, I might also add Mayo Clinic's Clinical Trial website. https://www.mayo.edu/research/clinical-trials

You can search for clinical trials for pancreatic cancer using the search tool on the site. But I think you might appreciate speaking with a cancer trial coordinator. Here's how:

CANCER-RELATED CLINICAL STUDIES QUESTIONS
Phone: 855-776-0015 (toll-free)
Online form: https://www.mayo.edu/research/forms/cancer-clinical-trials

What chemotherapy are you currently on, Tom? What stage is your pancreatic cancer?

An update on my story. My dear Tom succumbed to the cancer on April 20, 2023. He never recovered from the botched whipple procedure. There was a bad connection (a crimp) and he literally starved to death. I hope your situation is more positive.

Hello Degleigl,
Were you previously under thread of @tomdecker1117? I’m so very sorry to hear of your loss. Sounds like a stent should have been put in early on. My bestie since high school passed from gall bladder cancer in November 2022 for the same reason. Her dr at Kaiser in San Diego put in a plastic stent in her intestine sometime after her surgery but somehow there was no follow through ultrasound endoscopy after 6 weeks and tissue had grown inside the stent when a metal stent MIGHT have prevented that so she also passed from starvation. I had just undergone pancreatic surgery so I wasn’t able to even visit her in the hospital but her family indicated it was difficult for them not to be able to help her at that stage. Thank you for sharing about your loved one and so very sorry for you. The fact that you posted on this thread shows that he had a great support system from you. Again, will be adding you and Tom to todays prayers.