Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer: How to deal with anxiety of surgery?

Small portions as you recover from surgery you can eat as your body tells you and your appetite returns. Takes a while for your Gastrointestinal . System gets used to its new arrangement. God bless you for a speedy recovery. 🌈🙏🏼💜

My husband had the Whipple on a Monday and was home on a Friday 4 days later. No pain although he had pain killers but even at home he is off pain meds and is fine. He is slow moving and has gastroparesis (sp?) which means his stomach isn’t squeezing as it should to empty but otherwise he is great. I’m sure a lot of others cannot say the same but he has had no problems at all.

just finished my consultation with my surgeon and he said I'm recovering well. He prescribed CREON.
I am concerned if I will have side effects when taking CREON, anyone currently taking it and can share their experience?

Next step is for me to undergo chemo, I'll know when once I get my appointment with my oncologist.

Creon should not give you any side effects. My husband takes 3x150mg with each meal. He has taken it for a year now.
I think the time for starting chemo is between 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. In that time do try to eat nutritiously. Eat whatever takes your fancy as long as not overly fatty, fibrous and sugary. Eat freshly cooked food. Look up protein juices.

ABSOLUTELY take Creon!!! You will have side effects if you don't take Creon. Creon will allow you to digest the food you eat. It was awful for my husband before he started taking Creon. The amount you take will depend on how it works for you. Everyone is different.....Good luck on your journey!!

Hi @ayeo - I have been using Creon for almost 6 years now post pancreatectomy. It works really well and I don't have any side effects to speak of with it. I take the 36,000 unit dosage - three with each meal (before, during, and after) and one with snacks. Creon definitely is the way to go as it helps with digestion of fats.
The one thing that is a downside is that it is expensive - it would be about $6,000 per month charged to insurance for me. I remember my first fill after surgery and it was a $2,700 charge at the local pharmacy. I just about passed out.

But....! I did sign up for and now use a Creon coupon card from Abbvie and it is now $5 per month for me!
https://patientsupport.creoninfo.com/cost-savings
Hang in there and I am really glad to hear you are recovering well.

I took Creon and, when it became very difficult to obtain, switched to Zenpep. I was taking three 36,000 unit capsules with each meal. I was able to qualify for Zenpep's (Nestlé) financial assistance program and received the script for no cost.

I was able to slowly get off the Zenpep after about one year out from the surgery. Again, everyone's recovery is different and it is often a matter of trial and error until we find what's going to work over the long haul. Good luck.

I have also been taking Creon for about six years. It provides the enzymes to digest food that your pancreas produces. As others have stated here the trick is how much do you take that matches your need for additional enzymes to digest the food, especially fats. God bless you and may you recover well. 🙏🏼💜🌈

Yesterday, I started taking two 10,000 unit capsules with each meal as prescribed by my surgeon and experienced no side effects.
An appointment with my oncologist this coming Monday, i believe it's on chemotherapy.

I have since recovered well from my Whipple operation on 11th Feb 2025 (no chemo before the surgery) and my surgeon tells me the next step is the chemotherapy.
My first consultation with my oncologist is on 3rd March 2025, anyone can share what to expect?
Anyone can share your experience?
Will chemo be done on that day? How does one feel when undergoing chemotherapy and after each chemotherapy?
Would like to understand more to allay my anxiety, thank you.