Pancreatic Cancer Group: Introduce yourself and connect with others

@cstroop1
My surgery is not Wipple but will be to remove a part of the tail of my pancreas. Scheduled in April of this 2026. Mayo’s Dr. Shauffley is my surgeon.
Would love comments from those who have had this type of surgery to help me understand what I am in for pre and post surgery.

@56pan The VA has been very helpful with assistive devices like cane, shower chair, walker with seat 🙂 and a power chair (light weight and fits in back of our Blazer). Does not hurt to ask your provider if you need something. I use all of the above at differing times. The last few showers I could actually stand again 🙂 Oh how the little things can mean so much 🙂 Lidocaine cream is helpful for the neuropathy. So is Hempvana nerve pain relief. I found using a massager can help the neuropathy but had to stop when I developed blood clots in my right leg. Elevating the legs on a pillow (like "Gerd" pillow) helped some on the night I had chemo.

@199 Nothing here but praise for my local VA med. center. I was in a clinical trial at the NIH and taking Olaparib since my DNA test showed I had the BRCA2 gene mutation and pancreatic acinar cell cancer, not ductal cell which was a requirement for the trial. The Olaparib didn't shrink the cancer areas at all. After release from the trial, I started at the VA and the oncologist there could not figure out why the Olaparib was ineffictive as it should have been with my BRCA2 mutation. He wanted another DNA test but Medicare wouldn't pay for it so he had the VA pay. He found that I'd had a reverse BRCA2 mutation (very rare thing apparently) which explained the lack progress on Olaparib and put me on Gemcitabine/Abraxane and it shrunk the 2 PET scan observable tumors down to where I was able to get radiation therapy. That doc is one sharp individual. All in the past now, as my recent PET scan showed more metastasization. I expected that, but that doc extended my life some. Thanks for the info on the Hempvana. I'll look it up and good luck, sir.

@cstroop1
Hello, most likely the surgery will be robotic. This will make recovery time so much easier! You will experience gas pain for awhile, which may radiate to your shoulder. Also you will be coached on eating. Probably smaller portions at a time, protein forward, taking it easy on fiber in the beginning. I found it pretty easy all and all. Later I had liver surgery which was a bit more of a bear!

@joeseah, you might be interested in these related discussions:
- Anyone have preventative surgery for IPMN (not cancer)?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/i-am-looking-at-surgery-on-342025-i-am-in-my-70s-do-not-have-canc/
- Benign or Malignant IPMN? What to do next?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/six-non-invasive-ipmns/

See all: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/pancreatic-cancer/

Also:
- Life after pancreatectomy: Tyring to decide on surgery or not https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/life-after-pancreatectomy-1/
See all https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/pancreatic-cancer/

Have you decided to do surgery or not?

@cstroop1

Hi. The surgery you are having is likely a distal pancreatectomy. I had a distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy in April 2023. Mine was not robotic. I was hospitalized for six days. Most of that with a spinal block for pain control. Recovery was challenging but I was back to work remotely in about a week after I was released from hospital. Since my surgery, I have had to eat smaller, more frequent meals but am lucky that a portion of my pancreas is still there so no need to have supplemental meds to assist with digestion.

I would guess they will take your spleen as well which will require you to have some additional vaccinations post surgery.

It took my scar quite awhile to heal. Frequent walking is really good to help you accelerate your recovery.

Being eligible for surgery is good news. A surprise I had is that the doc took several areas of my liver to be assessed during the surgery. If there had been spread beyond the lymph nodes nodes, they would not move forward with the procedure. Fortunately for me there wasn’t.

About 4 weeks after my surgery I started chemo (folfirinox).

It has been almost three years, but I’m happy to answer any other questions you have to the best of my recollection.

My surgery was not done at Mayo but you are in great hands at Mayo.

@pd65, welcome. You may be interested in the discussions where members are talking about gemcitabine+abraxane, like these ones:
- Who else has had Gem-Abraxane chemo regimen and for how long?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/chemotherapy-regime/
- Any experiences with Gemcitabine + Abraxane as second line treatment?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gemabrax-as-second-line-treatment/

How did the first treatment go? How are YOU doing?

I am 72 years old and I have been in the prediabetic range for about 20 years and have not yet crossed the type 2 threshold, and I have not been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My concern (and I am worried) is that I may have pancreatic cancer because I recently lost 10% of my body weight but my A1C west from 5.2 to 6.1 in 15 months! My fasting glucose test at the same time was 108 which is typical for my fbg. I am new to this group, and this is my first post. Anyone have a similar experience?

Wondering if my occasional watery eyes and blurry vision are a latent side effect of the Folfirinox - 12 cycles last year ending in December 2025 - or something else? I also had the Whipple (Pancreatic cancer) last June but I don't think this would be the cause. This symptom has just showed up within the last 2 months, I had my annual eye exam last December with no problems identified then. And it (not tears that might fall, the excess water seems like it’s internal rather than external, I can’t clear up my vision wiping my eyes or blinking hard) isn’t constant, some days my eyes/vision is totally normal, then I will suddenly have it again - I can hardly read a book some nights which I usually do before going to sleep. Can do this if I squint very hard, but this isn't good.
Even though the chemo was over a few months ago, I have experienced some other latent effects from it (little bumps on my palms and fingers that will pop up every so often, but these are not problematic). Thank you if anyone has any thoughts or experience with this.

@dryheataz Hi and welcome to Mayo Connect. Are you experiencing any other changes in your body that make you concerned that it's pancreatic cancer?