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Whipple procedure and follow up chemo
I had the Whipple procedure done at Mayo 2/8/19 and got out of hospital on 2/19. Had to go back to my local hospital a week later for dehydration pain and nausea, and was there for a week. Just had follow up at Mayo 4/1, and the surgical crew thought I was doing well. I can eat, and have to limit myself at meals, as I tend to want to eat too much.I lost 40 pounds, and still feel super weak and get fatigued easily. Mayo oncology want me to start chemo at 2 months out, and I have an appointment with a local oncolog4/10. My question is am I smart to be looking at chemo when I feel so worn out. I see chemo recommendation for starting at 8 to 12 weeks after surgery. Also, am wondering what chemo course to take. Mayo liked the Flofirinox treatment.. I was tabbed at Stage II after the Whipple. They did the normal resection, but also resection a section of my transverse colon that appeared to be cancerous.
the overall diagnosis was Pancreatic cancer. I would appreciate any input. Thank you in advance
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Colleen, thanks for forwarding the NIC website! Moo1
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1 ReactionThanks for these reminders. (Your post made me hungry). Most people don't appreciate how much protein we can get from veggies and legumes. Nutrition information I have sought out has been disappointing as it does not take into consideration the digestive issues associated with pancreatic cancer. That includes the oncology specialized nutritionist I visited with early in the game. So much nutrition info widely available is also 100% contradictory...frustrating.
Please tell me u r symptoms for pancreatic cancer i have and have been having pains upper right quadrant that extends into my back and across my back like something is pressing on the nerves
Cookiegnias, I had this upper right quadrant belly pain and it was worse when lying down, and unrelated to eating. I also had changes in digestion. I had abdominal ultrasound, colonoscopy and stomach scope but all were normal. Physician was ready to stop testing (I believe stomach pain and digestive issues are easy to dismiss) but I insisted something was not right and we finally did CT scan which detected the tumor. Time of onset of symptoms to identification of the cancer was 5 months. We need to be our own advocates in the health care world.
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4 ReactionsDear all my dad had an IRE a month ago , do you know when is the time to start chemo again ? He has pancreatic cancer
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1 ReactionHi @nasagia36, if I read your past messages correctly, your dad had chemo before surgery to help shrink the tumor, and then last month he had surgery, a Irreversible Electroporation (IRE). Your question is when will he start chemo post surgery, correct?
Has the medical oncologist not discussed the treatment plan with him? Might the start date be affected by COVID-19? What have you heard?
Hi , Actually he started today 6th week after IRE ... yes this is what I believe too , probably they postponed the therapy due to Covid19 . The issue is that after IRE we were expecting improvement but this did not happen , CT scan show that the tumor increased ! Let’s hope that the new medicines will help him
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1 Reaction@nasagia36, I'm sorry to hear that the tumor actually grew since the IRE. What chemo protocol did he start? How's he doing today?
Creon needs more explanation from its manufacturer, or maybe they just can't cover all the side effects. I still can't get it right, between bloating and loose stools. If I take it with meals, I get bloating from gas and regular bowel movements. If I take it 30-60 minutes before meals, there's no gas problem, but I get loose stools and sometimes diarrhea. My Whipple surgery, Jan, 2019, was successful, and I have no other underlying conditions. After surgery, and during my five months of chemo and radiation, my GI doc and my oncologist had me taking 75,000 IU of Creon with each main meal and 25,000 with snacks over 200 calories. I'm still doing that, trying to figure out how to strike a balance about when to take it--before or with. I'll be grateful to hear from anyone with ideas and experience.
@luckyguy - I usually take a few bites of food and then I take the creon. If I am only eating vegetables and a carb intake 2-3 pills. If there is any fat in the food intake 3-4 pills. Even two years out my stools at time are loose, and I always have gas. I suppose it’s a side effect I live with. If the gas gets too intense you can always take an over the counter med for this. Good luck on your journey!