Hello @annebauer19

I'm glad to hear that this conversation has been helpful to you. Yes, I agree, that getting a second opinion is always good. It is important that your second opinion is from a very reliable source.

For example, if you live near a large, research-oriented medical facility such as a university medical center or a well-known cancer center, this is the best place for a second opinion. Most of us know about the great reputation of Mayo Clinic, but if the distance is a problem for you, look for another facility closer.

Here are the websites for both the American Cancer Society and the National Pancreas Society. Both will help you find Centers of Excellence in your area. It is important to research and know the best providers.
https://pancreasfoundation.org/about/
https://www.cancer.org/
Perhaps other members will address the specific types of treatments that your husband is taking so that they can compare notes and side effects. Has your husband's oncologist been told of the side effects?

Hi @annebauer19

I had the same radiation your husband is having now, with Xeloda (capcetabine) - are those the pills he is taking?

I had a rough time with the chemo pills, mainly because they caused my blood vessels to constrict and I had to be put on a low dose of amlodypine to counteract that. But it also caused me stomach discomfort.

My oncologist surmised that i might be experiencing some delayed gastric emptying. She said sometimes the radiation causes the pyloric sphincter (the muscle at the bottom of your stomach) to constrict and not empty into the intestine as it should. She prescribed Reglan which seemed to help. I was also on carafate which coats the stomach, which helped a little.

My stent was failing unbeknownst to anyone while i was undergoing radiation, so I suspect this might have been at least part of the cause for some of my tummy troubles. Once they replaced it a lot of my issues got better. Of course this also happened near the end of my radiation so maybe cessation of treatment helped too.

My surgeon at Mayo told me that they would likely do something called intraoperative radiation therapy during the course of my procedure. I'm going to be meeting with a radiological oncologist and I'll find out more about this, but from what I've researched it's more effective than external radiation because it's very hard to reach the pancreas. They can also shield the more delicate organs from damage with this procedure.

I don't know if my previous surgeon had been planning to do this but I'm wondering if it's something that your husband would be suited to. Something to inquire about at any rate.