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Digestive issues and pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Sep 15, 2022 | Replies (29)Comment receiving replies
Hello everyone, my Mom had Stage 1A pancreatic cancer and had the Whipple in July 2020. Unfortunately, the cancer returned to the peritoneum in December 2021. She had a minor laparoscopic procedure the same month to remove the new growths. She was NED again until July of this year, which showed a tiny new nodule again in the peritoneum almost pressing on the liver and a local recurrence on the pancreatic bed. She is currently not on treatment, as we are waiting for an immunotherapy trial to open up later this year, which targets her tumor's unique fusion.
What is most concerning to us is that over the last ten days or so, she has begun to experience some on and off gas/bloating after eating her meals. The gas/bloating goes away after an hour or so, but it is causing her discomfort. She also has been extremely stressed for the past several weeks with planning my sister's upcoming wedding, and because this is her first "symptom" ever since her diagnosis, she is hyper-focused on her stomach and it is all she can think about. In the past, whenever she gets anxious, she gets gas. Moreover, she was traveling prior to the start of this symptom and was eating pretty unhealthy. Everything else is fine- no pain, appetite is good, and her energy level is normal. She works out 4-5 days a week. I've also noticed that when she gets busy, especially with friends, she forgets she has gas/bloating, which makes me think this may be more of a stress-related issue. She has reached out to her GP and oncologist to get peace of mind. Has anyone else experienced this?
Replies to "Hello everyone, my Mom had Stage 1A pancreatic cancer and had the Whipple in July 2020...."
Hello everyone, my Mom got diagnosed with Stage IA pancreatic cancer in July 2020. She had the Whipple, but unfortunately, the cancer came up in her peritoneum in Dec 2021. She had a minor surgery to remove the recurrent nodules in the abdomen and has been NED until July of this year, which revealed another sub centimeter nodule in the peritoneum as well as a 1.3 cm local recurrence in the pancreatic bed.
Moreover, since the beginning of August, her stomach has become distended- specifically, the upper abdomen. She has gained weight, but recently her appetite began falling as well because she feels uncomfortable due to her stomach. Her stomach is not gigantic, but it's definitely a noticeable change compared to how she looked in July. Her general practitioner, as well as a family friend doctor, have examined her and told us ascites is very unlikely given the localized nature of the distension and the various physical tests on her. Otherwise, her energy level is the same and is carrying on with normal activities. We are scheduled for her regular CT scan on Sep 12, but we are thinking of taking her to the ER for a scan earlier, as we are all very concerned if this is cancer related and the fact that she is feeling uncomfortable. We have been told it could also be a pancreatic enzyme issue related to digestion or a combination of different things. Has anyone else experienced something like this?
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@asingh90, gastrointenstinal symptoms can certainly be caused by stress and your mom has more than her fair share. You also mention that she has been traveling, working and not making healthy food choices. All that coupled with the excitement and stress of the upcoming wedding and recent health issues. Well, enough said.
Is she someone who can recognize her stress levels and take steps to calm them? Or does she, like so many people, ignore the signs of stress?
Might an online course like this help? It's self-guided and free from Mayo Clinic
– Stress Management for Cancer https://mccmscontent.mayo.edu/LSC/CEC/stress-management-for-cancer/index.html#/
How are YOU doing?