Wow. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever believe I'd be posting something about myself in a group like "the C word"; most especially pancreatic.
I will try to condense this so as not to be too wordy. On July 13, '22, I had a Lap-Band converted to a Rouex-En-Y gastric bypass. Did well post-operatively for a solid month and stayed on liquids and read tons about the procedure before making the decision. Exactly 1 month post-op, I noticed daily that I was getting weaker in spite of my walking around the house plenty and getting up every hour (I work for Mayo Clinic Florida remotely and partly on campus). After 2 Rescue transports to Mayo ER because of the weakness getting worse daily to the point I couldn't walk. Two admissions; August 14-17 and the second August 25-31. On the first admission lab work immediately showed that my potassium was at critically low level - had to have 7 bags IV potassium for 3 days; cause of the depletion still was undetermined. Second time ER - August 25 was admitted to the ER Hybrid Care Unit (observation until hospital bed is open) A wonderful Hospitalist came in to confer with me; staring intently at my electronic record; VOILA!!! Immediately pin-pointed on my medication list - HCTZ (Hydrochlorothiazide a diuretic given by my PCP I'd taken for years). Turns out, after the gastric bypass your absorption is totally changed - without being technical - the diuretic was literally kicking out my potassium....FINALLY we know the cause. Of course, no more of that HCTZ. Sad that it wasn't known about during my pre-op testing. SO.....you may wonder why I write on the PANCREATIC CANCER group and share???
Thank God - on my August 10 ER trip, the ER physician ordered a CT Abdomen/Pelvis because of the fireball pain I was having for days in my upper tummy/epigastric area - (was looking for a marginal ulcer). Upper endoscopy confirmed the ulcer, which should go on to heal. Given liquid medication 4x day that takes care of any symptoms but takes like...........well you know.
SO back to the CT Abdomen and what it DID reveal:
The radiologist will call it an 'incidental finding' and a little something extra found when looking for something else. My little bonus - Since I work in radiology had the freedom to reach out to one of our genius guru's of MRI Pancreas - was fortunate enough for him to read my study and have me page him afterwards.
IMPRESSION: Cystic mass measuring 4.5 cm in the pancreatic head/uncinate with solid enhancing components measuring up to 2.0 cm. Findings are suspicious for malignant degeneration of a sidebranch type
IPMN. Nothing to suggest advanced locoregional or metastatic disease. Surgical consultation
recommended.

I am blessed to have been able to 'get the ball rolling' in a very swift fashion....had the surgical consultation with THE most phenomenal surgeon I could have - I am scheduled for a Whipple procedure on Nov 7.
Regardless of being in the BEST hands, I have had a hard time wrapping my head around this. When he was talking with me in consultation, I was too stunned to speak...I believe I just nodded. It felt too surreal. My pancreas? Whaaat? I just had surgery in July, and now they're gonna go in the same area with a really big incision? Me? I have such strength through The Lord, whom I know is right beside me and will be through this whole ordeal. But my mind is like a roller coaster. The "what if's" and that "C" word I read about daily in my work. But ME?
Can anyone here relate? I surely need some advice from a success story....post-op course, etc.