What's recovery after distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy like?

I had a distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy on Jan 5, 2023. You have to take it easy the first 6-8 weeks meaning no lifting & eat a low fat with small meals. Drink lots of water. Get lots of rest. Low intensity exercise like walking helps the healing process. I had no complications other than middle back pain that started about a month after. Surgeon said it was likely my nerves and inflammation. I started wearing Lifewave X39 & Aeon stem cell activation patches on the area & pain totally diminished within about a week. I have been wearing them ever since & there has been no recurrence of the pain at all. They speed wound healing also. I’m 100% now. No blood sugar issues however I eat no sugar due to cancer growing & thriving from sugar.

I had a distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy on Jan 5, 2023. You have to take it easy the first 6-8 weeks meaning no lifting & eat a low fat with small meals. Drink lots of water. Get lots of rest. Low intensity exercise like walking helps the healing process. I had no complications other than middle back pain that started about a month after. Surgeon said it was likely my nerves and inflammation. I started wearing Lifewave X39 & Aeon stem cell activation patches on the area & pain totally diminished within about a week. I have been wearing them ever since & there has been no recurrence of the pain at all. They speed wound healing also. I’m 100% now. No blood sugar issues however I eat no sugar due to cancer growing & thriving from sugar.

Hi Frygirl777,
I'm glad you are a 100% after your Surgery. I was recently diagnosed, and surgery is recommended as part of my forthcoming treatment, but Chemo is recommended first for shrinkage. I'm having anxiety.

Hi Frygirl777,
I'm glad you are a 100% after your Surgery. I was recently diagnosed, and surgery is recommended as part of my forthcoming treatment, but Chemo is recommended first for shrinkage. I'm having anxiety.

I am facing the same operation imminently. Do you know why it can't be done by laparoscopy ?

You will honestly be fine. It likely was best to do chemo first so they get it all during surgery. In my case they did not & I had to do 5 back to back radiation treatments. Radiation made me so nauseous for 2 weeks after. The radiation was way worse than the surgery. I wonder some days if I will ever feel normal again. Chemo was supposed to start this week but I am still too sick plus now they think I might have a blood clot around my port leading into my port. If it’s not one thing, it’s another, it seems.

Did they advise to do more chemo after your surgery?

I think their reasoning was that they needed a larger opening to have a better view & it made it easier to pull the pancreas with the tumor through as well as the spleen. I had robotic surgery so 4-5 small incisions & one 4 inch incision down lower.

I picked up my Chemo Meds yesterday and have to wait for the Oncology Navigator to check my blood levels or white cells to see if I'm strong enough to start the treatment

Thank you fly girl. Where did you have yours done ? I didn't know it could be done robotically . Yours then was less invasive than a laparotomy ?

I hope you are well and sincerely thank you x

You’re welcome! I’m in Southern California & had my surgery at Loma Linda University Hospital. I am about to start chemo on 4/10. Still recovering from a 5 day radiation regimen. That was brutal! Extreme fatigue & nausea. I couldn’t eat for a week.