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Husband had Whipple surgery and chemo: He's uncomfortable
Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Oct 1, 2023 | Replies (117)Comment receiving replies
I feel your husband’s pain. I’ve been treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 2022. The recommendation was for eight rounds a Folfirinox. When in fact, they did nine prior to the Whipple surgery and then they would continue the Folfirinox for four sessions. After surgery. I had the Whipple on April 24 and the cancer is stage two because 2 of the 14 lymph nodes were cancerous. I just had my 10th chemo yesterday and I’m sorry to say that it was the absolute hardest of all. The Irinotecan just about killed me. And that was even with two shots of Atropeen at the infusion center. Each of our journeys is so different. We have to be our own advocate, so even though our doctors are busy, we should be asking them for help when needed and I found it. It might take 48 hours to get an answer but most doctors I have found a JHH I’ve been quite empathetic extremely helpful. Good luck. We are all in this together, including those of you that are our wonderful caregivers at home.
Replies to "I feel your husband’s pain. I’ve been treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Diagnosed..."
Hi @stephenkogler is the chemo after the Whipple full strength (pre-surgery) concentrations? After Whipple I got an infection (thought to be from ERCP stent replacements) and my surgical incision has not healed yet; therefore, no post surgery chemo. Is there a window when Chemo must be administered to be effective post surgery? I have same lymph node count as positive as you; bile duct cancer and cancer on head of pancreas so I had Whipple on 3/14/23. Eight Floforinox sessions of chemotherapy before surgery too.
@stephenkogler : Thanks so much for this post. I live in Maryland, and if you're comfortable sharing the name of your oncologist, I'd be grateful.
I've been receiving treatment at a hospital that, according to US News, isn't nationally ranked in any department. This makes me nervous. I'm at this hospital bc my PCP was there and for other reasons (too complicated to explain), but as I await word next week about what happens next -- I've had six rounds of Folfirinox, and it's not clear whether I'm a candidate for surgery -- I'm nervous. I want to live!
My onc is bright and he has very good academic credentials, but it's hard not to be swayed by the HOPKINS name. (I shdn't be, bc I earned my grad degree there in a highly rated department that was, unfortunately, garbage for a few years, including mine, but I suspect that JHH is more stable than a JHU academic dept.)
Thank you, and best wishes.
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I have also found the oncology nurses to be angels. They see us in our pain moments more, it seems, than the doctors do.
How soon were you able to begin chemo after your whipple?