Pancreatic Cancer Group: Introduce yourself and connect with others

@gmapri I am so addicted to these I get the 27 ounce bag 🙂 They are by St. Claire & they also have different flavors, but mine are these and I asked the oncologist I had at first if the ingredients were okay.

@199 Which of the Tummy Smoothers are you using that are helpful?

I don’t know if I qualify but my husband died of pancreatic cancer on April 25, 2000. I have 3 sons and I worry about them. Does a person inherit the gene or what ever to be in danger of also getting this disease’ ( also 9 grand and 14 great grandchildren)

@199 I am very encouraged to read about your success with Gemcitabine and Abraxane. I am trying to calculate how long it took for you to receive 85 treatments with your schedule. Certainly a few years. But you have most certainly defied your doctor's initial predictions and have hung in there through many ups and downs. My husband is having his 4th infusion tomorrow, but has already lost a great deal of weight. I'm concerned that this may slow his progress in chemotherapy or halt it altogether, since he looks almost skeletal to me. He is eating as much as he can stomach, but nothing seems to "stick." Did you ever face that challenge with weight loss? Perhaps it is not as huge an issue as I fear. I will be asking his oncologist what she thinks.

@cjcurtis I started chemo with gemcitabine & Abraxane July 22, 2022 & stopped for this break December 18, 2025, with another break of 4 months in the middle, so 41 then 44 treatments. I have to say my problem has never been weight loss, rather I gained weight! My cancer was detected in the tail, so I am not sure if that has any bearing on the weight issue. Small frequent meals work best. Since my husband cooks, I try to eat as much as I could but lately, I have been telling him to slow down on the portions. When I look back at photos of what a plate looked like in 2022 and now there is a big difference in the amount on the plate. I have been using "St. Claire Tummy Soothers" (from them directly or Amazon). I don't know if these herbs are the help but I will not give them up! They have been a staple for me since 2022!

@199 Good luck with your PET scan this week. I had a hospital testing day yesterday. Nothing too alarming, but need to do another tour of ologist appointments. At times, I feel like a quarterback directing all of the moving players of the care team. But, they are keeping me alive as comfortably as possible. Anyone else ever feel this way?

@199 I am very encouraged to read about your success with Gemcitabine and Abraxane. I am trying to calculate how long it took for you to receive 85 treatments with your schedule. Certainly a few years. But you have most certainly defied your doctor's initial predictions and have hung in there through many ups and downs. My husband is having his 4th infusion tomorrow, but has already lost a great deal of weight. I'm concerned that this may slow his progress in chemotherapy or halt it altogether, since he looks almost skeletal to me. He is eating as much as he can stomach, but nothing seems to "stick." Did you ever face that challenge with weight loss? Perhaps it is not as huge an issue as I fear. I will be asking his oncologist what she thinks.

@199 Good luck with your PET scan this week. I had a hospital testing day yesterday. Nothing too alarming, but need to do another tour of ologist appointments. At times, I feel like a quarterback directing all of the moving players of the care team. But, they are keeping me alive as comfortably as possible. Anyone else ever feel this way?

@cjcurtis I was diagnosed with stage 4 non-operable due to mets to lungs. That was in 2022 @ 72. I was given 11 months with treatment. I am still here thanks to gemcitabine & Abraxane. Started with 2 weeks on 1 off and then changed to every other week. I had a 4-month break at the beginning of 2024 and am now on another. In total I have had 85 chemo treatments with Gemczar/Abraxane. Lost my hair after the second treatment; gained 35 pounds (now down 20 while on "break"). For nausea I followed the directions for the first 2 or 3 treatments which was generic Zofran alternating with generic Compazine. Now I use a Zofran maybe once a month 🙂 My most challenging difficulties have been the neuropathy, swelling of legs especially, then last fall blood clots. October thru December were brutal with extreme fatigue, heightened emotions and felt like I went through "chemo withdrawal" from January 2026 til about mid-February, then I had an energy boost & am back to "normal" except for pancreatic cancer & my CA19-9 is doubling the last 2 months hitting 1529.8 in April. Will get PET scan this week to see what is happening. Hair is growing back 🙂 (did not need it to start on my legs! 🙂 first)!