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What tips do you have for the caregiver after a total pancreatectomy?
My husband's having a total pancreatectomy in a few days. What can I expect by way of caregiving once he's back home? Any suggestions?
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Hi @christinemb, I changed the title of your discussion slightly to reflect the caregiver question and I added it to the Pancreatic Cancer support group as well as the Caregiver support group.
There are many discussions about panreatectomy, like this one:
- Life after Pancreatectomy: How was your recovery? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/life-after-pancreatectomy/
See all: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/pancreatic-cancer/
But I like your question about what can the caregiver expect and tips to help your husband's recovery. When is your husband's surgery? How are YOU doing?
Thanks for updating my post title and adding it to the other groups. I'll be checking out the other discussion groups. This entire experience has been a lot to process and sort through. Turns out that the total pancreatectomy scheduled for yesterday was not performed as planned. The gall bladder was removed, as well as some noncancerous lesions on the liver. However cancer was found on peritoneal implants and I was told this indicated a stage 4 diagnosis. The surgeon feels that the pancreatic masses and other issues will be best treated with additional chemotherapy. When I left the hospital yesterday evening, my husband was not aware of all this . The surgeon and hospital doctors will be explaining all this to him today. I'll be back at the hospital later this morning with additional questions for the docs.
As for me, right now I feel like I just want to cry. I get the sense that there's some "hedging" when the doctors have spoken to me about my husband's condition. They have all been very kind and have offered detailed explanations when asked, yet I feel that they're not telling me everything. I know that they can't offer a definite prognosis and I understand this, but it's still frustrating not knowing exactly what's going to happen next. I worry about how I can best help my husband get through this when I'm having trouble getting through this myself. Thanks for asking. I really do appreciate that.