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Whipple or no Whipple?
I know we're all different in what we decide is best for us. Just need some comfort knowing my husband might decide to not go further by having the Whipple procedure. I respect his decision if that's what will be. Has anyone decided on not having the procedure. Ty
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@casey1959 I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 8/22. It spread primarily to my liver. Surgery is not an option. I have been on chemo ever since. Let us know how the surgeons respond.
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2 Reactions@jadees I have watched many. Hubby just 2 . I persuaded him it was needed so he's prepared before meeting surgeons. We did 2 weeks ago. Then needed a second scan. First wasn't clear enough to see how much the tumor was involved with Artery & veins . Call from surgeon yesterday. Said scan looked good. Yet still not 100% sure 😕 Says plan is to see once opened. I'm apprehensive on that plan. Asked if a vascular specialist will be in the operating room. He stated will be (On Hand) Also he specializes in breast cancer & reconstruction. Just found this out on the Internet last night. A second surgeon joined the team 2 weeks ago. We met him . He specializes in Pancreas Cancer surgery. We were hoping for a definite no Artery / Vein involvement. A second opinion at a high volume Like John Hopkins in MD would be best. My husband wasn't even going thru the Whipple . Then he said if scan was hopeful. Now he's second guessing. Cost of traveling, hotel stays, higher Out of Pocket costs. Then Out of network. We can't afford to get that second opinion. So now waiting on if he needs a stress test ( cardiac) he's never had heart issues. Surgeons say it's needed. 1 day at a time. Ty for the encouragement.
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1 Reaction@casey1959 keep than mantra -one day at a time . I found keeping a journal and daily calendar helped to keep everything straight . Whatever treatment plan you settle on your
love for each other goes a long way to help each other . This is a tough road
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3 Reactions@casey1959
I had the Whipple December, 2025. I am 78 years old. Same reservations going in, vein and artery involvement. SBRT radiation shrunk tumor away enough to attempt surgery, but the surgeons still did a preliminary look, before performing the Whipple and I was informed of this. My first question when coming out of anesthesia was " Did they do the Whipple?" It has now been 3+ months, my CT scan of this week looks good and PSA is at 25. The surgery took about 7 hours, and there were at least 3 surgeons involved with a couple on stand by. I was in the hospital 10 days and didn't leave the house for a month during recovery. It's definitely a big deal surgery, but I'm glad I did it Yesterday I did a huge burn pile, 12,000 steps on my watch. I did a lot of praying and putting it in God's hands. Things just seemed to fall into place. I have been very involved in my treatment decisions and have a binder full of scan results etc , but ultimately, it was in God's hands.
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7 Reactions@kakalena Thank you for this information. Brought me much comfort seeing the similarities with my husband's journey. I am blessed to have found this support group. Though it's my husband dealing. He's a quiet man so isn't one to reach out for support. He has me he says ❤️ I did share your words with him & he seemed more hopeful. He has Pre Op scheduled 3/30. See if he's able to tolerate what's ahead. He's a strong man. Im pleased he has put some weight back on. Feel it's important. Just concerned about what's ahead. Preying for your continued healing. Every days a blessing. 🙏
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2 Reactions@monterrey1997
find a surgeon who does 100+ whipples a year. Its a tricky surgery.
I had read that advice and fortunately live near the Johns Hopkins hospital-world class surgeons AND team.
Only 25% of PC patients are even eligible for it, and it's the best hope for recovery. I'm 7+ years cancer free now
—probably for many reasons, starting with the surgery.
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3 Reactions@johnny1955 now my cancer as returned. My diagnosed is 3-6 months with or without chemo. I was told that chemo will not kill the pancreatic cancer. So now I am on hospice. Anyone going through hospice? What are the stages? So far had to up the oxycodone. More tired and more pain. What will be the last steps?
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1 Reaction@casey1959 My wife got a second opinion at Dana Farber in Boston. It costs $3,000 but is a pretty comprehensive written opinion. Dana uses a third party company to gather all the patient's records and soon after has one of their medical staff write the opinion. In my wife's case it was a medical oncologist but perhaps you can ask for a second surgical opinion? Not sure.
@casey1959 Here is the link to the Dana Farber second opinion program: https://www.dana-farber.org/appointments-second-opinions/second-opinion-program I do not believe they do second surgical opinions but we were happy with the opinion we got from one their medical oncologists. My wife got her second surgical opinion from Dr. Truty at Mayo Clinic Rochester. He is one of the top pancreatic surgeons in the world and is known for doing surgeries with vascular involvement. He is completely frank in his assessment and expected side effects.