Whipple surgery

Pancreatitis
#1

Hi every one this is Joe was up at mayo last week to see about the whipple surgery my pancreas doc and myself thought for such the the surgeon was going to set up the surgery but he said no.

We were in shock my pancreas doc has me seeing other surgeon. It was a blessing after all the first surgeon works with people whom have cancer this new one that I’m going to see works on people like me whom have cp more and he dose a lot of research on the CP.

I also meet some one whom this doc worked on her mom and had nothing but great things to say about him. So I’m going back on Oct. for a ercp and a pain block well they are in there. I cant get in to the other surgon till Nov, some time so this will help with the pain till than.

I wish you all pain free days and you are all in my prays daily .
Joe

#2

Joe,

I know you were expecting to get a better answer than you did. It will be interesting to see what the next doctor says. Were you disappointed by what the doctor said? I will be praying for your pain. Please remind us when you go to see the doctor in Nov. so I can pray for that visit.

God Bless and Keep the Faith,

Vonnie

#3

Joe,

Don’t take this as “bad news”! I really don’t recommend Whipples to anyone. While I may have had mine as an absolutely die (zero chance to live) or very much possibly die without or with a Whipple (1 in 10,000 chance to live at all without positive prognosis). I know that there are some (rare) that come out of a Whipple and actually get better. However, I question all studies on this as none of them are longitudinal studies and I know that, because of this, the outcomes are strongly skewed toward the positive.

I had my Whipple in 1995. I had post-operative problems with suture pain in the gut and stuff like that for about the first 6 months (I was cut like a carp from my pubis to my ribs and lost all of the muscles that I had for parallel strength). After that, I felt pretty good for about 1.5 years and, from there on, the pain raged again (only got a pain medicine specialist 2.5 years ago) and I have been in excruciating pain since only until the last couple of months or less. My perusal of the research is that a Whipple will only “buy” you about two to three years of time before you go back into that slippery slope of pain and suffering all over again.

I really don’t see any of the “modified” procedures coming out any better either.

What I have learned that works is “great” pain management as well as food intake (even if you have to have a central line put in (make sure that they put in a “dual-chambered portacath” and nothing else as it is the safest one out there for us) to the point of TPN (total parenteral nutrition), or tube feeding. I am on TPN now and I expect to be on it for a long time, even a year, or even the rest of my life.

I hope that this relieves any frustration with not having a Whipple right now. What was your doctor adding in as a prognosis for you condition after undergoing a Whipple procedure? Be warned. Read the literature.

Anyse
anyse1@mac.com