My mom has been diagnosed with pancreatice cancer. At first it sounded hopeless, but she was referred to a surgeon and he considers her a candidate for Whipple surgery. The surgery will take 8-12 hours and she will be hospitalized for 2 weeks!

We have been told all about the surgery and possible complications, but it would be nice to hear from any survivors out there. Anyone???

Some prayers for her would be nice too.

Thanks
Summerlove

Summerlove-
I'll pray for your mother and your family. I'm so sorry you have to go thru this. Two weeks in the hospital is tough on everyone, but she'll be in good hands, and then hopefully home for good. When is her surgery?
I'm sure the docs have recited all the stats to you-try not to dwell on them too much--b/c they are just numbers. Your mother is not a number-and everyone is different.
I don't know of anyone who had the Whipple surgery--but I wanted to lend you some positive support. I have two friends w/pancreatic cancer...one was advanced stages when they found it--he lived almost 2 yrs w/no treatment, and the other was a co-workers husband...he is 5 1/2 yrs from his diagnosis and treatment--doing fairly well.
Hope this helps some...Take care of yourself.

Mom had the Whipple Surgery yesterday. It was a 12 hour operation. The doctor said they got ALL the cancer! She is in ICU and I called late this afternoon and actually talked to her! She sounded great...her voice was a little hoarse from the breathing tube she had in surgery, but her mind is sharp as always. I'm so happy. I will be seeing her tomorrow. We are truly blessed. Thanks for all the prayers...and please keep praying for her as she heals.

congrats on the surgery--will pray for a speedy and full recovery for your mother...
H/E

Thanks for the prayers. She is not out of the woods yet. Should get the results of biopsies of lymph nodes next week. She'll probably have to have some chemo.

Surgery was Wednesday. Visited her today (Friday) and she looks and sounds great. She's in ICU, but she doesn't look like she belongs there. Her mind is sharp which surprises me after being under anesthesia for 12 hours! She was chatting up a storm just like she did before her illness. She's a tough old bird!!!*_*

My dad is a mess though...poor guy has had a rough time dealing with this.

Still looking for anyone out there that has had Whipple surgery.

Thanks
Summer

Summer Very happy to hear you saw your mom and she's doing well. That must be very comforting. They take great care of ppl in ICU so she's in the right place. Patients usually do better than the family/friends, and Dad may be having letdown, because she IS sharp and aware-he can fall apart moreso than before the surgery. My husband aged 20 yrs when I my liver failed & I was in a coma. (he's only 51-and a very young looking 51) When I woke up, I didn't know what happened. I thought he looked so much older, but couldn't figure out why. When he told me how long I had been out, I didn't believe them at first-I thought it was longer, that's how bad he looked. He came around-but told me later, he didn't really fall apart until he knew I was out of the woods. No matter what, I'm sure Dad appreciates you being there to see your mom and him.
Continued prayers for a clean biopsy, complete healing and comfort for your Mom, and some rest for your Dad.(and you too!!) :-) Keeping fingers crossed until her results come in....
Gina

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers H/E. Yep, dad's emotions are definitely tied to mom's condition. Sounds like you went through a pretty rough time too. Hope you are doing ok now. Mom's out of ICU and in a regular room. She's about 60 miles away from me, so I don't get to see her daily. Talk to her twice a day though when I don't go up. She sounds better every time I talk to her. They are taking out a tube of some sort just about every day, so she's progessing as expected. Can't wait for her to come home. They live within 1/4 mile of me. Take care.

Hey tnt...thanks for posting. My mom came home last Tuesday (Aug 30 - her birthday no less). It's been really tough. She can only eat a few bites and feels full. We had a hard time finding a pharmacy that carried the pancreatic enzymes, but finally got some. Fortunately she hasn't had to deal with the pain-killer addiction. They started her out with an epidural in her spine, so that isn't addictive...when that failed, she had to go on the drugs, but it was short-term. Bless your wife for being able to beat it! How is she doing with eating? Does she still feel full after only a little food? My mom has had a lot of trouble sleeping. Did your wife? We have a lot of prayers going up for mom...I'll keep your wife in my prayers also. Pancreatic cancer is a horrific diagnosis...Whipple surgery is pretty horrific itself, but it can be a cure. Does your wife need chemo? Mom will have to have it to attack any stray cancer cells out there. Thanks again for posting. Best to you and your wife.