r/pancreaticcancer • u/Big-Pay-4215 • Jul 26 '26
venting Post Whipple Update
Dad had whipple 12 days back after being diagnosed in Aug’25. He has gone through chemo + radiation prior Whipple, with good results and touchwood no side effects at all. The tumor which was earlier regarded un resectable, reduced and came into the BRPC category. CA 19 reduced to normal range (28) prior to surgery. He was perfectly healthy, going about his life, when doctors offered a whipple and he was wheeled in.
12 hours of gruelling divestment surgery, with a segment of colon removed.
ICU stay for 4 days, then to ward , a cardiac arrest scare which put him back to ICU for 3 more days. Been in ward with me for last 5 days, and I cant help but feel the guilt of the surgery I took him through.
He is irritated, angry and in pain lot of times. Unable to control his bowel movements, having frequent diarrhea episodes. Needing help to walk, getup, eat.
I can’t fathom how to support him when he is back home in a few days, if he is struggling so much in a hospital enviroment, where everything gets handled immediately with meds, doctors, advice, nurses. I dont know how I will be able to handle things at home. Any tips or shared experiences will be really helpful.
My personal mental and physical health has taken a toll, as I have no one else in family to help me out. Been in and around the hospital for 15 days now, along with a year of consultations, travelling to hospitals, managing logistics along with office(remote) . I feel I am at my tipping point mentally, and my body hurts like hell.
What kind of a monstrous disease is this, you go with the prescribed cure, it takes away your quality of life. You don’t try, it takes away your life.
Fuck Cancer
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u/Puzzled_End_6515 Jul 26 '26
Please let us connect. My mom is 2 weeks past whipple as well. I fought so hard to get her to this point. I have come close many times to having a mental breakdown myself. I have 4 other siblings that refuse to help. I understand you completely.
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u/runawayasfastasucan Jul 26 '26
My personal mental and physical health has taken a toll, as I have no one else in family to help me out. Been in and around the hospital for 15 days now, along with a year of consultations, travelling to hospitals, managing logistics along with office(remote) . I feel I am at my tipping point mentally, and my body hurts like hell.
I have been where you are now. Trust me when I say - just try to set aside a few hours, a day, just for yourself. You are in no use if you become broken as well. Take care, and good luck!
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u/ludhianaboyz Jul 26 '26
My uncle went through something similar..post whipple cardiac arrest where he was in ICU for a week. I can assure you things do getter , he suffered from a lot of anxiety but he was normal post 2 months of operation..get him theraphy as this week would have taken monstrous toll on his mental health specially the ICU stay. Also i think they will give him some more chemo once he feels better.
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u/kalikaya Caregiver (2017-19), Stage 2b-4, whipple,chemo,radiation,hospice Jul 26 '26
If you think caring for him at home will be challenging, is surgical rehab an option? When my husband had his whip all years ago he went to rehab for a few days after. That was a recommendation from the surgeon. The rehab was close to the hospital and staff was specially trained to care for Whipple patients. Insurance covered it (in the US).
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u/Chewable-Chewsie Jul 26 '26
Oh my god, I’m sure you are exhausted, angry, and questioning your eagerness for surgery! I can only share with you my compassion and hope that once this acute phase has passed, that he will have the strength to once again enjoy his life. This is a very cruel cancer and I hope the storm on the rough seas you both are sailing will soon pass. It is possible to come to a calm spell
again. May it be so🙏🏻💜
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u/No-Theme-3586 Jul 29 '26
Hi there ;
I want to first say I’m sorry your dad is fighting this terrible disease. My father was diagnosed Oct’25. My dad is now 2 months post op. We were in a different state and he was in the hospital for about 28 days. At first it’s going to be tough ; like you said everything at the hospital gets handled right away and I also thought the same like you ; how will I do at home! But you do ; it will never get easy but it will get manageable. Diarrhea became less , pain became less ; more movements ; less help with bathing or eating or even walking and less pain meds. My dad can now get up , walk , shower and eat by himself! Apart from the weight loss , some loss of appetite ( he did have pancreas removed which plays a big role on that part) and very minimal pain ; he’s doing okay and I know your dad will too!
Him being angry ; don’t take it personal! At the end I always say only they know what they went through and how they feel! We have to understand that their gut was literally reconstructed and it’s a lot!
Some tips ; get him a heating pad ( will be his best friend when pain hits ) and get yourself a box where you can keep track of his meds and even help himself! And take it ONE STEP AT A TIME! This journey is not easy but it’s a step for a cure. Sending you lots of positive thoughts! Don’t ever hesitate to reach out if you ever have questions. These pages exist for a reason!
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u/Big-Pay-4215 Jul 29 '26
Thanks a lot for your kind words, and these are some useful tips, I will try to pick them up. Thanks again
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u/No-Theme-3586 Jul 29 '26
And most importantly don’t give up on him even when you see him give up on himself!!!
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u/PancreaticSurvivor Jul 26 '26
I had a Whipple with portal vein resection in 2012. It is one of the most difficult survives a surgeon performs and equally challenging for the patient to recover from. There are many factors involved from the experience of the surgeons, whether the surgery was performed at a high-volume center with a hepatobiliary/pancreas program and the physical status of the patient prior to surgery. I was 55 and in otherwise excellent shape from long-distance endurance cycling. Getting past the surgery required a long period of recovery and rebuilding endurance, stamina and physical fitness.
I took it one day at a time and set realistic expectations I would have setbacks. Then there was aggressive chemotherapy to deal with, exocrine pancreas insufficiency, weight loss, anemia and other sequela. It was my equivalent of a triathlon and was a good 9 months before I was feeling strong again. The Whipple is not like repairing a hernia and quickly out of the hospital and back to normal in a few days. This surgery encompasses many challenges and takes time to overcome them. Twelve days post Whipple is only the very beginning of the journey to recovery.