just diagonosed and need help with questions
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Mhelton
You have come to the right place for advice and support in your battle with CC. It is a complicated procedure and requires an experienced surgeon and a medical team. I had a whipples last May and I’m now cancer-free and back at work.
Good luck on the 30th and do come back here and tell us how your getting on.Gerry
mhelton, sounds llike you have a lot of faith in your doctor and I always say we have to go with our ‘gut’ feelings. When Teddy got sick 5 years ago we were in Milwaukee visiting family and we were at the mercy of a surgeon there. Wow, did we luck out, he was some fabulous surgeon. We just liked him right away, and what did we know? Who ever heard of a Whipple? With that said, we will be sending thoughts and prayers your way for a very successful surgery on the 30th. Please keep us posted.
Hi mhelton,
Welcome to the site. Sorry that you had to find us all but I am glad that you joined us. I can’t really add anything to what has already been said to you, but I just wanted to stop by and welcome you here.
And no apologies are needed from you ever about your posts, and yes, you are in the right place here! So please keep coming back and we will all help you if we can, and also feel free to ask a ton of questions if you have them. There are no wrong questions to ask!
Best wishes,
Gavin
I’m not certain how the Charlotte NC hospitals rank with some of the
other major cities well known facilities, but I was well pleased with my doctor and surgery experience in Charlotte NC. After recovery I asked the gastro doc how many patients they see a year with the whipple and was told only 4 or 5, yet the surgeon I was referred to has done close to 200 of the whipple surgeries.
The quantity of surgeries performed may be important, but someone had to be the first for my surgeon and he did a great job, quality of care is most important. If you are satisfied with the surgeon and feel comfortable about the hospital be certain to ask if they have nursing staff that is familiar with
caring for whipple patients, as they have very special needs post op.
My VERY best to you and your family.
Regards, RayI am located just above cincinnatti, ohio in Oxford. The surgery is planned for the 30th unless he can get me in sooner. From the way he talks he can do any of the surgeriers needed. He did tell me of the doctor but remembering names is not my best thing. I really like my doctor he listened to me when I said I felt llike I had a stone in this area. He didn’t just say gallbladder. I really did not have alot of the gallbladder pains. My son just had his out a few years ago and I am very familiar with it and didn’t feel like it was the gallbladder. Oh the hospital is McColihyde . I know I spelled it wrong I have been there enough lately you would think I could spell it.
Dear MHELTON welcome to our wonderful family. My husband had a Whipple 5 years ago and he went from tests right to the Surgeon. The Oncologist will set up a game plan after the Surgery. May I ask where you are located and what hospital you are going to? Is the Surgery scheduled yet? You have come to the right and best place to be. You are not alone here. Please keep us posted.
Welcome to the site, and yes you are in the right place! We are a very supportive group and do try our best to help everyone.
The doctor is right about not being able to stage you before surgery. He will not be able to see the true extent of the cancer before he opens you up, takes a look around,and possibly tests some lymph nodes.
Second opinions are very important and it is true you want someone who has had experience with this surgery and cancer before. That doesnt mean you shouldnt have your surgery where you plan to. You could ask for the name of the surgeon he trained under and talk to him. Where I live, there are 2 surgeons that have experience with the whipple and will do them here in my small town, yet they have no experience with liver resection and working with reattaching and restructuring the bile ducts so if you have a klatskins tumor you would get automatically sent to the big univerisity hospital. So cc is surgically treated in different hospitals where I live, depending on where the tumor is located. So I do know whipples can be done at smaller hospitals…at least in Sweden.
Complications are not uncommon with this surgery, so it is wonderful to know someone local has experience. So even if you get the big surgery somewhere else, your local surgeon might have a clue. That is good.
I saw an oncologist only after my surgery. IF the doctors think they can get it with surgery, you wont need the oncologist till after if you want some chemo. It might be good to try to find an oncologist now if you want chemo after surgery or just want to talk to someone about the possibility of having it. There are varying opinions on chemo after surgery. Read up on it, listen to the doctors and make your own decisions if you want it after surgery.
Good luck with your surgery and you have more questions, ASK!
Kris
It started about 8 weeks ago. I started itching and it just got worse till I was itching from head to toe. I also noticed an irratied stomach. I had just thought my shingles was back and didn’t go to the doctor for about two weeks, finally went and she thought I had gallstones. Went for an ultrasound and it did not show stones but my blood work was bad for my liver. My family doctor thought I has a stone blocking my bile duct and sent me in for an cat scan. It showed my bile duct was enlarge but the pancreits was fine but still not good liver function. Went to a surgeon (please excuse my spelling)and I felt llke he did not listen. My family doctor found me another surgeon and they had me in that day. He sent me for an ercp to make sure it was stones but mentioned that there was a possibility that it could be cancer. Well the ecrp showed that my odie sphinter was not working and the doctor thought there was a tumor pressing on it and took samples for biopsy. Went in yesturday and was told that it was a cancer on my bile duct and I am know scheduled for a whipple.Oh and the doctor doing the ecrp put in a stent which has gotten rid of the itching as long as I stay very hydratied. He is doing the whipple but has told me that there is a chance that he will find cancer in the lymph nodes and if he does he will do a different by pass that will improve my quality of life. Ok now that I have written a book let me ask some questions. From what i can tell this is Distal cholangiocarcinomas all indications is that it is not in the liver. I have not been given a stage yet as I think he is waiting for the surgery to do that. My surgeon is someone that I feel comfortable and safe with even though it will be done at a smaller hospital. He has done this before so it is not new to him. He said he studied with a surgeon at ucla that was know for his surgeries in this area. Should I take the time to get a second opinion. should I go to a bigger hospital. We are staying with the smaller hospital so if there are any complications he can be there in five minutes.This does make me feel better. Do I need to see an oncologist? I feel like I am flying blind and any advice would help, might not be taken but would be taken into consideration.If I have the wrong cancer group for this I am sorry to have had you read this giant book.
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