Whipple

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  • #19817
    jeffg
    Member

    Tanoland, This is an extremely emotional and trying time. Please feel free to share your feelings if you like. You are so right, accepting this kind of news does not ever seem real, especially when it hits home with someone we love so dearly. Love and support for Shirley is one thing that is in your control my friend. Give that chemo a whirl and see how she responds. One thing I have learned in the last nine years, is doctors no matter how professional and highly recommended can’t predict the time of survivability as the disease is so individual and others have far exceeded predictions by years and have had fairly good quality of life with some bumps in the road. One thing she can do is apply for SSDI. Double check that it doesn’t mess up and insurance currently recieving. With a DX like this there is usually a 2-3 week turn aroundfor Kansas: retroactive back to when she was unable to work up to 12 months. That could be of considerable financial assistance if needed.
    God Bless You Both!
    Jeff G.

    #19816
    tanoland
    Member

    Ok. I understand. It has spread to her bones and her lymph nodes. So I am sure that is why they never brought up the other stuff. No matter how many times I talk about it and try to absorb it, it does not seem real. I’m not sure I will ever really believe that when I am researching this and talking about it, that I am really talking about my sister Shirley. That cannot be real. This has to be a nightmare.

    In all reality, I am sure her cancer is too far gone for them to do anything except Chemo and that is why that is all they are doing.

    Thanks again.

    #19815
    jeffg
    Member

    Tanoland…. No all people who has this disease do not have a whipple procedure. A whipple procudure is normally for pancreatic cancer normally at the head of the pancreas and when there appears to be no other cancer spread to other organs. The doctors would have taken that in consideration when evaluating her for surgery. Did they say exactly where her cancer was located that would make a difference as well. If to much of the pancreas has cc invloved, doing a whipple procedure really would not help. If you type in whipple procedure in the search you should get many hits explaining the procedure when it can be tried or not. Tanoland, I really wish there was an easy fix to this disease or a cure. It is so emotional when your options are so limited. I might suggest try sending her scans and reports to John Hopkins or CTCA for another opinion. The bottom line is if her CC has spread to other organs and is in to her bones then chemo and/or some type of radiation may be the only option left to try. I wish I could tell you more positive news. I praise you for your determination.

    God Bless,
    Jeff G.

    #1193
    tanoland
    Member

    Do all people who have this disease need to have the Whipple procedure? My sister’s doctors have never discussed any type of surgery at all. I hear everyone discussing this procedure as well as the stents that they put in. She is not jaundice or anything like that. So I am really concerned to find out if everyone who has bile duct cancer have this whipple procedure.

    The only treatment that they have ever discussed with her is chemotherapy. and that is KU Medical Center and The Mayo Clinic.

    Thanks

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