Firing a doctor is not a situation I do not foresee in every circumstance, but it became necessary in mine. The story starts when I was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma.
It was in the recovery room when I first heard the word adenocarcinoma. I had it. My response was “Well, that sucks” and I followed with questions about what was going to happen, what had to happen and what were my chances. Chances. Big question when a well trained medical professional is speaking. He announced that I was terminal. And left.
My description of him in retrospect »» Continue reading ‘When to fire your Doctor’
Advances in laparoscopic surgery make it a much better option if you’re in need of a pancreatic surgery. This procedure will help you recover faster as you are not going to be hindered by a very large surgical incision.
Please go to our YouTube channel to this video. Dr.Michael Kendrick, MD, is in the forefront, cutting edge of Medicine. He has performed several of these procedure over 100. I have had the pleasure to meet Dr. Michael Kendrick he practices at Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, MN . He is so knowledgeable concering surgeries for patients who have MEN and also have other surgeries as well. Dr. Michael Kendrick is not only a very skilled surgeon but also have a great bedside matter, and does not get flustered when you are asking questions about your treatment and care. He is a very caring physicians, and very familiar with MEN. If you have any questions, please contact me Linda@hagemanfoundation.org
Linda Hageman, RN
Executive Director
Hageman Foundation For Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia
My name is Bill and I have had the Whipple procedure because of pancreatic cancer. It was complicated by the need to resection a vein, a complication that had rendered me inoperable and hence terminal for eleven months. The critical event in that chain of circumstances was the day my oncologist and I had a conversation about how long I would be on chemotherapy for the cancer. He said simply that I would be on chemo until I died because I was inoperable and he had never heard of anyone surviving pancreatic cancer without the Whipple procedure being performed on them to remove the caner and rearrange their innards. I already knew what the Whipple procedure was, it is roughly a name for an array of operations that start with removing the head of the pancreas and then removing or resectioning other organs to minimize the recurrence of cancer. I decided to verify his medical opinion and see what I found in the process. »» Continue reading ‘Whipple: Introduction’
Today there is a ray of hope. I woke up tired after a fitful night. I had dreams that scare me now. After I woke up I found myself getting more awake, not necessarily with more energy but more awake than for the last several days. I haven’t a clue what is or was going on with my body. I have thought about stress, change in meds, infection, the flu, all sorts of things. I wanted answers to this mystery so I promised my wife I would call and set an appointment with my primary care physician. I called my doctor only to find he takes Wednesdays off now. Maybe if this continues I’ll call again tomorrow. »» Continue reading ‘Whipple: May 12, 2010′
Sunday night, late. All weekend I have been a participant in a slow rolling train wreck that started late last week. Thursday night I had a couple scotch and sodas. That was the first thing.
Friday morning I had really high blood sugars. Like in,the 300s. So I went in to my insulin set and drew 15 units like the doctor ordered. I administered it and went back to my day. About thirty minutes later I felt a sudden onset of a very strange sensation, »» Continue reading ‘Whipple: May 10, 2010′
Before I went to New York City my niece asked if, since I hated new York already, if I underwent the operation there that saved my life wouldn’t I come home and feel better about the city then? I didn’t know the answer then so I told her I would probably not like the city afterwards. I know the truth now.
The truth is that New York stands now a a scene of the hardest battle of my life. It is a place of nightmares, of suffering and pain, and fear in the deepest darkest night while I suffered in pain and terror. I remember one fevered night when I sat with my feet on the cold window to cool me off while I sweated out all the water I had managed to drink that day. It was 2 am and I was hot with fever and tired and in extreme pain and the only thing I could do for relief was to sit with my feet flat against the window hoping that somehow I could dispel the fever and pain enough that way to get back to sleep. The days in New York alternated between hoping to just eventually get out of the hospital and not knowing if I would ever live long enough to get out. »» Continue reading ‘Whipple: May 4, 2010′
My name is Bill and I have had the Whipple procedure because of pancreatic cancer. It was complicated by the need to resection the Superior Mesenteric vein, a complication that had rendered me inoperable and hence terminal for eleven months. The critical event in that chain of circumstances was the day my oncologist and I had a conversation about how long I would be on chemotherapy for the cancer. He said simply that I would be on chemo until I died because I was inoperable and he had never heard of anyone surviving pancreatic cancer without the Whipple procedure being performed on them to remove the caner and rearrange their innards. I already knew what the Whipple procedure was, it is roughly a name for an array of operations that start with removing the head of the pancreas and then removing or resectioning other organs to minimize the recurrence of cancer. I decided to verify his medical opinion and see what I found in the process. »» Continue reading ‘Whipple: May 3, 2010′
I have been getting several questions about the Whipple Procedure. I am starting this blog, on the Whipple Procedure, and would like to hear from anyone who has had a Whipple Procedure and what their experience was in the recovery process from the Whipple Procedure.
Soon I will be posting some information re: the Whipple Procedure, what to expect, what to eat, and any other information that we feel will contribute to this blog. Most of the time a Whipple Procedure is done to help people survive Pancreatic Cancer. On this blog we will certainly encourage people who have Pancreatic Cancer to blog on their experience having the Whipple Procedure.
I, myself had the Whipple Procdure done at Mayo Clinic in July, 2006, so I know how hard it is to recover from this surgery. It still affects me every day, but I do have a very many good days.
Linda Hageman, RN
Recent Comments