Staci - More ?s

[Guest guest]

Staci,

I had a distal pancreatectomy just over a year ago to remove a

mucinous cystic adnoma which sounds like what your Dr. suspects you

have.

Although it sounds like you will be having a little differnt surgery

since your tumors are at the head, I think my experience is still

similar. Firstly, I won't lie, it hurts. INSIST on speaking with

the anesthesiologist BEFORE the surgery. I did, and he gave me my

options and we decided that I would have an epidural that would stay

in during and after the surgery. I had episodes of pretty bad pain,

but I was pretty much out of it for the first few days and didn't

even realize I was in so much pain.

I was out of the hospital around 2 weeks. I had pneumonia so I was

in a an extra day or two more then planned. I stayed away from work

for a month. I had a very sedentary job and it wasn't any problem to

go back after that month.

It took several months for the incision site pain to go away. My

incision ended up breaking down and I had to have two more additional

surgeries to have the incision repaired.

I could go on and on about what I went through but I'll say that I'm

a HUGE wimp and I survived it all.

It's taken a great deal of time but my pancreas pain has calmed down

a lot. I'm sick maybe once or twice a month as opposed to every day

like I was before my surgery. I still wonder to myself if I should

have just got the whole damn thing taken out, I wish I had known

about that option in the first place. But I don't have to take

enzymes and I guess thats a pretty good thing.

Anyway, thats my take, any questions you can e-mail me.

Angel

> Hi Folks - I 'm still waiting for the surgeon to call me re:

surgery. Is

> there anyone out there who has anything positive to say about

pancreatic surgery

> to remove mucus producing tumors - Basically the head and neck of

the

> pancreas need to be removed. I MUST have them removed, and they

only find 3. They

> might possibly find more hiding in there when they operate. I am

just really

> nervous about the surgery. I really do not want them to take more

than they

> need, but I have been reading about the total removal of the

pancreas from

> wonderful friends like you. I just do not feel like doing

something that drastic

> right now. Is there anyone who can talk to me, who has had tumors

removed and

> found relief? How long will I be recovering? How much pain? I

had lots of

> pain with the gallbladder removal. I know, I'm a wimp! I am on

lots of pain

> meds now, and am nervous that they will let me go through

withdrawal instead of

> weaning off of the meds. Do you have any good questions that I

should ask

> the surgeon? I know these tumors have to be removed because of the

possibility

> of them turning cancerous is great. (My mom died of breast cancer.)

> Right now, I am scared because I have no choice, and depressed

because I have

> suffered so long and want to live the fun loving/inspirational life

that I so

> try to live (with meds. ) But it is getting harder and harder to

live that

> joyous life with a pain in the pancreas!

>

> I'm sorry. I know many of you have given your testimony - and I so

appreciate

> that. I'm not yet willing to give my entire pancreas away yet. Is

there

> anyone who can tell me that it might work for me - to live with

SOME of my

> pancreas- WITHOUT pain?

>

> I am just sad right now. Lately I let the sound of the T.V. lull

my mind

> away from all of this and it sometimes lulls me to sleep. I have

had a hard time

> sleeping this days..

>

> Sorry again to depress anyone. I DO want to get back to

encouraging others

> to live life joyously -- not like me -- now...

> Take care my friends. I will pray for you and all your little

pancreases

> or......black holes (where they used to be...;-) *smile*)

>

> Staci (California)