Re: accuracies of tests

[Guest guest]

Hello -

I will probably tell my story in little " chapters " , due to weakness and

getting tired, but wanted to respond quickly as so many of you are having tests

done and others will continue.

Whipple Surgery

Chapter One -WHAT SHOWS ON TESTS, ERCPS, CT SCANS, ETC. MAY NOT BE ACCURATE.

For the past five years that I have been experiencing acute pancreatitis

every 4 - 5 months, all the tests have shown either no damage or minimal damage

to

the pancreas.

The last three years I have seen Dr. Lehman and he has offered the Peustow

surgery, although he still believed I only had some minor damage/calcification

in the head of the panc due to the closed ducts/panc divisum. I decided to put

off surgery until the stenting no longer was an option. That decision was

made in July and I met with the surgeon (see 3075). the surgeon said he would

do a CT scan before surgery and then tell me what procedure he would do.

I had the CT scan on Monday, 11/22. On 11/23, Tuesday, Dr. Nakeeb, my

surgeon, said that the stent was still in the duct which was okay and the damage

to

the pancreas was minimal, so he could do the puestow surgery as the duct had

opened large enough for the puestow.

Wednesday, 11/24 at 9:00 a.m. I walk into the surgery room and get on the

table. I remember nothing for the next few hours, so what I write now is what

my

husband, Jerry, told me.

He said after about an hour, Dr. Nakeeb called to talk to him in the waiting

lounge and told him that the head of the pancreas was severely damaged and

calcified and it needed to be removed and ask for Jerry's permission to do the

whipple surgery instead of the puestow, which he promptly gave, knowing that is

what I would have wanted.

Four and a half hours later Dr. Nakeeb came to the waiting lounge to tell

Jerry it was a successful surgery and the best case scenario for this surgery.

The damage was only in the head, so he removed 25% of the pancreas including

all the defective ducts. He said the pancreas that remained was healthy and had

NO damage.

He also said he was very surprised when he opened me up to see so much damage

as it had not shown on any tests.

I went through the surgery so well, I didn't even need to go to ICU and was

taken directly to progressive care. He contributed my well-being due to the

textbook case of no damage beyond what he removed, my health, and the fact that

I am thin. He said he was able to do this surgery in half the time it

normally takes (10 hours).

I thank-you for so many of you who encouraged me to do this surgery before I

got worse. I am ending Chap 1 - Chapter 2 will follow - with nightmare nurse

care and three room moves at MY request in ten days!

Cecilia

Mesa, AZ