Its been just over 12 months since my Whipples Procedure. I cant begin to describe the anguish I first felt when I was given the diagnosis Dec 2016 of a pancreatic tumour at which point it was uncertain whether it was malignant or benign. I was advised that a whipples procedure was my best course of action.
I underwent a Whipples procedure in Jan 2017 and my suggested 2 week hospital stay turned into 2 months due to post operative issues including dumping syndrome and POTS, low blood pressure, dissiness, vomiting, weight loss...you get the picture. Mine has not been an easy journey physically but the brightest news through all this was that the tumour was benign.
12 months on and Im still struggling with weight loss. Ive lost 20kgs so far and keep to a fairly rigid diet to reduce diarrhea and maintain calory intake. I take immodium daily also along with multivitamins, vit D, calcium, magnesium and Creon, 4 with meals and 2 with snacks. Through trial and error Ive discovered that Im now Glutten intolerant and so have switched to GF products. Some dairy is also an issue. Milk is a "no no" and other milks such as soy, lactose free, rice milk have been no alternative either. Full cream yoghurt is ok along with what i call "white cheese" or the lighter coloured cheeses such as camembert and brie. Sugar is also a problem. As a past sweet tooth, I crave certain foods at times and I would be limited to no more than a mouthful. Ive also looked at how my meats are cooked. Ie slow cooked beef. Its been trial and error with working out what foods my body can tolerate and Im hoping things will settle down to the "new me".
Yes that is something Ive come to terms with...to be patient with the "new me". A very close friend who is a nurse drilled that one in to me when she visited me regularly in hospital. Life took a turn when i least expected it but Im learning how to embrace the change and work with the new limitations. Im a keen gardner and enjoy projects and its been really important in my recovery both mentally and physically to have small projects on the go and to not overdo it.
To other bloggers on this site thankyou for sharing your stories its been really helpful. We each share different recovery stories.
