New to the group. Post-Whipple procedure CT scan anxiety

Hi Mac007 

Welcome to the group. I am one of the MacMillan community champions. I haven’t had this experience but didn’t want your post to remain unanswered. I am sorry you are finding it difficult to recover from Whipple surgery. I am aware it’s a huge operation and don’t find it surprising that it takes a long time to recover both physically and mentally. I think anyone who has had any form of cancer treatment understands the overwhelming dread involved in waiting for scan results. Given your post was written a couple of days ago, I think you will by now have had your follow up appointment. Do let us know how that went. Hopefully others who have had a similar diagnosis or Whipple surgery will read your post and be able to help.  

My impression is everyone who has this operation ends up with a different story to tell although there are common recurring themes getting into the stories on this forum which may provide you with similarities that may help. My Whipples will be six years ago in September and I was recently told I now have type 2 diabetes and certainly do suffer from a lack of energy similar to what you describe, but then my insulin producing nodes were reduced in number as part of my pancreas went together with my gall bladder and durodenun. Blood tests should show if that is happening to you and I would ask for them .

My consultant is a great one for statistics and quoted all sorts of odds for my future, did yours do that? I am sure that was to encourage me to opt for the operation more quickly. I will be 82 about a month before the sixth anniversary of the operation, I was in Addenbrooks for 7 weeks and on a feeding machine there and then for many weeks having got home (to better care from my wife as well as edible food). I am now officially discharged having had CT scans every year for the last five years.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask them.

Dave O