6 weeks post Whipple Procedure and my friend can't put on weigh or stop vomitting

Has he had any post op check ups with the surgeon? My husband didn't have anything like this...he ate small amounts at first, but then ate more or less normally. Is your friend taking creon? He might also need somthing like omeprazole/lansaprazole...supposed to help the creon absorb and work better.

I think one of the risks of the surgery is that the stomach stops working, but don't really know how that would manifest itself...?  I'd give the GP a ring at least, if not the surgeon.  Some people do take a long time to return to anything like normal eating habits...some don't seem to get back to normal at all.

He needs to be eating high calorie, high protein foods...he may benefit from some supplements whilst he's struggling to eat normally.

Thanks for your quite response Veema,  I think he's on the omeprazole type drug, but don't know about creon.  I'll ask him.  He's going to ring his nurse today.  Maybe it was because he was eating such small amounts before and is now trying to eat more that his tummy is misbehaving.

Everything seems to upset his tummy - from apple pie to car journeys  - I suppose it's a bit of a learning curve - what you can cope with and what you cant .  He's been advised to eat small meals regularly but is sticking to his old habits of eating three larger meals.

Thanks for your help.

Hi LollyLoops

Your friend isn't helping himself going against advice by trying to eat three larger meals - if he's having tummy trouble he needs to eat little and often to put less strain on his digestive system and enable his body to take in nutrients so it can heal. If he isn't on Creon he may need to be.

I've been lucky and had very little trouble getting back to eating normally after my Whipples although I have always been a grazer so little and often suits me. Getting the dose of Creon right is down to the individual but is essential if you need them. I found the Ensure drinks were great for getting extra calories in - I prefer the juice ones but there are milkshake ones as well. He'll need to check with his dietician/doctor if he can have them - you can get them on prescription as they are expensive to buy. Things like Complan or protein powders that you add to food are good too. 

But really he needs to listen and follow his doctor's advice.

Oh and make sure he's drinking lots of fluid as well - waster, mainly. Three pints absolute minimum if he can keep it down (not all at once though)! Sipping constantly through the day works. And always having a bottle of water with him.

Hi KiwiWolf - I totally agree - but I don't think he's got his head around changing how he eats as well as what he eats - it's quite a learning curve isn't it.  He used to be able to eat a huge meal at one sitting - and has never been a grazer.  He has to re-train himself (I have suggested he tries harder with that one).  I will speak to him tomorrow morning (he'll be too tired to talk now) about the Creon.  He has got some protein powder - I suggested mixing them with ice-cream and milk for a milk shake?  It helped me put on weight, but I'm a bit concerned about suggesting dairy for him since I believe it's hard for him to digest.

Part of the problem is that he had his op done on his private health care and the swap over to his GP is lacking to say the least - I don't think he's managed to get an appointment to talk to his doctor yet - although the paper work has gone through.  

Thank you for your comments.

I meant to say water in my previous comment, not waster!

Of course your friend is within his rights to eat how he likes - he may not like the consequences though! This cancer business is a learning curve all right. I believe you get out what you put in - listening to your doctors and your body goes a long way to helping you heal. If he doesn't tolerate dairy well, he should be able to mix the powder with things like mashed potato or in stews or thick soups. Getting the calories into him in a controlled way is the thing. You do have to experiment.

Don't start me on hospital administration! Although my care has been pretty faultless so far, sometimes the joined up admin between hospitals, GPS and various other medical facilities has been below par. It would help if they were all on the same system. I was told just to keep ringing and pestering whoever I needed to - medical secretaries are worth their weight in gold and do get things done for you. They often knew when my appointments were long before anyone else. And I invariably get two letters for the same appointment! But I'm eternally grateful to the wonderful medical staff who have saved my life.

Thank you KiwiWolf.  I asked him about Creon and he says that  his surgeon wanted to see how he went before he put  him on it.  Apparently it's a life long drug if you start it.  He's having a stent put in on Thursday so I think his mind is on that right now (for chemo).

Hi Lollypops

Sorry to hear about your friend.

My husband had the Whipple in March 2015 (but the cancer came back and he died in January 2016 ). When he saw the oncologist in May 2015 she immediately put him on creon. She commented that the hospital where my husband was operated on was one of the few where the surgeons did not immediately use creon. 

It's not a drug or medication. It's a replacement for enzymes which are lost with pancreatic insufficiency after surgery. I'm not a medic, of course, but most people who have a Whipple will have insufficiency. This means that your friend isn't getting nutrients out of food and that might account for the loss of weight.

It would be worth him enquiringly of the oncologist.

Squeaky

He absolutely does need creon...the head of the pancreas is removed during the whipples surgery and this is the part responsible for producing the digestive enzymes...so he'll not be producing enough, if any.  Creon, as Squeaky says, is just a replacement digestive enzyme...no wonder he is losing weight as he's getting no nutrients from the food he is eating!

Some GPs just astound me.

My husband had the Whipple in March 2015 (but the cancer came back and he died in January 2016 ). When he saw the oncologist in May 2015 she immediately put him on creon. She commented that the hospital where my husband was operated on was one of the few where the surgeons did not immediately use creon. 

My husband was given creon as soon as he was diagnosed, because the tumour itself stops the pancreas from doing it's job...I thought this was standard practice.