Pancreatic cancer at 27?

Hi Peter

I am sorry to hear you feel unwell. We are not medically qualified here so can’t really comment on your symptoms. You could seea gastroenterologist privately but it can be expensive. I hope this can be resolved soon for you.

Squeaky

Hi Peter,

I’m sorry you’re getting the run around.

in my experience you have to push, and sometimes push hard.

you could return to your GP to explain your new symptoms, and keep going back. 

Alternatively, you could present to A&E?  

I don’t know where you are in the country, but where I am it pays to be pushy ( but polite!) I’m absolutely not advocating abusive behaviour or verbal abuse towards any staff, but you can be assertive and ensure they understand your pain.

i had my gallbladder removed after a nurse practitioner told me I was a mild case and it should be controlled with diet. Incidentally, i’m Not a clinician but some of the symptoms you describe are familiar. I pushed further for treatment via my GP who then agreed to refer.

after the operation I was told that my gall bladder was enlarged and could have ruptured if it had been left,  entailing a much bigger operation than the laparoscopic one I had.

i sincerely hope you can get some clarity about what is going on, but come back on here if you need support, everyone is amazing.

good Luck!

mm

Hi MM, thanks for the response. 

So im assuming that you didn’t have problems with your pancreas and it turned out to be gallbladder? One of the things that worries me is I’ve had an abdominal ultrasound which has came back clear so I’d imagine they would spot something if my gallbladder was enlarged or I had gall stones, I hear problems with the pancreas are difficult to detect on ultrasound so that’s what is making me worried. I understand nobody on here is medically qualified. But I’m just trying to figure out what I have going on as I seem to be getting nowhere with my go, do you mind telling me what your symptoms actually where before gallbladder removal? 

Thanks for the response 

peter x

Hi Peter,

I had a raging thirst and went to the GP because I was worried about diabetes.

I had the steatorhea  - smelly white poo which won’t flush.

upper abdominal pain which felt like very strong heartburn which I couldn’t get rid of no matter what meds I took.  This radiated into my back.

My GP suspected gall bladder so took some bloods to confirm. Then I went back because I wasn’t able to manage the symptoms well enough and the nurse practitioner told me I wasn’t a candidate for surgery. So I went back again and my GP got me a referral,

when I saw the consultant and explained how I had been fobbed off, he picked up his phone and made an appointment for surgery there and then. I was lucky in the end.

Gallbladder problems are not hereditary but it can run in families - has anyone in your family had gallbladder/gallstones? 

As I said, I’m not a clinician and this is just my experience.

what I would say is if your GP suspects PC (have you asked?) then you need to be seen earlier than 20weeks.

can you get a referral out of County? It is possible if the waiting list is less than 20 weeks in another Trust.

Google Handbook to NHS constitution for Eng. on gov.uk. Page 31- you will see you have the right to treatment in another region if wait is shorter.

hope this helps

mm

Peter, I should also say I'm on this site as someone supporting a family member with cancer, not as a patient.

Mm