i was told on friday march 13th that i had cancer of the pancreas, what a shock. Is there someone out there that can talk with me about the symtoms they have experienced like some i have experienced.
i was diagnosed with PC March 2019 and I am quite happy to talk to you about this. If you could give some indication of what you have experienced so far I'll be pleased to share my journey
Hiya Kevin, i was diagnosed with PC this year in march,actually Friday the 13th( lucky or unlucky). I get pain in my tummy just under my bust and a really funny feeling on my skin in this place. I tried chemo but was so ill with it that along with my oncologists advice decided to stop it, so just palitive care from now on. What haveyou been experiencing with your PC? i'm interested to know how others are copeing. big nanny.
My initial visit to my gp was because i had an indigestion type feeling after every hot meal and the usual anti indigestion tablets hadn't worked. Also i knew i had lost some weight and not having any scales at home i was surprised when my gp weighed me that i had lost 7/8 kg in a relatively short period of time
I did not appreciate the significance of unexplained weight loss plus the uncomfortable feeling in my chest plus i was always feeling tired. To cut to the chase following a series of tests i was told i had suspected pc and that 1] a Whipples procedure would be the best advice followed by 2] chemo therapy . The whipples was April 2019 and the chemo started in May and finished in November 2019.
I have been fortunate that in March 2020 following a scan the cancer appears to have gone although i suppose their is a chance it will return. I am not a worrier and at the beginning when i was diagnosed i put my trust in the medical team at the hospital to give me the best advice. I followed that advice to the letter and despite the chemo causing a few upsets it all went remarkably well.
This forum has been invaluable in helping me to manage the situation as i found that ' talking' about the problem either on line or with other patients at the hospital was of great benefit emotionally. Normally blokes keep things to themselves.
My outcome so far has been better than i could have hoped for but rest assured on this forum you will never be alone and i found the cancer nurses/doctors are always happy to discuss any concerns you may have
good to hear from you and that you are clear. I first went to see a dr sfter having some swelling of my stomach and really bad pain,was sent for camere down throat but they found nothing,so i felt releaved at that time and the swelling and pain went away. My first rael concerns was that at christmas 2019 i had really bad pains in my right side and more swelling of the stomach it felt like a cracked rib and i was off my food. I sought drs advise several times after this with pain getting worse and worse and by this time i wasnt eating. I saw four different drs at my practice and the last dr i saw was a locom, she sent me for tests and to a specialist dr at hospital who did a scan and three weeks later i was told i had cancer. My faith in my drs practice has gone now. this time last year i was recovering from a major bowel and womb operation and now this.
Sorry to hear about your difficulties. The lockdown cannot have helped but I would suggest that if you haven't already done so to get in touch with macmillan support or Maggies 0300 123 1801. They have experience with dealing with all sorts of difficult situations and whilst your faith in your gp practice may have been dented reaching out to other sources i hope will help you
I do fully sympathise with your eating problems. it was for me one of the most troublesome things to deal with. Everything i ate was either tasteless or tasted awful therefore i didn't want to eat. Thanks to the dieticians at the cancer centre I found mild curries solved my problem. Indeed any slightly spicy food gave my taste buds some interest.
hi kevin,its good to know others are going or have gone through the same difficulties as myself,i have felt very alone in this but now know i am not. I did reach out to the macmillan nurses and have had tremendous help and understanding from them. They have helped me sort so many questions out and i am so pleased for their help. Some days my taste buds are awful and you just dont feel like eating and other days i'm fine, dietician has helped by making many surgestions. I am manageing to keep my weight steady, at the start i lost so much weight, so thats a positive. Well thanks for your reply, keep on going and we will speak again. bignanny.
