This all started on April 7 when I became severely jaundiced. I had a blockage of my common bile duct with sludgy stuff from my gall bladder. I had an ERCP to clear the blockage and my doctor placed a stent to clear the stricture/blockage. My body didn't like that and rejected the stent. So the doc put in another one. That lasted even less time.
Then my gall bladder came out, and fresh stents were put in the bile duct. Two days after coming home from that, I was vomiting and sick as a dog (despite taking Zofran for nausea). So my surgeon ordered another CT Scan (I've had 3, not to mention an MRCP and EUS) and discovered that my pancreatic duct was dilated (this is bad). So they readmitted me to the hospital. By now it was the end of May and they'd ruled out cancer and primary sclerosing cholangitis (a deadly disease of the biliary system) through testing. The treatment for me was prednisone (this is the standard treatment apparently) but my body did not respond to it. After checking my pancreas carefully for cancer (MRCP and biopsy), I was scheduled to have a Whipple procedure, a complex surgery to re-route the digestive tract, and remove a large piece of the pancreas and the ducts. This took place on Monday August 1st. As soon as the surgeon got me open, however, he saw that my abdominal cavity was full of "nodules" (his term) which he immediately tested. They immediately came back as malignant and he stopped the Whipple procedure.
Now I've mostly recovered from the abortive Whipple and am getting ready to start chemotherapy. On Wed. 8/24 I had a catheter surgically implanted in my shoulder/neck area, and on 8/30 I get my first dose of chemo. My cancer is inoperable.
It has been a wild 4 months, and I've been extremely lucky to have the support of my wife, Elaine, and my family and friends. I'd be lying if I said the chemo didn't scare the hell out of me.
I'm very curious, as I'm sure others are, as to the negative cancer biopsies/tests that occurred prior to the surgery for the whipple procedure. How can that be?..... also, I'm glad that you're doing this blog. I think its a great way to muster the support you (and Elaine) need, as well as to disseminate information. XOXO Becky
ReplyDeleteWow! "It has been a wild 4 months" may be the understatement of the year!
ReplyDeleteMike, thanks for starting this blog. You and Elaine have been in thoughts and prayers! And, while I've wanted to check in on you two, I know that telling the story over and over again can be exhausting.
Good luck on the 30th! When you go for your treatment, be sure to start the conversation with "I'm an attorney....". It will insure the best medical care possible :)
@Becky: From what I've been told several times from several sources, biopsies are great indicators but they really don't provide a 100% guarantee if the test comes back negative. This is what the docs tell me anyway.
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