Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor in 2011

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This surgery is a toughie...but it is doable. It saved most of our lives so we are grateful to have had it!! But please don't assume that this surgery is a "6 weeks and back to normal" surgery that some doctors like to say it is. IT IS NOT!!! There may be a few people that are lucky enough to do that well but most of us take MUCH longer. I don't believe in sugar coating since people need to know how to prepare for this. I had my whipple in 2011 for a neuroendocrine tumor on my pancreas. They took half the pancreas, the gallbladder, and 30 cm of my small intestine. My tumor was caught extremely small and was not malignant. My surgery was 10 hours...I was in ICU for 4 days and 6 additional days in a regular room in the hospital. Some whipple patients have a lot of pain and some very little pain. Walking as much as possible as early as possible helps a lot. I personally feel that it is good to arrange for someone to be with the whipple patient 24/7 at least for the first few days till you see how he is going to do (I had a family member with me 24/7 the whole 10 days). I had no food for several days then only TPN (liquid food through a tube) for a while. I think I started solid foods after about day 6. Once I went home, I was lucky enough to have a hospital bed in our family room but most people sleep in a recliner for a while. So I would have it set up for him in a comfy spot with a recliner, table, and tv. The patient will not be able to eat very much for quite a while...little bits very often. Protein is important to help his body heal. He may have quite a bit of nausea at first but little by little that will get better. I couldn't do much of anything for the first month. Second month was better and I would have been much better by the 3rd month but I had a horrible reaction to a medicine they were giving me (Reglan). I went back to work by 4 months. I work 10 to 11 hours a day caring for kids in my home. I still was having a hard time with nausea but managed to work all day. Walking and doing as much activity as he can helps quite a bit. Walk and rest!! I could do most anything I wanted after the first 4-6 months. But my surgeon told me it takes about a month of healing for every hour of surgery and she was right on!! At a year out, I went on a 2 week camping and hiking vacation and did great. I still have minor problems mostly caused by the absorption problems caused by the whipple...lack of energy. etc. but I can do almost anything I want.