A good friend is having a Whipple Procedure today.

[MineralMan]

Please keep a good thought for him. It's a huge operation for pancreatic cancer that takes hours to complete. He's considered to be a good candidate for the surgery, so we're all wishing him well. It's a tough day for his family and his friends, so we're all anxious that it goes well.

[onecent]

1. My thoughts and prayers are coming your way!!!!!

[USALiberal]

2. I hope it works! Nt

[bitterross]

3. More than thoughts and prayers

I hope your friend's operation is a success. Pancreatic cancer is one of those that is very insidious and takes people very quickly still.

[Hortensis]

4. Does this big surgery suggest the possibility that it could be curative?

Hope so. Best wishes, of course.

[MineralMan]

6. Well, not curative. 5-year survival rates for the procedure

are from 20-40%, depending on the extent of the disease. Pancreatic cancer is a bad one, since it is usually not detected early and has few symptoms in its early stages. The Whipple procedure is about the only hope for it. I believe that SCOTUS justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent that procedure and is a good example of survivorship.

[Hortensis]

7. I was afraid of that, assuming the cancer had spread out

of the pancreas. I just looked and was dismayed to realize no important advances in survivability for this one have been made recently.

One of my fellow MILs had pancreatic cancer, but she and her husband treated all symptoms of everything by ignoring and toughing them out, exercise, travel, and positive thinking, which worked extremely well for them until this happened. Ginsburg's was apparently caught a lot earlier than most.

Hope your friend's up and enjoying life again as quickly as RBG was.

[MineralMan]

8. If they find that it has spread farther than they think,

they'll stop the surgery, I understand. He's had a couple of PET scans, though, that don't show metastases in the lymph system. So, they're going ahead with the surgery today. They can and will stop if they find signs of a further spread, since there would be no point in carrying out that heroic surgery if that is the case.

I'm cautiously optimistic. My wife is there with his wife at the hospital for a couple of hours this morning. We'll find out if the surgery will continue before noon.

[Hortensis]

12. 10:44. So far so good then.

[MineralMan]

31. He's well past the time when they would have stopped

so it looks like they're going for it. I'm getting updates from my wife.

[ooky]

57. Lost my mom to pancreatic cancer. I wish your friend the best of all possible outcomes.

[dewsgirl]

5. Prayers🙏 I truly hope it is successful. I lost my dad

to this truly awful disease.

[MoonRiver]

9. I also lost my dad to it. Prayers from me to your friend MM.

[dewsgirl]

10. Me too.Thank you.

[MoonRiver]

13. My dad was very old, 93, and went very fast. Still it's a horrible loss,

especially since I lost my mom 4 years earlier. Hope you are doing well dewsgirl.

[dewsgirl]

14. My mom passed away when I was 13, so my dad was a mom

and a dad to me. He passed away in 2011, he was 67. He was my everything. I still think about him everyday, he was the biggest democrat I know. He hated FOX and would despise what is happening.

[MoonRiver]

20. I'm so sorry. Here are some candles for all our losses.

[dewsgirl]

32. Thank you. It's hard at any age for us all.

[bluestarone]

11. Hope all goes well!

Praying for a successful surgery!

[ismnotwasm]

15. Best wishes

Post Whipple care is part of the kind of nursing I do, so I’ve seen a lot of them.

It’s pretty painful post op, still, he will be encouraged to ambulate as soon as possible (we have a surgeon who will come and visit his own patients to walk with them as soon as possible after surgery) and he will have a “pain button” or PCA. We also have what’s called a Whipple pathway diet after—it basically starts the patient off very slow with food and fluids. Sometimes, people come out of surgery with a tube in their nose for stomach decompression. This annoys patients the most. He’ll have IV fluids, and probably a Foley catheter. He might have a drain. If he’s an independent person, coming out of everything tethered to all that will be disconcerting and people have different ways of dealing with it. (Anger, humor, depression, withdrawal etc)

It’s an incredible surgery, and can significantly extend life, it’s even occasionally curative.

[The Wielding Truth]

21. Very informative. Thanks.

[MineralMan]

29. Thanks for the information. That will help me understand what

he's going through.

Apparently, according to my wife, they are proceeding with the surgery after the exploratory phase. I'm hoping for the best possible outcome.

[ismnotwasm]

35. If it helps, I see a lot of good outcomes

It’s a well known procedure, and the surgeons are usually top tier.

One I work with I have vowed to go to if I ever need any kind of surgery in his purview.

Best of luck to your friend

[MineralMan]

36. Thanks again. Fingers are crossed.

[MLAA]

16. ✨✨💫💖

[tiredtoo]

17. BEST wishes for a speedy recovery EOM

[Hekate]

18. Will do

[pandr32]

19. Wishing the best for your friend

I am so glad his family has your support. It can be so stressful. Hopefully, it will be over with soon and you all will receive good news!

[Heartstrings]

22. Healing vibes sent to your friend......nt

[colorado_ufo]

23. I have assisted on Whipple surgeries, and it is, indeed, a big surgrey.

Prayers for a great outcome are in order, and I have sent mine!

[MineralMan]

33. Thank you.

[democrank]

24. Sending hopes for the best possible results

Believe~

[SunSeeker]

25. Honestly, I am happy to hear he was eligible for the procedure and is having it today.

My mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but had a stroke a few days before her scheduled surgery, which made her ineligible for the surgery. She died 6 weeks later.

[people]

26. Good friend is having Whipple Procedure

Wishing very best for your good friend. I'm glad your wife is with his wife. You are all very lucky to have such friends.

[Niagara]

27. Best wishes for your good friend's procedure

Here's to a healthy and speedy recovery.

[Cary]

28. FWIW everyone I know who has had that has had good results

Godspeed.

[MineralMan]

30. Thanks for that encouragement!

[Greybnk48]

34. Best wishes to everyone!

That is a huge procedure. I was a surgical tech in late 70's to the early 90's and never saw one done, but I scrubbed a mini-Whipple once in the 80's. Pancreatic cancer is often very quiet until it's too late.

Not to minimize one bit, but these procedures are no longer new, and techniques and drugs have been vastly improved. Your friend's prognosis is much better than it once was, and i will send all the good surgery vibes I can muster. Please let us know how he does.

[spanone]

37. Best of wishes to your friend MM

[diva77]

38. Hoping for the best for your friend. I also hope he has or will check out pancan.org - great info &

support for pancreatic cancer patients & families.

[MineralMan]

39. Thanks. I'll pass that link on to them.

[Liberal In Texas]

40. Good luck and good vibes to your friend. Pancreatic cancer is a horrible disease.

It killed my younger brother.

[MineralMan]

41. Update. Unfortunately, they had to abort the surgery.

Some sort of blood vessel abnormality that prevented them from continuing. Damn!

[FailureToCommunicate]

44. I'm so sorry to hear that update. I want to be uplifing, but you need to be ready for

bad news. My younger brother went thru the "whipple" operation; long, involved, and it STILL didn't work. His kidneys failed shortly after and, well, that was the end.

Pan Can sucks big time.

I am so sorry for your friend, and for you having to go thru this with them.

[cate94]

45. I'm sorry.

[peggysue2]

49. Sorry to hear that, MM

Pancreatic cancer is a dreadful disease. My sister-in-law was at one time hoping to qualify for the Whipple surgery but her cancer was too advanced. She tried everything from traditional therapies to clinical trials but succumbed to the disease in late August.

Best to you and your friend!

[Glimmer of Hope]

53. I am sorry to hear that. I hope they can try again.

[ismnotwasm]

54. Dammit.

[Hekate]

56. I'm so terribly sorry, MM

[ooky]

58. Sorry, did not see your update.

Hopefully they can try again.

[Worried senior]

42. I'm so sorry.

I'm sure everyone had their hopes up just to have them dashed.

[Lucky Luciano]

43. Good luck to your friend.

Never heard of a Whipple procedure, but pancreatic cancer is evil.

Edit - just saw the update. That is very unfortunate they had to can the procedure, but best if vibes anyway.

[JDC]

46. Best wishes to your friend and his family

[Sloumeau]

47. I said a prayer for your friend.

In my case, my two dots ..

stand for "Good Luck".

[Gore1FL]

48. Good luck to your friend.

I had to google the procedure. When you visit him, you should being a 4-pack of Charmin for him to squeeze in honor of the surgery's namesake. It's a stupid joke, but laughter is good medicine.

I hope everything went well!

[Maru Kitteh]

50. Egads. I didn't think they even did Whipples anymore. We haven't done them in years.

Sending my best thoughts for a kind and thoughtful surgeon and supreme nursing care.

[yellowdogintexas]

62. neither did I

That is a massive procedure

[Joinfortmill]

51. prayed for your friend.

[Docreed2003]

52. Best thoughts!

That's a huge procedure but they wouldn't do it if he weren't a good candidate. Hope everything goes well.

[The_jackalope]

55. I was so sad to read your update

My thoughts are with your friend.

[littlemissmartypants]

59. Also, so sorry to hear about the update.

I hope you and your friend will find time to share some pleasant days to ease his burdens.
❤ lmsp

[DFW]

60. I hope the surgeons are able to complete it

By the time my dad had his pancreatic cancer operation, the tumor had wrapped itself around a vital artery, and the team couldn't perform the Whipple. He hung on for another half year, which his doctors considered nothing short of amazing, but once the operation was terminated before the Whipple could be done, the surgeons told us that there was little to no hope, and, unfortunately, they were right. I hope your friend has a better outcome.

[hlthe2b]

61. I just read the entire thread, including the update and am very sorry.

I hope for the best for your friend. He will need your support even more now--as will his family.

There are always those who beat the odds. May your friend be one.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

63. Does A Whipple Procedure Prevent Him From Squeezing The Charmin?

[MineralMan]

64. It's not funny. Not in any way.

Some subjects don't lend themselves to juvenile humor. This is one of those subjects.