Pancreatic Cancer Patient Biographies Pancreatic Cancer Patient Biographies
It took me a while to get this title down in print - I want to call this something else - but suppose I have to call it what it is - pancreatic cancer.
Sometime during October 2005 - My husband Mick booked himself for a well mans physical health check - to coincide with his 50th birthday and as we had booked a holiday of a lifetime in Australia for April 2006.
He passed "well mans "M.O.T" with flying colours - one test showed raised amalyse levels but a retest showed the levels had gone down - Mick told everything ok - booked for an ultrasound just as precaution. On returning to G.P. for test results, Mick noticed his urine to be becoming darker orange - test done - result negative. Mick noticed his stools were becoming pale and greasy - difficult to flush away (mid November).
Mick told me he had felt a "presence" in his abdomen, under right rib for some months - had not thought anything of it - put it down to muscle strain due to jogging. He was also suffering from increasing lethargy.
Week-end of 19th November - Urine darker - he was also starting to itch all over his body - called NHS direct - advised to keep an eye on it and report to G.P. on Thursday (due to get results of another urine test then).
Monday 21st November - Mick felt more unwell and had managed to get an appointment with our G.P. Later that morning advised to go to A&E as G.P. was concerned about jaundice and other symptoms. I arrived home to see Mick was indeed jaundiced (had come on overnight).
At A&E doctors were convinced it was gall stones - all junior doctors mulled around to "guess" the condition - told sure it was nothing more sinister - would do ultra sound to confirm. Ultrasound booked for next day, appointment given for Friday 25th Nov for results.
Friday 25th November 2006 - appointment with Consultant- we were told an obstruction/blockage had showed on ultrasound. Would need CAT scan to gain further detail - no alarm at this stage - Mick looking more unwell generally - admitted to local general hospital - itching becoming unbearable - prescribed Piriton.
Monday 28th November - CAT scan -left work early to visit Mick - sudden surge of panic. No results today.
Tuesday 29th November - bomb hit - Consultant told us a lump/mass had been detected within Mick's Pancreas - likely to be cancer. Mick came home for night - stated feels like it could be his last Christmas - doesn't want to leave us - tears all round.
He now needs to go to regional hospital for further, specialised treatment and tests - awaiting news at home Wed and Thurs - told Friday to be readmitted to local general hospital Monday 5th Dec for ERCP on Tues - no beds at regional specialist hospital.
Tues 6th Dec - ERCP failed - could not get past blockage - told all these delays would not jeopardize tumour further i.e. that it would not grow any more - but not desirable to wait weeks - probably needs 'Whipples' operation - regional hospital would know more - specialist centre - have faith in them - top in country. Still no beds at regional hospital. We were told docs phoning three to four times a day to try and get a bed - three other people in north vying for bed with same condition.
Thursday 8th Dec - Mick has septicaemia - on I/V antibiotics - had rigor in evening. Itching intolerable - Mick prescribed Diazepam to sedate him during the evening, which is the worst time for the itching as Piriton has very limited effect.
Friday 9th Dec - I arrive at hosp 10a.m. Mick detiorating - had further rigor during night - had another on our arrival - had emergency ECG during night. All blood levels abnormal. Mick on oxygen when we arrived. Desperate to get him to regional hospital now. Consultant admits he is in need of urgent specialist care there - they are continuing to phone almost every hour.
News at 5.p.m. - ambulance on way to take Mick to specialist hospital!!! Hugh relief!!!
Mick admitted at 6p.m. Friday 9th December 2005.
ERCP on Monday 12th Dec again unsuccessful - booked for PCT procedure Wed 14th Dec - this partially done - had to be aborted half way due to Mick having another rigor during procedure - Nevertheless his liver is now being drained - plan to complete procedure in three parts now with a rest day in between each one - Consultant says must get bilirubin level down to below 100 before they can safely operate on the tumour (still haven't heard if they think it is operable) Mick's bilirubin is currently 400. Will take 3-4 weeks for the levels to get below 100 as only go down at rate of 10% a day - reassures again wait is not detrimental.
We saw another doctor this evening - he says it just depends which side of the pancreatic duct the tumour is on if they can operate or not - if it is too near the Portal vein they are inoperable - we all pray for right side.
Mick very dehydrated now, and blood is growing 'new bugs' - he has been on all kinds of I/V antibiotics - now on strongest type. He is very weak - voice weak and spirits down. His appetite is gone and trying to push fluids - but Mick not able too as feels nauseous.
Phone rings 8.15a.m. Next morning 15th Dec - staff nurse from the ward - asks me to come in ASAP as there have been complications- Mick transferred to high dependency unit for closer monitoring.
8a.m. 16th December - as I have my coat on to leave for hospital - phone call from HDU - Consultant has decided to do Whipples as emergency straight away. Our daughter and I drive in immediately - When we arrive Mick is tearful - afraid but positive too. Consultant came in his theatre gown and told me he didn't have time to explain everything he was planning to do (normally the operation is discussed in full with patient and carer/relative - but Whipples aren't normally done as an emergency!). - He had cancelled all his operations for the rest of the day to do this - I said I put Mick into his trusted hands.
The Consultant went onto add that this was a good thing in a way, for the complications had propelled things on and so he was having the operation now, without delay. Naturally, the higher risks were outlined, as Mick was in a very poor physical state at that moment in time.
8p.m. Mick's Consultant told us the operation had been "quite successful" but complications could occur up to day 5. He explained that the pancreas is like the consistency of uncooked fish, and so trying to put stitches into something like that is very difficult - pancreatic juice can leak out and erode the stitches, but if this happened there were things they could do about it. The consultant had taken the head of the pancreas, gall bladder, lymph nodes and part of the bowel away. The biopsy would take till after Christmas to reveal the results. We thanked him as best we could. We all embraced each other and agreed we were as the Consultant had put it "cautiously optimistic" about the future - I told our daughter and son that whatever happened from now on we should be eternally grateful for what the medical and nursing team had done for us all right now and that knowing he has had the operation quickly would lead to no future regrets.
We went to see Mick in intensive care an hour later to much joy and relief. He was taken off the ventilator at 6.15a.m. The next morning and by the time we arrived at 10a.m. he was awake and had a wash and shave!
The Consultant had been to see him and told him how proud he was of the way he had conducted himself throughout everything he had been through. He said he hoped he could even get him home by Christmas if he kept up his progress and positive attitude! Mick thanked his Consultant for everything and hoped he would have a good Christmas because he was certainly his new Father Christmas now!
Later that day Mick was transferred back to ward. He was up in the chair the next morning and went for a walk to the nurse's station with a nurse and myself and all his drips and stands.
Mick found the days following the operation tiring and difficult - trying to rationalise everything that has happened in such a short time and deal with pain control, mobility and nutrition was bewildering. It was looking unlikely that he would be home for Christmas, so he set his sights on New Years Eve instead! However each day he had one or two of his ten tubes taken out, his bladder and bowels were working ok and he had begun to eat small amounts of ice cream or yogurt and drinking plenty.
On the 23rd December the Consultant said that as Mick had made such rapid progress he could be discharged home tomorrow (Christmas Eve!).
Christmas was great and we are now looking forward to good times to share with our wonderful family and friends - all who have been utterly fantastic and have bolstered us and lifted us up and carried us along through the darkest moments with love and support.
We were told at his outpatient appointment in January that the entire tumour had been removed. On the posterior side only a 1mm margin was achieved, a more satisfactory 5mm margin had been possible on all the other sides however.
We were told the survival statistics -15% chance of Mick surviving up to 5 years -as far as we are concerned he WILL be one of these - he is relatively young, fit and no other health concerns previously. Mick was signed up to the ESPAC 3 trial to commence 9th February 2006.
He hasn't had too many ill effects so far - more tired than usual and has had some pain and soreness in his feet, occasional spiked temperature and a rash on his back - but is pushing himself to do as much as possible e.g. he has been sledging, walking, cycling, social activities and working on the board game he has invented. He can get weepy at times, but sees this as part of a natural process, and soon resumes our 'new normal' outlook on life, which is wonderful!
His cancer marker test post surgery was 26. I felt a little panic, as it's the upper end of the range. But that has since gone down to 7 during April 06 (half way through his 6 month chemo regime)- which we celebrated!
We now hope we can get to Australia in October this year, all being well.
I read Les's story on this website several times when Mick was in hospital and since - it helps me tremendously - to feel close to someone who is going through the same thing is somehow comforting and hopeful - we wish him and others on similar journey well -it would be nice to hear from any survivors past the 5 year mark - but mostly we try not to think too far ahead.
May 2006
Produced 12th May 2006
last updated 12th May 2006