Jan 26, 2024 update.

Originally posted on social media Jan 26, 2024.

"Does it every feel good to be back home for the first night in 10 weeks. I love the tiny little slice of the Universe❤️

Update, 10 weeks post Whipple Surgery still have a active leak in the insecion, it's slowing down. Surgeon is hopefully it will heal up with out more surgery and so am I 🤞

Started taking pancreatic enzymes to help with digesting food. It's a learning process of how much and how often to take the enzymes. Now I am taking them every time I have anything to eat. Need to try and start putting on some of the 24lbs I have lost"

Comments

Ferritin and Iron levels.

UPDATED July 2026, 2026 Happy to report that what I have done over the past 12 months has helped my Ferritin and Iron levels stay stable. Part of the on going follow up after my Whipple Surgery is having blood work done at 3 and 6 month intervals. Blood work done in Nov 2024, a year post Whipple, showed my iron levels to be in the normal range, but the Ferritin levels had started to drop. Both my primary Doctor and dietitian recommend me increasing my daily iron intake to see if that would help raise my Ferritin level . The duodenum is removed during the Whipple, and it plays a crucial role in iron absorption , so removing of this section of the small bowel reduces the body's ability to absorb iron. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body's cells and It's found in many cells, especially in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow . A low ferritin level after the Whipple is common and is often due to impaired iron absorption caused by the removal of the duodenum; ...

What's it like Volunteering on a trail day.

I decided to try and retire this year, not sure financially this was a good decision, but mental and physical I know I have to try and I know it will help keep me healthy. If I stay healhty and active I will stay out of the hospital I hope. A trail day is helping repair and maintain a multi use ( horse back, hiking, running and mountain biking) network of trails. I live in a beautiful part of the world, the foot hills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. There are several networks of trails and trail associations here, we are very lucky. I think my favorite trails to work on are the old classic trails in Kananaskis Country . Most of these trails haven't seen any attention in many years, so they are over grown and eroded. The trails are often in a remote wilderness area, so getting to them can often be an adventure, we hike, bike and use e bikes to get to locations. You have to be prepared to be there for several hours, with enough food, water and extra layers in case the weather chan...

The importance of advocating for your self.

I went into the Whipple Surgery , Nov 17, 2023, with the belief that I would be home in 7 days and recovered in 3 months. The surgery it’s self went okay they tell me, but 4 days later I developed a pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) leak , followed by hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) leak and there were delays in acting on these complications. It got so bad 2 of my close friends had to come in and talk to the medical team to find out why a CT scan ordered on Nov 24, 2023 still wasn’t done 2 days after it was ordered. By the time the CT scan was done things had gotten much worst and it was the start of a very long recovery . This when I started to notice it was very important for me to pay attention, advocate for my self and my health care. Nobody knows your body and how you feel better than you. Unfortunately I didn’t start making notes or taking pictures until I was discharged, Jan 5, 2024, after 50 days in the hospital. I was sent home with 2 drains and a very active leak that was com...

The FAP - Whipple Report

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