Jan 29, 2025 double track fat bike ride, exploring in K Country AB.

Jan 29, 2025 double track fat bike ride, exploring in K country AB. Beautiful spring like temps. 1 st time on these trails, can't wait to go back and ride more. The days leading up to this adventure had been very emotional. It was a year ago, Jan 28, 2024 that I was readmitted to the hospital after complications from the Whipple Surgery. I had no idea when I went to ER that it would be the start of a 90 day Hospital stay. What a difference a year can make, this ride helped get me out of the funk I was in. I love riding my bike.

Things were seeming to be improving, the leaks and enterocutaneous fistula I had seemed to healing, and I was starting to eat more to get my strength back. On Jan18, 2024 I was prescribed Creon, a pancreatic enzyme, to help with digestion. After taking the Creon for a few days, things started to go poorly. I had strange feeling in my stomach, and the fistula went from a small pencil size hole, to a golf ball size, with a large piece of “slough”, tissue hanging out of me. I have asked this question before: Can Creon caused damage to internal tissue if it gets into a enterocutaneous fistula? The reason I bring this up again is because I am wondering if Creon needs a stronger warning on it, and are there others that had a similar experience after taking it. It took a lot of time, hospital resources, and hard work to recover from the extra damage, and complications I experienced. I have no idea what the long term side effects maybe.

Don't get me wrong, I very thankful, and feel fortunate to have the quality of life I have now, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to enjoy my "new normal" life. I don't think it hurts to share info, and ask questions to see if there are things that can be done to help others, and improve their life. Cheers

Jan 29, 2025.

Comments

Mountain biking after Whipple Surgery.

I wasn't sure what life would be like after my Pancreaticoduodenectomy or "The Whipple" in Nov 2023, my big concern was the change in quality of life and would I be able get back on the mountain bike. The surgery it's self went really well they tell me, but on the start of the second week, when I should have been going home I developed several leaks and this was the beginning of a long difficult recovery . I started to worry that this was what my new normal would be like, but some how found the drive and energy to walk as much as I could while spending 140 days in the hospital. I kept telling my self this would help me get back to the life I wanted. Friends and family helped support me, gave me the energy I need and reminded me to keep my sense of humour. A group of friends, family, and strangers put to together a Gofund Me campaign and bought me a Rocky Mountain Instinct Ebike , at first I wasn't sure how to take it. Did they think I wasn’t going to ever be ab...

A short summary of the Whipple Surgery, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and the complications.

A short summary of the Whipple Surgery, Pancreaticoduodenectomy , the complications, and 140 day Hospital stay that followed. Most of the information is a direct copy from my Hospital discharge report (spelling mistakes have not been corrected). I have added some other information, those notes are in italics. Warning medically graphic picture links included. A more complete summary, with pictures maybe seen here : https://fap-whipple-report.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-summary-of-key-events-for-whipple_10.html I had the Whipple Surgery in Nov 2023, it seemed to go well, 4 hrs of less in the OR. Normal as it could be the 1st few days, mild pain, walking as often as I could. Nov 24, 2023 Nurses note “ Abdomen +++ distended and firm.” “ Patient now complaining of 10/10 pain and laying in bed in fetal position holding abdomen.” “ Pending CT, form completed, IV access available.” Nov 26,2023 Nurses note “ CT abdomen pelvis ordered on Friday. Still not done on Sunday. Action: I spoke...

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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