2 year Whipple Aniversery and Update.

It's hard to believe but 2 years has passed since my Whipple( Nov 17, 2023).

I am loving my new post Whipple life, and wasn't sure I would be able to say that. The first 5 months after the Whipple were really rough, I was in hospital for all of it other than the 21 days at a friends place struggling with drains, leaks/fistula and pain. Around the 6 month anniversary things started to improve, the fistula/leaks had healed, and the feeding tube was removed. Life was slowly starting to return to the new normal. I turned 62 in August and can't believe the things I have been able to do this past year. I returned to part time work as mountain bike guide and coach with Alberta66 MTB. Spent more time on the bike with friends, got to see most of my Happy Places. I Volunteered with Friends of Kananaskis and West Bragg Trails, helping with trail maintenance and as a trail host ( to date over 300 hrs this year). The trail maintenance days maybe the most rewarding thing I have been able to do, it's very hard work, but feels so good to help repair some of the trails I dreamed about riding on those dark days when I wasn't sure what my quality of life would be after the Whipple. I come home from the trail day sore, exhausted, excited about the improvements we made to the trails and amazed at what I was able to do physically.

I still have to pay close attention to how much I eat, what I eat and stay on a schedule of eating every 1 or 2 hours. Paying attention to my energy levels, listening to my body and stretching lots, really focusing on the abdominal area( lots of scare tissue and risk of hernia) has helped keep me limber and feeling good. Follow up blood work every 3 months so far is good, follow scopes are showing a change in the number of Polyps( Tubular adenomas ), all that said I am truly thankful for the Health Care I have received and loving life.

Sept 20, 2025, celebrating a very tough ride.

Oct 2025 rewarding day helping on the trails.

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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...

Dec 15, 2023 update.

Originally posted to social media Dec 15, 2023. " Friday update. Day 28, back on full fluid diet, but only able to drink very little to start, took me all day to drink an Ensure, but wow was it good lol. One drain removed this morning, 2 still in(one active), CT scan ordered and waiting for that. The medical team hopes the CT scan may show where the fluids is coming from. Goal is to get me on solid food, off the IV TPN feeding and able to pass it through the digestive system. Still going slow and steady." Dec 14, 2023. Dec 15, 2023.

The FAP - Whipple Report

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