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 feelin g 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.

Comments

The number of polyps / adenomas change after Whipple Surgery, and start of taking a Proton Pump Inhibitor(PPI) why?

UPDATED Mar 16 2026 The number of polyps / adenoma, in my remaining colon, rectum and stomach, has increased since after my Whipple Surgery , and I started taking a Proton Pump Inhibitor. The Whipple re-configures the digestive tract, and creates a new connection between the stomach and the small intestine (jejunum). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are prescribed to patients after a Whipple to prevent ulcers and bleeding in the upper digestive tract . Do Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) cause an increase the numbers of polyps with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis , FAP ? There is a study, Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science, that seems to suggest that using a Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) for over 12 months is a significant risk factor for developing advanced colon polyps. As of June 17, 2025 there are now several small Fundic Gland Polyps in my stomach, this is the 1st time I can remember or seen any word of these, and not sure if this because...

Vitamins, minerals and energy.

UPDATED Mar, 2026. Happy to say blood work looks great, Ferritin, Iron, Vit D and Vit A are all back up into the normal range. I had been living a very active life since I was in my late 30’s. I started road biking , and then mountain biking and loved it. Mountain biking became my to go to exercise, and I loved peddling up the longest hills I could find . I took part in many races, single and multi day events, never really too win but to see what I was capable of doing, to see new wilderness areas and meet good people. Living with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) gave me a reason to take care of myself and keep pushing myself, I figured if I was able to ride a bike as much as I did there wasn’t anything wrong with me. In July 2023 polyps in my duodenum started to show signs of change, and a large flat adenoma was un able to be removed, so I decided to have the Whipple Surgery in Nov 2023. The surgery went okay, biopsies of the large adenoma showed high gr...

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 FAP - Whipple Report

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