Pancreatic cancer, raising awareness.

[bloodywhitecat]

Some people might remember my post back in June when DP turned yellow and we battled to get him diagnosed at every turn, he was turned away from A&E and the GP surgery told him that sudden onset, painless jaundice was not worthy of an emergency appointment. After several more battles on 30th Sept DP was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, he has had the Whipples procedure but sadly a secondary growth was discovered on his liver during the procedure. He needs chemo but he is still waiting.

In the meanwhile I am trying to raise awareness of PC, lots of GPs have very little experience of it and 50% of people with it die within 3 months of diagnosis. Pancreatic Cancer UK are running a campaign for quicker diagnosis and quicker treatment.

It is the No Time To Wait campaign and you can sign the petition here.

If you do nothing else, please make yourself familiar with the signs and symptoms of PC.

Jesus, I’m so sorry to hear your story, I didn’t see your original thread. The news today about the new kind of blood test will hopefully go some way to addressing the difficulty in detecting cancers like pancreatic and ovarian in their early stages. In the meantime, yes thank you for working to raise awareness of the possible symptoms. Best wishes to you and your DH.

Signed it.

My dad died of pancreatic cancer 3 years ago. He was given 3 to 6 months at diagnosis and died after 3.

He thought he was suffering from hear burn, indigestion etc, only at a later point was cancer spotted.

Thanks to the amazing district nurses (and this may be upsetting and I apologise if so but Macmillan were absolutely useless, they were no help whatsoever) he stayed at home for the duration of his illness with good pain control and passed peacefully at home.

A bitter sweet time after the finareal we were talking to so eine wo worked in an area of trialli g medicines and the item that had recently been on the news about a tablet that you swallow and then pull back up from your stomach on a line of some sort of thread which collects samples from you was at that time bei g tested where they worked. It could have helped diagnose dad earlier. Hope it is available soon to help others.

My dad died 11 years ago from pancreatic cancer and while im not suprised, its heartbreaking that survival rates just aren't improving.
Cancer is terrible regardless but pancreatic really is a cruel one.
November is pancreatic cancer awareness month with the official day being the 19th November.
The charity needs all the support and awareness it can get. When my dad was diagnosed I didn't even know what a pancreas did! I donate monthly and when ever I see anyone collecting i will always donate. The ward my dad was treated in relies to heavily on donations to treat people. I agree MacMillan were useless but the Marie Curie hospice where my dad spent some time while he was ill and also where he went before passing away were wonderful.
I had already signed the petition but hopefully this post can drum up more signatures.
Thanks OP.

Signed and donated.
I’ve followed your story from the original thread, it really touched me. I hope you and your DH are getting through this as best you can.
You’re both very much in my prayers 💐

Signed, my mum died of pancreatic cancer 3 years ago I wish there had been a way to cure it. I remember your original thread i'm so sorry it wasn't good news for your husband. Thank you for sharing this Op.

Signed. My mum died of it, and my dad now has it. It’s a terrible disease.

Sorry about your DH.

Signed. So sorry to hear about your husband x

I remember your thread, bloodywhitecat and am happy to sign the petition. I wish your DP all the very best with his treatment, and hope he has a good outcome.

It's an awful disease. You do well to highlight it, since it is often diagnosed very late. Best wishes to you and DH.

I've signed OP. My dad died from pancreatic cancer last year. Last April he had his first symptoms, awful awful heartburn and quite extreme weightloss. He was fobbed off for months, then had failed MRI scans, biopsies that missed the cancer, had his gall bladder unnecessarily removed then he died in November last year after receiving absolutely no treatment.

I hope your DH can have treatment. Best wishes to you both, it really is a horrible disease

Signed for you.

Rather like a PP poster, I also lost my Dad from pancreatic cancer a few months before his 60th birthday, without private medical cover then he would have died within months. Rather like your husband, his cancer has spread so it was classed as terminal. If the doctors had taken him seriously then I may still have my Dad here today, so this is something that is hard to swallow.

Best wishes you to and your husband x

I have literally just brought my DH home from hospital.
He has a tumour in his pancreas and some dodgy looking areas in his liver. I took him to hospital because of jaundice. He's had 2 stents put in but has been hopelessly waiting for a biopsy. He's just discharged himself because of terrible disorganisation and he couldn't bear it any longer.
The biopsy will now take place within 2 weeks. We've already waited 3 weeks.
I think it's metastatic disease from his thyroid cancer, but until the biopsy no-one knows.
I'm so sorry about your husband and everyone else who lives have been touched by this.
I have also signed.

I remember your original post. I’m sorry that they found a growth on your husband’s liver too. I hope he is recovering well from the whipples?

Will sign now.

Sadly I also have a similar experience to the people above. My lovely dad died of pancreatic cancer earlier this year after a very short battle, but with many misdiagnosed symptoms.
I read your post just as I lost my dad and my heart broke for you when I read it. I’m so sorry to hear it your husbands diagnosis.
I have signed and donated
X

I read your original thread OP, I’m so sorry.

I'm so sorry to read your story and am wishing you and your husband all the best.

I'll go and sign now.

For those that want to learn more I'd really recommend this episode of You, Me and the Big C.

I remember your original thread and I’m so sorry to hear there’s not better news.

I’ve signed the petition. My DM died just over 2 years ago from PC. From diagnosis to her death it was only 5 months. They thought she had gallstones. Horrible disease.

When I saw the thread title I wondered if this was your thread. I remember your original thread at the time, am so sorry that you are all going through this.

BBC surgeons covered the Whipples procedure in one of their episodes, I hope he’s recovering from that ok.

Cancer is a bastard disease, and sadly there are so many types that too many of them just don’t get the right amount of publicity that they should. Any awareness is good awareness..

We lost my mum to pancreatic cancer 11 years ago.

She was initially diagnosed with hepatitis.......it's such a cruel disease in that it mimics so many mild conditions. She only went to the doctor's because her work made her after she went bright yellow one day.

She qualified for the Whipple's procedure but that didn't work for her, from diagnosis to her dying it was around 18 months so longer than most. I'm actually glad we weren't as internet savvy back then so we're quite pragmatic about the whole thing. We didn't know she'd been handed a death sentence.

I'm also convinced my nana had it, she turned yellow and.couldnt eat as it was too painful for her. She went downhill rapidly, it was put down to old age and being a bit jaundiced.

I am so sorry to hear your update and will contribute in any way to help raise awareness

Lost my dad to it 10 years ago. He had suffered jaundice in the past and enjoyed a drink but it was still a shock to lose him three weeks after he went to A&E for a “stomach bug”.

I understand there may be a genetic link, so for those of you that have lost close relatives please be aware of this and make your GP aware if you have any vague symptoms.

My friend died two weeks after diagnosis. She too was only diagnosed after turning yellow. By which point it was too late to do anything. She'd had a year of symptoms which never resulted in diagnosis - same as others - heart burn, indigestion, gynae investigations (everything other than cancer as she was too young to get that!).

I am so sorry that so many people have been through this too and thank you all for signing.

@LookToTreblesGoingTreblesGone Best wishes to you and your DH, I hope it isn't what you are expecting but am rapidly learning that we often know what is coming before the medics confirm it.

@Omeara He's amazed everyone with his recovery, he was discharged on day 11 and it would've been sooner but his infection markers were raised so he needed a couple of days of IV antibiotics as they wanted to be sure it was under control before he came home as Addenbrookes in 90 minutes from home. He is walking a couple of miles most days and is helping out as much as he can with the babies we foster.

@AlternativePerspective That is the same surgeon who did DP's surgery.

I know someone diagnosed when he turned yellow. He’s one of the minute lucky people who’s still alive 5 years later as the whipple pretty much sorted it. But the chemos and surgeries have really taken it out of him - he had no symptoms before turning yellow. Absolutely nothing. It’s so fucking scary. Hope your DP recovers like my friend did.

So sorry bloodywhitecat.

Will sign now.

Agree with others re Macmillan being pretty useless. Marie Curie were fab though.

OP I'm so very very sorry to hear this. 💐

My Mum was diagnosed with PC in Feb 2012 under exactly the same circumstances as your DP. Ie she was virtually symptomless apart from the fact she had jaundice and a history of chronic pancreatitis. She had the whipples two months later, followed by six months of chemo. She stayed cancer free for another year then they found a spot on her liver in Sept 2013. Just over a year later it spread to her spine, following which she deteriorated quickly and died 3 months later in March 2015. I still miss her terribly.

I have signed your petition. We need better treatment and faster diagnosis for PC.