| Pancreatic cancer... 20:59 - Sep 16 with 904 views | Zx1988 |
Can anyone offer any advice here please?
Long story short, my great aunt was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April of last year, underwent surgery, and apparently was given the all clear. My sister and I, however, aren't necessarily convinced this is the actual version of events, given the current state of affairs.
We completely appreciate why she may have chosen to keep it to herself, and know that it will have been done from a place of the utmost love and care, but it makes deciphering things bloody difficult!
For a bit more context...
She was diagnosed back in April 2024 and underwent surgery (a 'Whipple Procedure'), which seemed to do the trick. She struggled a bit in recovering her mobility, and still hasn't really got back to eating properly. She's still fed through a tube, which is keeping her in residential care.
A few months back she, having been convalescing in Chislehurst, moved up to Ipswich to continue her care and be closer to family. She's lost a hell of a lot of weight over the months (albeit she's now at a broadly healthy weight, compared to the mobidly obese Great Aunt that I've known throughout my years on the planet), but has got her mobility back and, when the wife and I visited her in July, was more mobile and spritely than she's ever been, and was talking of trying to get out of the home sooner rather than later (with the eating seemingly being the only thing tying her there), selling her flat in London, and moving up to a bungalow in Ipswich. So far so good, and so incredibly positive.
But...
She was admitted to hospital at the tail end of last week suffering with abdominal pains and passing blood. She's currently in the Capel ward at Heath Road, apparently incredibly weak, and refusing visitors. From the limited research I've done, it does sound as if pancreatic cancer is one of those nasty ones that can just decide that your time has come at the flick of a switch.
I'm just struggling to get my head around it all, and work out what it all may be. She's 72, been incredibly overweight for the thick end of 30 years, smoked most of her life, and probably hasn't lived the healthiest lifestyle, so the deck is rather stacked against her.
She's also the kind of person that, if she'd received the news last year that the operation hadn't been entirely successful and had only, perhaps, bought her another twelve months, would have kept that under her hat, tried to have the best final year possible, and not want to worry us all with knowledge of her impending demise.
So... for those of you who know about such things from either personal experience or from your medical knowledge, does this sound very much like an end-game situation? Or could it just be an unfortunate coincidence of symptoms and timing? [Post edited 16 Sep 21:11]
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 21:05 - Sep 16 with 827 views | Mullet |
A family friend died recently of it aged only 46. They gave her 12-18 months and she lasted 8. Afaik it’s one of the worst types of cancer unfortunately, I’d say you’re probably not far off I’m afraid.
Sorry to not be able to offer anything hopeful. |  |
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 21:06 - Sep 16 with 816 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
My mum passed from Panc C in 2012. 7 weeks from diagnosis to the end.
Sadly the symptoms you describe seem horrifically similar.
Pancreatic Cancer is one of the worst cancers to get for morbidity, mainly owing to the difficulties in diagnosis, often mistaken for heartburn/GERD. If your Aunt got the Whipple, and then got a further 12 months with Panc C that's something of a success.
It could be that the cancer has spread and she now has a secondary cancer, but if she's the type that doesn't want to trouble people then I don't know how likely it is that she'll tell you?
I hate to say this, but if she's that weak and losing weight, then it tends to be a fairly quick outcome.
Sorry. |  |
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 21:06 - Sep 16 with 809 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
Medical diagnoses are never 100% certain. It is equally possible she was told the procedure was successful as it appeared to have been but the cancer has still returned or that there is some other underlying problem.
It doesn't sound good from what you say but those treating her will be doing their best to get everything right. |  |
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 21:13 - Sep 16 with 732 views | catch74 |
My dad sadly died from pancreatic cancer.
I believe it’s one of, if not the least survivable cancers - mainly because it’s often a silent killer, no symptoms/ pain etc. I think when I researched when my dad was diagnosed you had a 5% chance of living for a furthest 5 years. It also spreads quickly - I think to liver and then everywhere.
He wasn’t offered the operation (despite the lump only being 0.7cm when discovered. It’s a massive operation, I think the pancreas is behind everything - so they have to take everything out to operate!
I wonder if she’s had complications from the operation rather than the cancer returning. I think a lot of the older generation don’t want to talk about things and as you may feel she knows more than letting on.
Strangely a friend of my dad had the operation at the same time he was diagnosed (15 years ago) and she’s still going strong!
If you’ve any further questions please shout, very sorry for the position you’re in and hopefully she’s sorted out and back fighting fit soon. |  |
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 21:14 - Sep 16 with 726 views | GlasgowBlue |
My wife’s best friend was suffering from severe abdominal pain in July and was very quickly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Shes been given less than a year to live and is rapidly going downhill. We’re not sure if she’ll make Christmas.
It’s a form of cancer that is very hard to detect until it’s too late from what I’ve been told. Sorry to hear about your great aunt. |  |
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 21:14 - Sep 16 with 717 views | BlueBadger |
Sending a PM |  |
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 21:18 - Sep 16 with 678 views | Zx1988 |
Thanks for all the input folks - even if it's bum news, it's good (if that can ever be the right word here!) to know that we're not necessarily barking up the wrong tree.
Really appreciate it. | |
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 21:37 - Sep 16 with 528 views | Swansea_Blue |
A very low survival rate beyond one year I’m afraid, but I’m sure you know that. My gran passed away from it and went downhill very quickly in a matter of a weeks, but she was 20 years older and had other things going on. Obviously medical advice is needed but I appreciate that may be difficult if she’s a proud woman wanting to protect you and yours by not seeing people. There’s every chance the op was deemed successful; it’s known for not being an easy one to treat and likely to return, but others like Badger will know more about it.
Take care. Hopefully you’ve got people around you to support each other, but we’re also here if you need to unload or just swear at someone. |  |
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| Pancreatic cancer... on 22:32 - Sep 16 with 308 views | dickie |
My Mum had pancreatic cancer aged 33 in the mid 90s. Her tumour was a specific slow growing one called a neuroendocrine tumour. She ended up having massive surgery having half her pancreas, her gall bladder and a chunk of dudodenum removed resulting in her needing to take enzyme capsules every time she ate for the rest of her life.
She died aged 45 from sepsis, as a result of poor blood supply to her large intestine (a direct result of the massive surgery she'd had 12 years before). At the time of her death in 2007 we were told that she was the record of someone surviving pancreatic cancer - by and large it tends to be weeks not years. I guess she was "lucky" with the type of tumour she had (incidentally the same kind that Wilko Johnson had) | | | |
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