In July this year, 2011 my dad was diagnosed with pre-cancerous changes in his duodenum. An endoscopic resection was deemed impossible after seeing 5 consultants (!) as the area was too large, so whipples was suggested. He was terrified about the prospect of this right through till going into theatre.
His procedure took place on 1st November. 3 weeks later he is still stuck in hospital, I shall advise he is in Addenbrookes in Cambridge - a pain for us to get to see him as it's a 90 minute car journey and the parking prices are extortionate (but that's another story..).
10 days after the procedure he was opened up again as a CT showed his abdomen full of fluid. The pancreas was still leaking and there was also an abscess behind it. All other patches seemed to be working. He was drained out, the pancreas sealed again and closed up again, hoping that would be the end of it. 22 days later he still has 3 drains in and the doctors don't know what to do about the continual pancreatic leak, he is back to no solid food to take the strain off his bowel and liquids only. He has awful oedema in his scrotum, legs and feet so I have given him nettle tea and green tea to drink rather than caffeine, and some chewing gum to have something to taste other than a dry mouth! He's back on a feeding drip but the problem of him not being mobilised enough is adding to the oedema. He is so depressed. He's not on painkillers at all anymore, which is good as he is more coherent now. But what can they do about the leak, other than keep him there for the rest of the year as they can't operate again. It's all very worrying and we miss our dad being the person he normally is. I tell him time after time this was the better option between having pancreatic cancer, feeling ill and not long to live but he regrets going through it now. I've read of so many people having a good outcome and being discharged within 2-3 weeks. Why my dad?? 
