gc1952's Journey with Ampullary Cancer

Surgery on 9/19/11 went well until the incision became infected and now I'm wearing a WoundVac to heal it. At least 3-5 more weeks with the WoundVac. The surgeon said they got all of the tumor but there were cancer cells in the sentinel nodes. The doctors will recommend radiation and chemontherapy after the incision heals.

I just completed 6 weeks of radiation/chemotherapy at Shands Hospital. I had radiation daily M-F and took Xeloda twice a day on the days I had radiation. Minimal side effects--mostly mild nausea and fatigue--and I took meds as needed for the nausea. Now I get a month to rest and recuperate before getting 4 to 6 months of Gemcitebine IV. My doctors say this plan is designed to "cure" my cancer. So far, things have gone better than I expected in the chemo/radiation. Here's hoping that the future continues to be as positive.

I had chemo infusion from February through May of 2012. I could only take them every other week instead of 3 weeks on/one week off. I lost a great deal of weight, in part because my incision from the Whipple surgery in September still had not healed. I had surgery to close the incision in July, 2012. After about a month to recover from that, I started feeling much better, began to regain my weight, and start the return to a "normal" life. And then . . .

In a routine screening mammogram in September, 2012, microcalcifications in my left breast turned out to be DCSI, so I had a lumptectomy the week after Thanksgiving. The cancer was so small, no additional treatment was needed. And then . . .

In February of 2013, I found a lump in my right breast. This time it was Stage 1 Cancer. I had a lumpectomy and there was no node involvement. Now I'm having TCH chemo (should finish 6 cycles at the end of August), then radiation, and continue the Herceptin for the rest of the year.