176: Mike Fitzpatrick survived pancreatic cancer | whipple procedure | nanoknife | lanreotide | cancer cachexia

Mike Fitzpatrick was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1999.  That he is still with us in and of itself is amazing; what is even more incredible is that he later learned he had been walking around with symptoms of the disease since 1986!  When he initially reported the symptoms to doctors, they performed some tests and claimed at worst he had a twisted bowel.  Mike went to a different doctor who ran an MRI and a CT scan and told Mike he had pancreatic cancer.   After discussing the diagnosis with his wife, they decided to be proactive and opted for a Whipple Procedure, a complex, 13-hour procedure that got rid of hundreds of tiny tumors on his pancreas.  However, in 2018, more tumors were back.  They were removed with a nanoknife procedure, but Mike was told for the rest of his life he would have to take lanreotide, a monthly injection to keep the tumors at bay.   His health seemed to be just fine until 1986, when Mike experienced pain shooting through his abdomen and back.  He found himself with severe diarrhea and sustained vomiting for twenty minutes at a time.  Mike sought medical attention.  Despite doctors running various tests, they said there was nothing wrong with him that indicated cancer, and that the worst possible scenario was twisted bowel.   In 1999, Mike went to another doctor who performed a CT scan and an MRI.  Shortly thereafter, he and his wife were called to the doctor's office where they were told Mike had pancreatic cancer.  The doctor urged Mike to undergo a Whipple Procedure to get rid of hundreds of small tumors on his pancreas.  When he asked the doctor of the consequences should Mike pass on the Whipple Procedure, Mike was told the consequences could be sudden death because the tumors could "explode."  Mike and his wife chose to go ahead with the Whipple Procedure.   It was a 13-hour surgery.  Mike had his gall bladder, bile duct and part of his pancreas removed.  Then the bile duct was re-attached to his small intestine so that he could eat and digest food.  Mike said his recovery from the procedure took close to one year, but the tumors were gone.   All seemed well for Mike until 2018 when two tumors were detected.  This time he underwent a nanoknife procedure.  He was told the tumors were gone, but in 2024, they reappeared.  His doctor told him that for the rest of his life, Mike would have to get a monthly injection of lanreotide, aimed at keeping the tumors from spreading.   Mike Fitzpatrick is glad to be alive, but suffers from neuropathy, which results in chronic fatigue and a loss of balance.    Additional Resources:   The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network: https://www.pancan.org   The Cancer Support Studio: https://www.cancersupportstudio.com   The One Cancer Place Institute: https://www.onecancerplace.org   Mike's Blog: 50 for Fitz, available on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram