David (Smiley) Miller David Miller

First post: Jul 13, 2012 Latest post: Aug 31, 2012
As some of you already know, I am facing some medical problems. Betsy and I will attempt to keep you informed using this website. We appreciate all the support you have given us. On June 12, 2012, I had a routine Aorta Ultra Sound and a mass was found in my abdomen. I was sent for a CT scan and it was determined that I have two problems.  The mass that they saw was actually my bladder, which was 10 times the size it should be.  I have seen a urologist, have had it drained and have had a catheter for a couple of weeks so that my bladder can rest and possibly return to some function.  This may take a while, if ever, but that is a problem that I can certainly handle.  The second and more serious problem is that a cluster of islet cells was found in my pancreas.  I will have to have further tests to determine if the cells are malignant but even if they do not show malignancy there is no guarantee that cells, which may be malignant, were just not found but are indeed there.  Even having said that, it is not so much the cells as it is the location of the mass, which is in a very difficult place to reach.  My local doctor in Newport News says that I will probably have to have an operation called a Whipple, which is quite involved.  It will mean removing part of the pancreas, part of the colon, all of the gall bladder and maybe part of the stomach and then hooking everything back up.  All of the material that we have read says to go somewhere where this operation is done often and many times.

On Friday, July 13 (yes I know this is Friday the 13th, but I was born on Friday the 13th), Betsy and I are going to Johns Hopkins so I can have an endoscopic ultra sound and biopsy. That test will not only give us a lot more information but also a second opinion. After the results of that test we will decide how to proceed.

We appreciate all of your emails, kind wishes and prayers and will stay in touch with you.

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