The Adventures of PanCan Man

Something a doctor said in passing to me when I was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer was, "With this kind of thing it's unlikely you'll see December." It was just a statistical reality. But I made it to December 2019. And December 2020. And now...December 2021. And I'm still standing.  I launched this show on December 1, 2019. It's been a long two years. And I'm glad I'm here to give you an update. I kinda look at this date as my re-birthday. 

It's been a while since I made a new episode for The Adventures of PanCan Man. So, here it is. I had another surgery in April 2021, and I've been recovering from that.

I'm NED nine months after having my Whipple surgery by Dr. Truty at Mayo Clinic. I should have given this update in November when I found out. I didn't. My buddy Jim gave me a little kick in the pants to remind me I said I'd let you know. Here you go. 

Alex Trebek passed away yesterday from pancreatic cancer. It's been a tough one-two punch with RBG and then Alex going away. I have to go back for my assessment seven months after my Whipple next week and I have scanxiety. This didn't help. This is me talking about that. 

I had the Whipple Procedure done by Dr. Mark Truty at Mayo Clinic on April 14, 2020. Here's my story in the continuing Adventures of PanCan Man.

What happens when PanCan Man and Son of PanCan Man take an epic road trip from the East Coast to Mayo Clinic? They stop in at Niagara Falls, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Notre Dame along the way. And they talk cancer-cancer-cancer. This issue of the show is a conversation with Stephen Roche, Son of PanCan Man, about his experience with having a dad with pancreatic cancer: what he thought, what he observed, and what we all can learn from the pancan trip so far. 

Ever wonder what it's like to be zapped in the pancreas under a linear accelerator? Hasn't everyone? With this issue of the show, here's your chance to find out all the details. 

Welcome to a very special issue of The Adventures of PanCan Man. I asked my caregiver, my wife Sheryl, to sit down with me and chat about her perspective on these past nine months of me dealing with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer…and her role as a caregiver throughout this time. She really has been the superhero in all of this. Left to my own inclinations…well, I'm lucky that I don't have to be. But I'll say I'm better because she took care of me in my darkest moments…and some of those were really dark. And still she stands.

One of the worst side effects from chemo isn't all that painful. It's just disgusting. Ever heard of thrush? Well, listen up and you'll hear all about it. Plus, you'll get a story of my biliary stent replacement. And if you listen all the way to the end, you'll get an update from me on my current status with pancreatic cancer.  If you'd like to send me an email, you can contact me at adventuresofpancanman@gmail.com Get the show wherever you get your podcasts. 

Chemo is simple, right? Sit in a chair, get hooked up to a pump, and boom...you get your chemo. But it's not quite that easy, especially when our pancreatic cancer superhero has to have his chemo port replaced after only two uses.  Plus, you can hear about the joys of fentanyl (that'll make anyone feel like a superhero). And why nurses are your best friends.

You can't turn on the TV without hearing a cancer drug ad if you're in the U.S. And you can't watch a TV show without a gratuitous cancer story. And don't get me started about sappy sports stories and cancer. I mean, it's cancer-cancer-cancer.  In this episode, I take a break from the sequence of terrible, horrible no good, very bad days with pancreatic cancer to talk a bit about cancer triggers (see above) and chemo fog. The struggle is real. Please send me a note at adventuresofpancanman@gmail.com if you'd like to chat more, if you have an idea for the show, or if you have a story that you'd like to tell on the show. You can find the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please do me a favor and share this episode if you think it could be helpful to a patient or caregiver. 

One of the benefits I get with pancreatic cancer is the expansion of my vocabulary. In this episode, I get into a situation that requires interventional radiology after I thought chemo round two went great. In the words of Roseanne Roseannadanna, "It's always something." Please feel free to contact me at adventuresofpancanman@gmail.com. I really appreciate your feedback and hearing from you.  I'll keep fighting the good fight and not let my pancreas be my kryptonite.

Take a little tour with me today when I tell you all the details of my experience with my first chemotherapy round of FOLFIRINOX. That four-drug combination has proved to be a lifesaver for people like me who have pancreatic cancer. But I can tell you there are consequences for using such a powerful drug cocktail -- and I experienced them all. You'll learn about my neurotoxicity.  About a cholinergic crisis. About the application of atropine. And how I thought I'd seen my last day on my first day of chemo. 

When you have a dragon inside you like pancreatic cancer, you want to find the best dragonslayers out there. In this episode, I talk about finding the best medical team and undergoing my first treatment evaluation at Mayo Clinic. I start out talking about my experience (and my panic attack) in the PET-CT scan. Then I talk about the research I did to find a medical team to guide me through this treatment. And then talk about a laparoscopic surgery to look for metastatic tumors...and the installation of my chemo port.  If you would like to contact me, please send an email to adventuresofpancanman@gmail.com. I've love some feedback. And to hear your stories. The Adventures of PanCan Man is designed to be a community project -- I'm just telling my story first. 

There's an uh-oh moment when you're told you have pancreatic cancer. But what happens before that? How do you know if you have the symptoms? In this episode we hear about the pancreatic cancer diagnosis for host Frank Roche. Yep, that's me. And I talk about what led me to being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer nine months ago: stomach cramps, dark urine, jaundice. And I talk about the rapid steps my PCP and gastroenterologist used to diagnose me initially -- sonogram, contrast CT, MRI -- and then the interventions they used to treat my jaundice and stage my cancer -- ERCP and EUS. This show is the beginning of a story. As of the publication of this show I have had 12 rounds of chemo, and I'll soon me moving to radiation and then surgery. In Episode 2 I'll talk about finding the best medical team to help me slay this dragon.

What happens when you are spending your days as a superhero and then get a call from your doctor saying you have pancreatic cancer? That it's your kryptonite? You make a podcast. Or at least that's what Frank Roche has done with The Adventures of PanCan Man. This show starts with Frank introducing the show, how he'll talk about pancreatic cancer nine months into his diagnosis, and the laughs you'll share. Yes, we'll laugh...and share information that can make you a pancreatic cancer superhero, too.