Hi all,

I’m new here. My husband had his second CRS with HIPEC this past January. It was a long surgery—his gallbladder, spleen, part of his pancreas, and part of his small bowel were removed. We were not well prepared for the reality of recovery and life after this surgery, as our doctors focused mainly on potential complications, not the aftermath. His first CRS/HIPEC in 2019, while difficult, was much easier in comparison (and we wrongly expected the recovery to be similar).

Since surgery, he has struggled with weight loss and an elevated heart rate. He dropped from 163 lbs to 140 lbs and his resting heart rate, once in the low 60s, is now around 100 (down from 120–140 in the first few months). He was on TPN for the first three months and was relieved to stop, but recovery remains very challenging. While his surgeon was highly skilled, we’ve found the follow-up care lacking. The cancer center nutritionists have tried to help, but I’m not sure they have the right expertise, and there are no other specialists on his care team.

I’m reaching out to ask if others have dealt with chronic diarrhea and similar symptoms 8 months post-surgery. Did you find your doctors more supportive in managing recovery? Have you found diets, specialists, or hospitals that provided stronger post-op care?

I feel ill equipped to manage this alone, and most online searches haven’t been very helpful. Any advice or shared experiences would mean a lot.

Thank you for reading.

Appendix Cancer, Pseudomyxoma Peritonei, and Peritoneal Surface Malignancies

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