Ben & Pete

An introduction to my Dad, Pete

Pete, 60, husband of Christine and father to Ben and Daniel was the life and soul of the party. A music enthusiast who could tell you the most interesting and random of facts relating to a song, band or artist.

Pete was a handyman who took pride in all of his work and excelled at painting, decorating and general maintenance.

Finding out that Dad had pancreatic cancer

Whilst on holiday in Yorkshire at the end of August 2024, Dad experienced severe abdominal and back pain . He was taking medication for constant indigestion as that’s what the doctor advised. Five days later Dad attended A&E after developing jaundice. Scans showed a 5.5cm tumour in the head of his pancreas.

A stent was the next planned procedure to relieve the jaundice, and a biopsy was to be taken at the same time. The stent was fitted successfully and the jaundice subsided, but the biopsy was a failure as not enough sample was taken. We were now left in limbo as we were unsure of the actual diagnosis or prognosis at this stage.

We lived in hope

From the moment the tumour was detected we lived in hope that the tumour or even the whole pancreas could be removed during a ‘Whipple’s procedure’ but unknown to us the cancer had already spread to his liver.

Whilst awaiting another biopsy, which was around 8 weeks later, Dad’s health started to decline rapidly. He was only able to eat very small amounts of food and he disliked the taste of food. He felt constantly bloated and full and eating became a painful chore. He was starting to lose weight at a rapid rate and eventually stopped eating altogether.

Dealing with challenging symptoms

The pain continued and Dad was prescribed oral morphine to manage his symptoms, which were never properly under control. He also had Creon tablets (pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy) to replace the enzymes his pancreas could not produce. The cancer had also caused type 3c diabetes , so daily insulin was now administered by the district nurses.

Obtaining all of his required medication became a nightmare as the poor communication between the hospital, GP and pharmacy really hindered the process. We still didn’t have a diagnosis of the stage of the cancer. It was rapidly taking hold and the hospital always seemed to be two steps behind the disease with very little urgency.

We were prescribed ‘just in case’ medication for home as that’s where Dad wanted to be.

Dad was admitted to hospital on numerous occasions with complications and issues caused by and related to the cancer including severely low blood sugar levels and infections. He was visited many times by the district nurses, doctors and paramedics for many affects of the cancer which was causing him severe issues throughout.

Dad’s health took a dramatic turn

Six weeks after the tumour was discovered, Dad’s health took a dramatic turn. He was becoming very weak from the lack of nutrients and food and was still losing weight. He was starting to lose the ability to move and was unable to stand unaided. He was also starting to suffer with eyesight issues.

A second biopsy showed that he had pancreatic cancer with liver metastasis. He was now assigned a palliative care team from the hospice who provided invaluable care and treatment throughout. Dad wanted to be treated at home and the hospice team made that happen.

Dad and our family remained positive throughout even though we understood the bleak outlook.

Losing Dad

Dad passed away at home in the early hours of the 3rd November 2024, 9 weeks after the tumour was discovered.

The speed and aggressiveness at which the pancreatic cancer took hold was astonishing. Dad never had the opportunity for any treatment apart from the stent and had no chance of fighting this disease alone. It was so far advanced that palliative chemotherapy wasn’t even an option.

Dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years previous which researchers understand can be a risk factor for  pancreatic cancer. The absence of early detection or screening is one thing we will campaign for as it can save lives and must be focused on as without this the odds are stacked against the patient.

January 2025