A Second Opinion, Surgery, and Chance at Life: Wynette’s Pancreatic Cancer Journey

Getting a second medical opinion can mean a change in treatment or improved recovery.

For Wynette Carey, it saved her life. In 2022, at the age of 43, Wynette was told she had pancreatic cancer. Unlike some cancers, pancreatic cancer is notoriously challenging to treat. Only about 8% of people live 5 years or more after their diagnosis. 

For Wynette, her diagnosis was a shock. “It was like a depression,” she says. “I never would have thought in a million years that was something that I would have been told.”

But treating pancreatic cancer is not impossible, and Wynette knew her only path was forward. “Some things happen for a reason. I prayed on it and let it do what it needed to do,” she says. 

Still, Wynette didn’t take a passive role in her cancer care. With the support of her family and her unwavering faith, she made sure she got the best cancer care available, which involved seeking a second opinion — an approach that played a key role in her being cancer-free today.

An Unsuccessful Whipple Procedure and 19 Rounds of Chemotherapy 

Wynette initially sought care at another hospital system in Louisiana, where her treatment plan involved a surgery called a Whipple procedure — often the only option to potentially cure pancreatic cancer. 

A Whipple procedure is a complex operation that involves removing the head of the pancreas, gallbladder, first part of the small intestine, and bile duct. The organs that are left are joined together to allow food to pass through. By removing the tumor, it can stop the cancer from spreading (or metastasizing) throughout the rest of the body. 

Whipple procedures come with risks, but they can also be life-saving. After a Whipple procedure, a person’s chances of living for 5 years after diagnosis jump from just over 8% to 25%. 

But when Wynette’s care team took her into the operating room, they aborted the procedure. They had concerns about major blood vessels being in the way and the possibility that her cancer metastasized. 

Wynette’s treatment plan quickly shifted to chemotherapy, which is designed to kill tumor cells. “I guess I have to just continue doing chemo,” she recalls thinking. “I had a doctor tell me that I had to do chemo as long as my body can tolerate it.” 

Wynette went on to endure 19 rounds of chemotherapy in an attempt to destroy the cancer cells in her body. 

The process was hard on Wynette, and she ended up relying a lot on her three children. “I thought I was the child, and they were the mother and a father,” she says. “It was just so much.”

But Wynette’s faith didn’t waver throughout this process. “I would always set [my kids] down and tell them, ‘Certain things, we have to leave with God,’” she says. “This was a situation where we needed to let God deal with it.” 

With this conviction, Wynette felt compelled to seek a second opinion, which landed her at University Medical Center in New Orleans.  

Getting a Second Opinion at University Medical Center 

When Wynette ended up in the office of Dr. Omeed Moaven, surgical oncologist and assistant professor of surgery and interdisciplinary oncology at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine and LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, she wasn’t yet aware of how life-changing that first appointment would be. 

Dr. Moaven told her that despite what she was told before, she was eligible for the Whipple procedure. 

According to Dr. Moaven, at that point in time, “There was no direct invasion to any of the blood vessels.” What’s more, concerns about the disease metastasizing turned out to be unfounded. 

This was wonderful news for Wynette, but she wanted her family's opinion to be sure. “The first time I went, I brought my father. I could see my father's reaction from talking to him,” she says. “The second time, I brought my daughter and my best friend. I could see their reaction from talking to him. Everybody came out with the same smile, the same reaction. So this must be good.”

Wynette decided to move forward with the procedure. “I was a little scared because I tried going through it the first time and it wasn't a success,” she says. “So I prayed on it. And I just made up my mind — okay, let's just get it over with.”

CALL TO ACTION/COMMENT/SHARE: Do you have questions about gynecologic oncology at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center? Contact us to learn about patient care, membership, and how to get involved.

Another Chance at Surgery and Survival  

Wynette was set to undergo a Whipple procedure, but it wasn’t completely straightforward. Dr. Moaven says Wynette’s operation was very challenging, in part because it was a redo operation. 

“All of the surgical planes had been manipulated, and she had a prolonged course of treatment,” he explains. “The section of the surgical planes was difficult because of the previous operation.”

On February 7, 2023, Wynette’s Whipple procedure was successful. “She did really fantastic with the surgery,” he says. “She was discharged after her hospital stay here, and pathology showed a complete pathologic response, which was the best news she could get.” 

Wynette wasn’t aware of how well her operation went until later when the anesthesia completely wore off. “The very next day, after I was awakened from the anesthesia, Dr. Moaven came in and said, "your surgery went very well. We need to wait for the final pathology, but we were pleased with the surgery". 

‘So, how does it feel to hear that all the tumor cells were dead in the final pathology?’” she recalls when she saw him in the office for the first post operative visit.  I looked at him and said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He said, ‘Yeah, you had a spectacular response to your treatment and after the surgery there is no evidence of disease.’” 

“For him to tell me that I was cancer-free was the best feeling that anybody can feel,” she says. 

Dr. Moaven was similarly happy to share this news. “What once was thought to be a terminal diagnosis is now a patient who is disease-free and living a good life,” he says. 

A Proactive Approach to Remaining Cancer-Free

Wynette’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer came as a shock, and so did her journey that followed. For her, it highlighted the fragility of life and encouraged her to be even more proactive about the future. 

As a part of her workup, Wynette underwent genetic testing. During this, she found out she has a BRCA mutation, which puts her at a higher risk of pancreatic cancer as well as breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

To lower her risk of ovarian cancer, Wynnette had her ovaries removed (called an oophorectomy). She was also offered a mastectomy to remove her breasts, which she declined. Instead, her care team is monitoring her breast health closely through routine testing.

“It's just breast cancer that they were worried about right now, which I don't have, but they're monitoring,” she says. “Other than that, everything is going pretty good.”

The past few years have been a whirlwind for Wynette. Now, with the confidence of being in expert hands to maintain her health, she can focus on what’s important to her. This includes her children and, recently, her very first grandchild, who was born on Wynette’s birthday on September 22, 2022. 

Wynette says her grandchild and her new chance at life is a “blessing” — one she will forever be grateful for. 

CALL TO ACTION/COMMENT/SHARE: Do you have questions about preventing and treating pancreatic cancer and other cancers? Learn about cancer screening and care at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center. 

You can also read about other cancer survivors and their experiences at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center.