James Hamblin

James and his wife, Berta Leisa Vallejo, moved to Ocala from South Florida a little over one year ago. During the moving process, James began to experience unusual symptoms, such as pain in his stomach, fatigue, and jaundice. Once the move was complete, James made an appointment to see a primary care physician. After his appointment, James received a call telling him to head to the emergency room right away because his blood work indicated that there was a severe issue.

James was admitted to the hospital and it was discovered that his bile ducts were blocked. A stent was put in and James' symptoms began to improve. However, due to the severity of the issues, General Surgery Specialist, Dr. Wecowski was called in for a consult. After several more tests, procedures and appointments, it was discovered the James was suffering from pancreatic cancer. James' former wife lost a battle to pancreatic cancer 17 years earlier so James was familiar with what this meant.

Following the diagnosis, James had an appointment with Dr. Wecowski in which the Robotic Whipple operation was proposed. The Robotic Whipple operation can be used as an option to treat pancreatic cancer, if caught early enough. During this operation, the surgeon removes the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine, the gallbladder, and a portion of the bile duct. The remaining organs are reattached to allow you to digest food normally after surgery. James decided to move forward with the surgery.

James had a successful surgery and was told he would need a few rounds of chemotherapy. "After the last chemo session, I was fully prepared to have them tell me the cancer was still there. Instead, they told me that I was cancer free. I feel like this is a miracle, this is the first time in two years I have not had an occurrence and I owe that to a combination of Dr. Wecowski's expertise as well as the follow-up chemo."

James said that "going into surgery, I thought I have nothing to lose. Now, I am amazed at the outcomes. While I am recovering day by day, I am learning how to listen to my body. I also lost roughly 60 pounds so I am feel better all around."

James would highly encourage anyone who may be suffering from pancreatic cancer to reach out to Dr. Wecowski and learn about the Robotic Whipple operation to see if it would be an appropriate operation for them. "Dr. Wecowski is such a wonderful human being, he is so empathetic and an excellent doctor. He is one of the best and Ocala is lucky to have him."

While James continues the recovery process, he also credits his wife for being his rock throughout this entire experience. "My wife has gone out of her way to care for me and get me through the low times. I can't say enough about how much having her besides me throughout this has meant.

*Disclaimer: This photo was taken before the COVID-19 global pandemic. This image does not reflect our current pandemic practices.