Category: diarrhea

Sharing my cancer story. It might be helpful, it might be interesting, it might be informative.

  • A Potpourri of Updates

    Often my posts cover just one topic, but this one will be all over the place. Buckle up! Scans: I had an MRI (with and without contrast) plus a DOTATATE last week. It was the first time I have had both at the same time, and it was a very long, loud hour! I’m extremely…

  • Scanxiety!

    This past week I had an echocardiogram, bloodwork, an MRI, and then an appointment with my oncologist to discuss all the results. Verdict: my various tumors are growing so slowly they are considered “stable”, and although I do have new tumors, they are still quite small. In Cancer World, that is all GREAT NEWS, and…

  • The waiting game continues

    So, long story short, even though my scans in September showed “numerous” new tumors in my liver, lymph nodes, spleen, abdominal cavity, and right breast, my oncologists think I still don’t yet have enough tumor load to merit another surgery and/or a new treatment called PRRT (Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy). I am both frustrated and…

  • The right care team

    I’ve settled on one particular support group as being the best fit for me: LACNETS, which is a 90-minute Zoom meeting once a week. I like it for several reasons. It focuses on my my specific kind of cancer (neuroendocrine), it’s a good blend of emotional support and practical advice, it’s very professionally run, and…

  • One year after surgery: a retrospective

    I’m still coming to terms with my new identity as a life-long cancer patient, as well as the transition from Librarian to not-Librarian. Most importantly, however, I have absolutely been loving being home after school with my daughter and eating dinner together. With my previous schedule, on an early day I’d get home at 6:45pm,…