How this BS came to be…

If I remember correctly, I started getting bad heartburn in October.  I’m a big believer in watching what types of foods you eat and then how your body reacts.  I thought since I was traveling, not working out and then the holidays came up it was all because of my lifestyle.  I started off the New Year with a juice cleanse, then cut wheat and dairy from my diet.  I am fairly certain that I had the flu right at the New Year and then thought that it was just lingering.  Soon after food started sounding icky, followed by weight loss, followed by fatigue.  I mean yes, my skinny jeans fit, but I was too tired to care.  Looking back at it now, I don’t think I knew how terrible I really felt.

 Then February 10 came.  Holy shit.

After a weekend of staying in bed, on Monday morning I felt so bad I started crying and then throwing up.  My husband said, “I’m canceling my schedule and we are going to the hospital.”  Thank goodness he did.  Even on the way there I called my bonus mom (who happens to be an RN) to ask her if I was over-reacting.  She said absolutely not.  One test lead to another, and to another. During the tests, we let two of our very good friends–I’ll call them my Medical Loved Ones, or MLOs–know I was in the ER.  After the last test came back my ER doc told me that I have liver cancer.  Just a few minutes later my MLO came into my room and said that we needed further tests.  I underwent a biopsy the next day, and on Wednesday got the results that I have a rare type of cancer called Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNT) and it has spread to my liver.  I have started some tests that should give us a good idea as to how many tumors I’m dealing with and if it has spread any further.

Remember how I told you not to Google anything about pancreatic cancer?  It’s because I did it already and then couldn’t sleep the rest of the night.  The bright side is that at this point, I understand that PNT appears to be treatable, and I might not have to undergo chemotherapy–at least not at this point.

I started two very simple medications; one to help with the heartburn and one to help with the nausea.  In all honesty after getting those two symptoms under control I feel SO much better.  I’ve been able to eat, and that’s given me energy.  I feel like the old me again.

I find myself being very careful as to what I say as this road will have many twists and turns and what I write today might be contradicted tomorrow.  But the truth of the matter is if you are reading this you more than likely know me and I am being honest.

I hope this is one of the most serious posts that I write, but I am trying to give you as many facts as I can.  I promise the rest will have more humor.  Can we start talking about medical marijuana  yet?  I mean I didn’t like it in high school, and I am tired and hungry already, but this might give it a whole new appeal!