Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, 1 week after losing our son in a car accident I was diagnosed with Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer. I am 45 years old, fit and healthy.
I went to the doctor to get a skin check and he asked about a lump above my left collar bone. I thought it was the result of a deep bruise sustained in a surfing injury about 4 months prior. Turns out I was wrong. A CT and biopsy revealed the lump was a secondary tumour site linked to a metastatic disease originating from my pancreas. Naturally I was devastated and trying to navigate the grief of losing our 18-year-old son. I was diagnosed with advanced metastatic Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer.
Since the diagnosis last October, I have changed my diet and lifestyle considerably. I no longer use alcohol, have taken an extended break from work as the Operations Manger of a walking tour company and taken up Qi Gong as a way of managing my energy levels.
Although I have definitely lost weight and the tumours have continued to grow. The disease progression is considered mild and with a proposed combination of Somatostatin inhibitors and radionuclide therapy I am confident that the disease can be managed.
The diagnosis has changed the way I look at life and I am extremely grateful for the cutting-edge research the oncologists bring to the table when treating the disease.
Mindfulness and meditation, good diet, immersing myself in nature and accepting the help of family and friends have been invaluable in managing the psychological and physiological challenges associated with my diagnosis.
I am involved in a research project at Fiona Stanley Hospital investigating the role of circulating DNA in the detection of the disease.
