And the Saga Continues -- to 6/30/2026

 

And the saga continues.

Thursday - June 25, 2026.  Today is our monthly "siblings lunch" when we choose a 'meet in the middle' eatery in either Sandy or Draper to sup and catch up on events, plan events, tell cat stories, or last month reveal a cancer diagnosis.  During the meal I got a call from office of my NHL cancer (2013) doc, a Hematology Oncologist (HO), who I still see annually every December, and he wants to see me this Monday.  Not much of a surprise as he'd been notified, as a courtesy, by my GO about the return of that cancer and then by my RO regarding planned radiation treatment and then by Dr Gastro on the confirmation of the pancreas cancer.  Whew. When I spoke to Dr Gastro on Tuesday he'd mentioned chemotherapy may be needed and said he'd call my HO to update and if I wanted to use him: YES! 

Just as we're about to leave I get another phone call, this one from the RO who tells me that, in coordination with my GO, the radiation treatments have now taken a back seat until the pancreas issue is resolved and then radiation will follow. He says we'll just have to consider the 'simulation scan' and mapping that happened earlier to be a 'dry run' as they'll need to be done again. As for the pancreas, the cancerous area is "resectable" (I had to look it up) meaning it is localized and situated in a way that allows it to be completely removed by surgery. I hope nothing changes that. The tumor is located in the 'body' of the pancreas which he says is good because it's an area easy to remove whereas cancers in the 'head' of the pancreas are fatal. Okay, I'll finally take some good news! RO has two Surgical Oncologists (SO) in mind and I should hear from them today or tomorrow. In the meantime he's ordered another CT scan of the pancreas and a two other specific blood tests that, because of my multiple cancers (lucky me), look for genetic 'markers' in the bloodstream. I'm gonna bet there will be 'markers' found.  I'll find out in a few weeks.

I have a love/hate relationship with cellphones. Like a ball & chain, I was tied to one 24/7/365 for over 5 or 6 years (and a pager for over 5 years before that) with my job which is why keeping one constantly within reach, like many people do, has not been my preference. I had kept a landline/house phone, and extra handsets scattered around the house, as a safety/security measure specifically for power outages, but when Century Link converted to VOIP that reason was no longer valid. Earlier this year I dropped CL, saving a $100/month in the process, and switched to Xfinity's home phone which came with a "save money" deal I'd been paying for but never activated.  It has all the same features as CL did, one of those being call forwarding which allows me to forward the house phone to my cellphone. That feature has come in very handy the last six weeks so when I'm out of the house I can forward that phone to my cellphone because I never know which of my two phone #'s a medical entity will call.  That's the 'love' part of having a mobile phone, so I don't miss important calls.  

So, more waiting...

Friday - June 26, 2026.  An early morning call from IHC to schedule my initial appt with the SO for next Wednesday. Through IHC's patient portal comes a HUGE questionnaire to fill out regarding my medical and social histories.  Crazy.  Now, waiting again...

Monday - June 29, 2026.  1:30pm call from RO, but for the life of me can't remember what we talked about.  >sigh<

2:50pm - appointment with HO today.  And it starts with all that vitals stuff, done by the same gal since my NHL treatments in 2013, so we're well acquainted. Normally my blood gets drawn first, but today it'll be after my visit with HO.  

3:15 pm [cellphone] call from SO nurse w/questions, then HO comes in and I ask her to call me at 4:30 when I'm done with this appointment.  HO asks me "what's going on?" so I give him a review of all that's happened in the last six weeks.  I know he's spoken with my GO and RO so I'm guessing he's looking for my version and seems content I've got the gist of everything correctly.  He recaps my NHL history and chemo treatments with him, and adds he doesn't see any evidence the NHL cancer is active, based on all the scans and scopes so it's on the back burner and not a problem. Next is review of uterine cancer 2021 and its resolution, but return in 2026 and radiation plan that would treat that very successfully. He continues: "However in the workup for that problem they find a new area in the pancreas...this cancer appears to be in the body of the pancreas because those in the head tend to invade into structures that drain into the liver...this one appears to be found incidentally and that's good and bad, bad because nobody wants to have this...but good in that it looks like we found this in a stage I (one) and it's in the part of the pancreas that would probably have never been found if you weren't having imaging done to look for this other problem. So it appears to be one that can be removed with surgery...we'll let you talk to the surgeon about that because it's a big surgery they do to remove this."  >gulp<  He then went on to explain a bit of what is involved, and yes, it IS a big surgery.  

He then tells me about the two chemotherapy options pertaining to Pancreatic Cancer; one is aggressive and harsh and says  "I'd never use that on any 76-year-old patient of mine" and hearing that I'm grateful for his thoughtfulness as it also takes me off-guard realizing I'm no spring chicken anymore!  The other option is still a good one and is what he'd recommend for me, however he can't say if surgery should be done first or the chemotherapy; that will be up to the surgeon who I see in two days. He gives me a handout he's prepared "Understanding Your Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Plan" and tells me everything will be okay.  I get a hug, as after 13 years he's become a friend, with his parting words: "You can handle this."  Yes, I can!   Now, it's a 2-day waiting game to meet surgeon...

Tuesday - June 30, 2026.  An email this afternoon from SO's nurse, same one I spoke with yesterday, with appointment reminder and an attachment of map for IHC's campus in Murray. How kind, but by now I'm very familiar with that area.  She also mentioned that free valet parking is available.  Hmmm....

C'mon. Again?!

 Whelp!  Here we go again.  For the third time in 13 years I heard the words "You have cancer."  Believe me, it doesn't get any easier to accept the more you hear it.  Does that make me The Cancer Queen?  

THIS blog is your single source of information on my latest and unwanted 'excitement'; please don't speculate, play doctor, suggest alternatives, etc., or share this information!  I've got a superior medical team working in my best interests.

This post is the somewhat summarized, Cliff Notes version thru Wednesday, June 24.  Check back for up-to-date posts of this, once again, life-changing diagnosis.

Thursday - May 14, 2026.  Five years ago this week I had a complete hysterectomy, due to cancer, and since then have had semi-annual and then annual appointments with my Gynecological Oncologist (GO).  He's easy to talk to and we chat for a while about various things (such as the alarming increase of colon cancer in twenty & thirty-year-old's), and especially that this 5-year appointment, after 4 years of  'clean' exams will mark the end of annual visits if this exam is also clean. And so, the examination begins and when I hear "oh" my heart races a little. Apparently he's found something concerning and explains a bit what he sees and that he's going to biopsy it. Dang, I flunked this exam! With that done, he tell me there are now three possible pathology results: 1) benign,  2) pre-cancerous [follow-up in 6 months to monitor], and  3) cancerous and if so it'll likely be treated with radiation [hoo boy!], and if I haven't heard from him about results in a week my instructions are to call his office.  

 "Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch" is a popular idiom advising against making plans or commitments based on expected outcomes that aren't guaranteed --especially at 5-year checkups--!  Ya, good advice. 

Next...

Monday - May May 18, 2026.  My cellphone rang this afternoon but couldn't get to it in time (it is NOT permanently attached to me!).  Checked voice mail and there was message from my GO and to give him a call.  The fact it's Monday and he is calling so soon did not give me any peace of mind, and by the tone of his voice could tell this wasn't going to be good news.  Let the phone-tag games begin.  Eventually we made a connection and the devastating news was delivered = my GO regretfully says the pathology report is positive for a rare return of the cancer!  Radiation therapy is the preferred treatment and will be done.  He orders a CT/PET scan (standard procedure for most cancer diagnosis') and has already consulted with his preferred Radiation Oncologist (RO) who has also ordered an MRI.  I'm to expect a call from Intermountain Healthcare Care (IHC) to get the PET and MRI scheduled, and also the RO office to schedule my initial appoint.  Which leads to...

Tuesday - May 19, 2026.  First thing this morning I get a call from RO office and earliest available appt is June 5th. Yikes, that's a long time to stress out.  And then...  

 A few hours later I get a call from IHC and the CT/PET is scheduled for June 2nd and the MRI June 10th along with prep instructions for each.  Both will be done at Intermountain Medical Center (IMC) in Murray.  More waiting and trying to not stress until...

Tuesday - June 2, 2026.  CT/PET scan this afternoon.  Day before scan instructions (activity limitations, high protein/low carb diet, and water timing) are sent to prepare for the PET scan.  My first and second PET's were 13 years ago so the prep is no surprise; here's a link https://mm2013-my-life-turned-upside-down.blogspot.com/2013/06/pet-scan.html.  Which leads to...

Wednesday, June 3, 2026.  A morning call from the PA-C who has reviewed the PET results and verified there is cancerous activity as expected from GO finding; something vague at thyroid, and she is also ordering another MRI (chest/abdomen) due to anomaly in the pancreas area that a MRI may define better. Yes, I had a mini melt-down, then reminded myself staying positive is best.  Which leads to...

Friday - June 5, 2026.  A call from IHC Imaging, just before I need to leave for RO appointment, and the soonest they can get me in for the rush-MRI is June 12th at McKay-Dee Hospital.  Then...

Initial appointment with my new RO and his team.  He has seen the PET scan and says he's not too concerned about the thyroid (an ultrasound can wait), pancreas issue could be multiple causes.  He will be doing the mapping for radiation treatments, fills me in on radiation options and side effects (I choose the safer path and he agrees) with the first treatment to start Monday, June 15th, for 5 weeks, 5 days a week. After an exam he introduces me to his radiation team and we go through a 'simulation' scan to map exactly where the radiation needs to go and other prep work for what will be 10-15 minutes each day of radiation therapy.  Leave with paperwork instructions for daily prep and calendared appointments. I really like this guy and look forward to working with him; he reminds me of my original Chemo Doc, which is a good thing!  Later...

GO calls at 6:55pm; we chat about todays RO appt and what treatment plan decision was made.  Then it's wait until...

Wednesday - June 10, 2026.  MRI (pelvis/abdomen) done at IMC in Murray.  Fortunately I'm not claustrophobic as that tube is small, and NOISY; the provided headphones helped muffle sound but not by much.  Then it's a waiting game again... 

Thursday - June 11, 2026.  Call this afternoon from my GO.  After review of yesterdays MRI results he has spoken with my RO and they have a new plan: radiation treatments that were to begin on Monday are being temporarily cancelled, for now, pending results of tomorrows MRI.  And so...

Friday - June 12, 2026.  McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden is site today of MRI (chest/abdomen) which is ordered with a 'pancreas protocol' and yes, that is unsettling. The 'tube' is same but the headphones today come with my choice of music to drown out, somewhat better, the noise of MRI. More waiting for results...

Monday - June 15, 2026.  Today was supposed to be the first day of my radiation treatments which have been put on hold. Still not sure how I feel about that other than 'concern' of the unknown still ahead.  An early morning peek into my email and there's one from IHC with subject "New Test Results in MyChart" but before I can get to reading it there's a phone call from my RO, who mentions he's in Montana, and says why but I don't remember that right now.  Anyway, he has reviewed the results of the Friday MRI and after consulting with my GO they have decided to cancel my radiation treatments until the suspicious 'tumor-like' area in my pancreas is resolved.  Because this last MRI wasn't as helpful as they hoped, RO wants to follow up with an Endoscopic Ultrasound which, in addition to what its camera will see, can also biopsy "the area/s" causing concern by the Dr's to determine what exactly it is.  RO asks if  I've had endoscopy before and the answer is "Yes, two" and while I'm a but fuzzy on the name of the Gastroenterologist who did them I might need a few minutes for research.  RO says to call him back when I find it; the cobwebs in my brain cleared quickly about the name so called back with the info.  By noon my RO calls to say he's discovered the Gastroenterologist who did my previous endoscopies is no longer associated with IHC so he's checked for new gastro Dr with a high recommendation and who can get me scheduled quickly  >sigh<  and to expect a call from his office this afternoon to schedule the procedure.  My nerves are about shot--am I gonna end up with an ulcer also?  No call this afternoon; the waiting game continues...

Tuesday - June 16, 2026.  8:09am call from Dr Gastro office with notice the endoscopy will be done Monday, June 22nd; I'll get call on Friday about when to be at LDS Hospital for the procedure.   Then, pre-admission questionnaire since I won't be meeting Dr Gastro before, and prep instructions sent for the endoscopy. Anesthesia involved so I need a driver/chaperone. Okay...

Friday - June 19, 2026.  Dr Gastro office calls with admission time to hospital of 1:30pm. Best news I've heard in a while because it's not an early, early morning check-in! Weekend spent trying to distract my stressed brain until...

Monday - June 22, 2026.  My driver (sister/Christine) and I snag the absolute best handicapped parking spot and make our way into the hospital.  Funny story: when I check-in at registration desk the gal directs me to Radiology which catches me off guard for a moment then tell her that appt has been cancelled and I'm here for endoscopy. Christine waits in endoscopy waiting room while I'm escorted, prepped and taken to the procedure room where I meet the Dr and his anesthesiologist and the deed is  finally done. Dr Gastro says he'll call me with results. We're out of hospital by 4:30pm, perfect timing for rush hour traffic. Waiting again...

Tuesday - June 23, 2026.  Around noon-ish is a call from nurse at Dr Gastro office checking to see how I'm doing. Other than sore throat from the camera (those pics were interesting!) I'm good. Later... 

7:42pm - call from Dr Gastro who confirms my worst fears regarding the pathology results from pancreas tissue biopsy's. And now, for the 4th time, I've heard: "You have cancer." He will be contacting the next Dr's he'll refer me to after going over my case with them so there is no confirmed treatment plan right now. He thinks there may be some radiation, probably chemotherapy, and surgery but can't say in what order as that'll be up to the new (to me) Dr's.  I did ask if these are early, mid, or late stage and he said 'mid' (ya, I wanted to hear 'early') but he assured me it's very treatable and then added "Marilynn, you've been through worse."  Hooookay.  I'm to expect calls from these Dr's tomorrow for next steps. More waiting...

Wednesday - June 24, 2026. Stick around the house all day but no calls.  So, more waiting...

I ask again, to those so inclined, for your prayers on my behalf.  I'm a person who prefers my glass half-full and reminding myself to stay positive.

Love ya all.

Flag Day - a 10-year Anniversary

 

While I love the United States of America flag that is honored on June 14th, there is another reason the date means something to me.

It was June 14, 2013 that a phone call would change my life.  It was a Saturday and I was in my bedroom, sorting through a stack of papers deciding which would be 86'd into the circular bin, when the phone rang.  On the other end was the ENT who'd performed the surgery that removed the swollen lymph node from my neck telling me he had the results of the biopsy on that lymph node.  Frankly, I don't know how these medical folks deliver bad news over and over and over again.  When he told me the biopsy results were not what we had hoped for, my world was forever changed. He proceeded to tell me what the next steps would be, but most of all I remember him saying: "If this was twenty years ago I'd be telling you to get your affairs in order [I may have stopped breathing] but the prognosis and outcomes of this cancer have greatly improved now. We had a good conversation and he filled me in on as much as he knew and answered a lot of my questions and other could be answered to the oncologist he was referring me to.  Hard to concentrate on anything else the rest of the day. Duh!