I'm heading to Mexico in two days!  I'm going to a resort just outside of Cancun.  I'm so excited to get away!  I just need some major relaxation...

I called my nurse practitioners office last week to follow-up on my ovarian cyst and fibroid issues.  She's no longer there... might explain why I never heard from her after my diagnosis.  I really thought she would have called me and when she didn't, I honestly felt really bad.  Since she's gone, the girl I spoke with said they would just refer me to an OB-GYN, which is what I'm sure Julie (NP) would have done anyway.  They gave me the number for the OB-GYN Center at IMC (the hospital that I had surgery at and usually go to for mammograms, etc.)  I called and the scheduler lady who answered was very, very nice.  I told her what was going on and she suggested that I see Dr. Pieper.  I'm still waiting to hear back from them on whether this Dr. will take me on as a patient.  I guess she doesn't usually take new patients but with my "history" she might see me.  I'm hoping to hear from them before I leave on Wednesday.

I saw that my Pancreastatin blood test was finally in but it doesn't show the results on-line.  I did call the  cancer center to get my results but have not heard back from them.  This was last Monday!  I guess I'll call again today.  I just want to know if it went down or not  It was 667 and the normal is <150.

I met my first real fellow Carcinoid survivor!  I went to lunch last Friday with my long-time friend Marc, who also knows a man with Carcinoid.  He met us for lunch. He is 67 now and retired.  He was diagnosed 15 years ago and has had 3 heart surgeries.  All that serotonin that these tumors can emit, damage the valves of the heart.  He was diagnosed before Sandostatin was on the market so he had a lot of damage.  He's been on Sando now for 8 years and is doing well.  He's had radio frequency ablation to some tumors in his liver and he said he has a couple in him abdomen.  His big concern for me was my Serotonin level and that I have a Cardiologist.  The haven't checked my level since right after my surgery and it was very high, 1700+.  Normal is below 450 I think... might be even less.  I think I'll ask to have it checked when I go back in for my next round of blood tests.

So off to Mexico!  I will try and post some pictures when I return.