Welp, here we go again.
You’d be surprised when I update you guys and say that I’m not being ignored by doctors this time. It took 7 years to get my digestion issues taken seriously, 3+ doctors, and way more money than I’d ever want to think about again. The time I’ve wasted on this, work days I’ve had to miss and all the time I’ve spent in pain or discomfort… It’s probably all shaved time off my life to be honest. If it didn’t, it sure feels like it did.
The Good: It’s likely MCN (Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm). I got answers! A diagnosis!
The Bad: It’s likely MCN… and probably cancerous.
What’s that mean? Well MCN, Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm, is a fluid sac/cyst that develops in the pancreas. Now it’s usually not cancerous, when it first shows itself. It’s one of those things that kind of just shows up one day and could be fine for a long time. That’s not the case with mine.
Mine showed up quickly and started war right off the bat. It showed up in Feb at 2.7cm, by March it was 4cm. On May 22nd, it was measured at 5cm before 15ML was drained out of it. If you think 15ML sounds like a little or a lot…. it’s quite a bit. It’s about the contents of a perfume rollerball sample or a bottle of essential oils. It could’ve been worse.
Now let’s unpack more news. My issues have been progressively and aggressively worsening right alongside the cyst’s growth. It’s caused problems, to say the least. If I weren’t experiencing the very localized pain in my upper left abdominal, I’d be assuming this was a gallbladder issue, or even stomach problem. I’d have kept blaming myself somehow and kept wildly chasing diet changes in a desperate attempt to “fix” myself. I’ve been doing that for a while, prepared to be told that my issues were due to my weight, my mental health, my genetics – like I’ve always been told. Thankfully, that’s not at all what happened on the 4th. On the 3rd, I was called in to be seen as soon as possible the following day. Seems that despite there being some positivity in play, or maybe not wanting to jump to conclusions, it is more than likely Cancer. Odds aren’t in my favor given the circumstances or the behavior.
I meet with the pancreatic surgeon on Tuesday the 9th. That appointment will be determining details about the surgery that I have to have. There’s no suggestion – it’s required. If ignored, the cyst I have will refill (it likely already has, given my pain) and if it isn’t already malignant – it will be. Ignoring it isn’t even an option to me. The daily pain I experience, on top of the other bothersome issues with dietary complications and digestive issues – I simply cannot handle it anymore. I want it taken care of as soon as humanly possible so I can try to regain some semblance of normalcy.
What’s next?
Well I’ll find out more of that on the 9th. What I know for certain right now is that I’ll require the tail of my pancreas to be removed along with my spleen. When I asked for explanation of this I was told it’s pretty common to be required – given the circumstances. In cases of cancer concern, from my own research, it seems like the spleen goes to rule out the concern of cancer spreading from pancreas to spleen to… the entire lymphatic system. It’s the case of better being safe than sorry. In my case, it seems like the doctors are presuming malignancy based on my blood work, the results of the fluid drained from the cyst, and the cyst’s growth. It just screams cancer on paper, even if it’s negative for cancer cells going based off tissue samples.
The TLDR of it all? Finally, answers. MCN. Cancer? Probably. Surgery? Absolutely.
I’ll post again once I know more.
What in the hell is my life?!