February, 2019 - Ronny Allan - Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer

28Feb 2019 by Ronny Allan 6 Comments

From dying to living, to hell and back

Awareness, Inspiration, Patient Advocacy

I once wrote a post about patient stories, in particular the ones I receive in my private messages. The headline was "The shock effect never wears off". But none have been more shocking than the one I received early in 2019. (edit: After posting this article, I heard of a few similar cases). This is a story about someone who is a private person but felt the need to reach out to me about their diagnostic experience. This person wanted to talk about it, but in private and I was happy to listen. I was so moved by this story, I persuaded this person to let me tell it here whilst retaining their anonymity. Hence referral going forward as 'Patient E'. I just felt that someone somewhere might learn something…

22Feb 2019 by Ronny Allan No Comments

“I Knew There Was Something Wrong, But I Didn’t Know What” — A Nurse Shares Her Cancer Story

Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer

Judy Golz is a retired registered nurse — she’s also a neuroendocrine cancer survivor. Like many nurses who get cancer, their experience in working in the healthcare industry possibly helps get a quicker diagnosis, possibly because they can recognise symptoms and likely differential diagnoses and it possibly helps knowing how the healthcare system works. But with uncommon and complex diseases, it's not always that straightforward, even for a nurse or any other healthcare professional. But Judy makes an excellent point about the quantity and quality of medical information now out there, including for Neuroendocrine Cancer and suggested she would be in a better place for self-diagnosis today. Two things spring to mind about this story. Neuroendocrine Cancer is such a complex disease, it can often be hard for healthcare professionals to…

14Feb 2019 by Ronny Allan 6 Comments

Letter from America

Awareness, Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer

I've always been one to keep an eye out for the postman (the postie as we say here). Even as a heavy user of computers, I still get excited about receiving 'paper' mail. Other than birthday cards, I personally don't tend to see many handwritten letters nowadays. In today's internet connected world, handwritten letters are always exciting, always special. However, the one I received in the first week of February 2019 was extra special, it was postmarked from North Carolina USA.Now ….. for those around the same age as me, you might have been attracted by the article header and have remembered the famous radio show entitled "Letter from America". This was a weekly fifteen minute speech radio series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and across the world through the…

05Feb 2019 by Ronny Allan 1 Comment

Proton Pump Inhibitors (…..and H2 Blockers) the NET Effect

Treatment

What are Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)?Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly used medications in the world. They reduce the production of acid by blocking the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid. Acid is necessary for the formation of most ulcers in the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum, and the reduction of acid with PPIs prevents ulcers and allows any ulcers that exist in the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum to heal. PPIs are prescribed to treat acid-related conditions such as:Esophageal, duodenal and stomach ulcersNSAID-associated ulcerUlcersGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome - ZES (note this is a syndrome associated with a functioning duodenal or pancreatic NET known as a Gastrinoma)They also are used in combination with antibiotics for eradicating Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that together with acid…