Nancy’s Story

Site created on July 7, 2018

Ok, here goes my cancer journey....


1999 Severe abdominal pain. ER visit could not find an answer & concluded I was constipated. 
2004 Severe diarrhea, colonoscopy removed 3 polyps (benign), irritable bowel syndrome & colitis, CT Scan of small & large intestine, no masses.
2006 Severe dermatitis, rash on the upper back of legs, fluid filled blisters which caused severe itching. Doctor prescribed steroid, with no results. Was referred to dermatologist, who also prescribed steroid. Rash eventually disappeared. My blood sugars were increasing along with my A1C. Doctor sent me to pre diabetes nutritional class. Was cutting carbs & sugars, blood sugars were still increasing.
2008 Right ankle began turning red along with swelling in early February. By August, I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my right leg and many, many small and several large clots in both lungs. Was in the hospital for 3 days and was ordered to go home do nothing stressful. Later that week, I did have a blood clot pass thru my brain. SCARY! CT scan did show a mass above my adrenal gland. I did question the doctor about this mass, her response was, according to the radiologist, I should have a follow up CT scan in a year.
2010 Was scheduled to have my left shoulder scoped, had blood work and my alkaline phosphate was high. Doctor said it could be from my shoulder and she would have tested again. 
2011 After my left shoulder was scoped, had my right shoulder replaced and had my alkaline phosphate tested once again. The results were high once again. She referred me to an Endocrinologist, which was in mid July, who said alkaline phosphate came from bone & liver. She also asked me if I had the follow up CT scan in 2009, I told her I did not. She had a very very concerned look on her face. She began to examine me, she pressed on my left abdominal area and I had pain. She told me that I will be going to have a bone scan & CT scan. 
I received the call that truly changed my life. She said I had a mass in my pancreas and, I would be scheduled for a biopsy.  After the biopsy, I was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, Stage 4 Glucagonoma Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer. Was referred to a Pancreatic surgeon at the Carbone Center @ UW Madison, who determined that there was a shadow in my pancreas on the CT scan from 2004, and the abdominal pain was likely from the beginning of the cancer. 
Thank you for reading & caring💜

Newest Update

Journal entry by Nancy Hass

This is my last posting, I am declining fast, body is too tired to fight. Thank you to those who called me, and also the followers. Having severe cramping as my kidneys are failing, breathing has become difficult. So thankful that Heartland Hospice will be here today. I have requested to be sedated until my heart stops. My Cancer experience has finally come to an end after 13 years after finally being diagnosed, and been battling since 1999. All the best to all who read this. Live life to the fullest and don’t “wait” to do anything 
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