Hi I am Nadia.
I am 22 years old. In 2003 I was diagnosed with neuroendocrine carcinoma. In Toronto they told me I had a tumor in my lung. My doctor was one of Canada’s leading doctor for thoracic care. He removed my left lung and the lymph nodes around it. He told me he got everything and that I will live a normal life and there was a 95% chance the cancer will never come up. I did dye injection CT scans every 3 months to make sure I was clear. Each time I was told there is no problem what so ever.
I started complaining about pains in 2004 and was ongoing in 2005. The doctor told me that he personally reviewed the scans and there is nothing wrong with me. It was probably just muscular. July 1st 2006 I got married, and we have dreams of growing old and not so long after, in September of 2006, I was getting worse. I had 4 infections in a matter of 2 weeks. My back was all swollen. I went to the emergency room, where there they told me, without thoroughly examining me, that I must have pulled a muscle. They told me to go see my family doctor because what I have is not an emergency. So I left. I had a scheduled CT scan in September. I told the doctor about my discomfort and showed him some swelling in my body, he then referred me to do an MRI. And what happened next completely changed my life.
I was told I have multiple tumors along my vertebrae, my hip bones, and my pelvis bones. I was told it wasn’t good. I was referred me to an oncologist. The oncologist felt it was best if I did treatment for comfort care, which means why do treatment now and suffer, when you can do treatment when you’re suffering to ease the pain. I was told people only live 6 months to a year. I was distraught. I felt so lost and confused. I was 21 and thought I was going to die. I asked for treatment right away.
While I was waiting for the treatment, I did some research and found a hospital in Sweden that specializes only with my type of cancer. I called the doctor there and he agreed to see me and told me that he may have some treatment for me.
On November 24, 2006 I got on a plane went to Sweden and met with my new doctor, Dr.G. I brought with me all the CT scans I took in the last 3 years. He reviewed them, he did a biopsy on the spine to confirm, and the news I heard next was shocking and unbelievable. I have had these tumors since 2003, when they removed the lung, and as each year went on the more it progressed visibly. The tumor was visible in 2003 but I was never told about it. He also told me due to the size of the tumor in 2003 it was classified as possibly curable. He told me that if I had treatment done right away I would maybe be cancer free right now.
I was doing Ct scans every 3 months to make sure it didn’t come back. I felt ill and told the doctor and he told me everything looked great, how could this be missed? Multiple tumors in my bones.
I started treatment in Sweden. It is Chemotherapy used for brain tumors, but he has seen positive effects in patients, so now all I had to do was go home and find an oncologist who would monitor me.
In March 2007 I had a routine eye exam and my optometrist told me I had spots in my eyes. She sent me to an eye oncologist and he confirmed the cancer had metastasized to my eyes, but it has been there for about 2 years and they have been already responding to the treatment. I went to Sweden again in April and September of 2007 and both times Dr.G confirmed the cancer is now stable and it has not spread further. It doesn’t even seem like they are fighting against the chemo, basically they are just there. After we had a carcinoid conference in June 2007, the London team offered to help me. I have been seeing them since where they have been monitoring me. They confirmed metastases in my skull and arm and discovered those were also there from before. Each trip to Sweden is $7000, and if my insurance did not cover the drug I would have to pay $3000 a month. I feel blessed to have found a doctor like Dr.G in Sweden. I have never felt better than how I feel today.
Nadia