July 20, 2021

By Anne Dabbs, 
NCAN TN Chapter Leader, NET Patient

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head that just won’t go away? It might be a favorite tune or a totally irrelevant commercial jingle. This week, the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” has taken up residence in my brain, except I have read something which has caused me to alter it to “Medical Mystery Tour”. Isn’t that appropriate for a Neuroendocrine Cancer patient!

To exorcise these altered lyrics from my head, I did some research and learned that Paul McCartney once said that he and John were fascinated by the idea of getting on a bus without knowing their destination. Well, That certainly sounds familiar!

This album was the release of some of the Beatles’ most iconic songs. A fan wrote that the highly popular “All you need is Love” was the Beatles’ message to us that we should not see life as full of obstacles, but rather opportunities. Who me, a cancer patient?

By this point, my association of this album to my disease was becoming clearer. My Neuroendocrine diagnosis has certainly been a mystery at times. The journey can be clear one day and distorted the next. I truly try to see this journey as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, as hard as that may be some days. And, I hope I can encourage other patients to do the same.

One particular article stated that the Beatles considered “All you need is Love” to be a revolutionary song, which brought home this message to me. They thought of this song as a lesson, to learn to love and accept ourselves as we are, because “There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be”. Truth.

So many of us have no idea what chain of events prompted our Neuroendocrine cells to go haywire. We must accept the fact that we may never know the reasons why. But, the more we learn how to live well with our disease, the more we can be open to the opportunities it presents.

So yes, I have accepted that I am where I am supposed to be, and I will make the journey as joyful as I can. By accepting my diagnosis instead of fighting or ignoring it, I intend to be the best that I can be. And, I hope you will sing along with me.

If you need support of any kind, please reach out to us. That’s what we are here for.

Join us on September 30th – October 2nd for the 2021 National Neuroendocrine Cancer Patient Conference in Atlanta. REGISTER TODAY!

Find out more about how YOU can help the NET Community.

Disclaimer: NCAN blog posts are the opinions of its writers and are not intended as a replacement for medical advice. Please consult your Health Care Providers for individual concerns.

July 1, 2021

By Anne Dabbs, 
NCAN TN Chapter Leader, NET Patient

The invitations to present have been accepted. The meeting rooms are booked. Social distancing guidelines and Covid 19 safety provisions have been established. The registration for the 2021 NCAN National Conference is now open! It is time for Neuroendocrine patients, caregivers, and advocates to make plans to attend! The Atlanta Marriott Marquis will be our place to dazzle for 3 days beginning September 30th-October 2nd. The excitement and bright lights of Atlanta are a perfect location for us to reconnect in person.

CONNECT WITH OPPORTUNITY
Approximately two dozen specialists and advocates will give us multiple opportunities to listen, learn, and connect as they discuss treatments, research and new developments in our community. The question and answer sessions allow patients to submit questions for our experts and hear real time answers and discussions between the presenters. What an opportunity to hear potentially differing opinions or techniques. This year’s itinerary includes a wide array of topics, including several not presented in recent years.

The Exhibit Hall will feature many of the pharmaceutical companies whose representatives, literature and presentations will answer questions that may have previously alluded us. Frequently these booths include handouts and “swag” items.

CONNECT WITH VALUE
This year’s Early Bird registration fee is $125 per person if you register by August 15th. An expansive buffet is included during the Thursday evening Welcome Reception. This gathering allows the attendees to mingle with other patients and presenters in an informal setting. Registration includes breakfast, lunch, plus snacks during the twice daily breaks Friday and Saturday. If you have ever traveled on a company’s per diem budget, you will appreciate this amazing value! Also included will be a light buffet and live entertainment via a Zebras Have Talent show. This will be featuring comedy with the incredible Steve Mazan a NET Patient himself. There will also be singing and dancing by other talented NET patients on Friday night.

The Early Bird registration fee expires on August 15. Registration after that time will be $150 per person which is still an incredible value for the many perks you will receive.

The Atlanta Marriott Marquis has a limited number of rooms available at a NCAN discounted price of $159/night +tax when booked by September 8th. The facility has two swimming pools, a gym, and a sports bar just in case you need to release some pent up energy! Being in the heart of Peachtree Center, the Marquis is an easy 3 minute walk from the closest MARTA station whose one way fee from the airport is only $2.50.

CONNECT WITH AN INVESTMENT
This conference is an investment in your health. A NCAN Patient Conference is an astonishing place to learn how to live smarter with Neuroendocrine Cancer. If you have ever felt isolated, or minimized due to this disease, this is your opportunity to correct that. The educational information presented is the highlight of the conference, but most attendees will agree that the friendships developed by meeting other patients is an equally compelling reason to attend. A NCAN conference is also an investment in your mental health and is an experience like none other.

We will refresh our knowledge and gain insight into new developments. We will meet and greet many of our most highly respected specialists while making new friends. We will spend 3 days together investing in our well being and acquiring the tools we need to self advocate. It will be time and money well spent much like other investments we make on behalf of our families and our careers.

Please join us in Atlanta on September 30th. You will leave smarter, wiser, and more confident. It will be fun. It will be entertaining. It will be invaluable. Let’s reconnect with one another while learning to live well with Neuroendocrine Cancer. We are looking forward to meeting you in Atlanta!

CLICK HERE  for more information, or to Register Today!

Join us on September 30th – October 2nd for the 2021 National Neuroendocrine Cancer Patient Conference in Atlanta. REGISTER TODAY!

Find out more about how YOU can help the NET Community.

Disclaimer: NCAN blog posts are the opinions of its writers and are not intended as a replacement for medical advice. Please consult your Health Care Providers for individual concerns.