September 1, 2021

By Anne Dabbs, 
NCAN TN Chapter Leader, NET Patient

I’ve had a quote of Albert Einstein’s posted on my refrigerator for several years. It sums up my life as the wife and mother of engineers.

“Logic will get you from point A to point B.
Imagination will take you everywhere.”

I’m the artsy, spontaneous, creative thinker living amongst the logical, analytical, rational thinkers of my family.
Recently, following my Neuroendocrine diagnosis, a new quote, attributed to Deepak Chopra, has become more appropriate:

“The best use of imagination is creativity.
The worst use of imagination is anxiety.”

In my academic and professional lives, my creativity and my imagination were distinctive and beneficial. Now, my imagination gets me into trouble as I navigate my life as a Neuroendocrine Cancer patient. I know I am not alone in this scenario.

Twenty seven days in a row, I will be going about my days with rarely a thought about MY cancer, but on that 28th day, as I approach the oncology parking lot, my imagination starts going into overdrive. For the 4 previous weeks, I have creatively managed my activities to insure adequate rest and exercise. I have creatively crafted my meals to make good low amine food choices. I have used my imagination to maintain a volunteer presence in our NETs groups and to manage my family life and social time. But, on that 28th day, my creativity turns into anxiety. What will my blood work show? Will the nurse administer the shot correctly? Will the oncologist want to order new scans? What does he know that I don’t know? These are the thoughts that rob my sleep and steal my creativity.

What can we tangibly do to keep our anxieties under control?
• Educate, educate, educate yourself about your specifics of NET Cancer.
• Own it. Do not let a lack of knowledge or disinformation own you.
• Ask questions.
• Consult with and/or learn from a Neuroendocrine Specialist.
• Be your own best advocate and learn from those who understand it the best.
• Identify your support team.
• Be a support person for another NETs patient; join an NCAN support group. Start an NCAN support group.

Use your imagination and your creativity to develop lines of communication which will allow your family and friends to work with you to best understand your needs and your abilities while living with Neuroendocrine Cancer. And Remember, NCAN is always here for you. Call us. Write to us. Reach out when you need to, we are here and ready to help.

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.