We (Colorado NETs Support Group) had our quarterly meeting yesterday.  There were twelve attendees. Two of the attendees were new to our meetings.

We had no speaker, so we all spoke.  It was a sharing meeting.  Each person shared their history and experiences with the disease as much as they cared to share.  There was an amazing amount of information about the disease, the treatments, the patient’s experience.

The value of such meetings is immense!  Each of us could comment on how hard it is to experience a disease when no one believes you nor can medical people properly diagnose it for years. Even after a proper diagnosis, it can be years before you meet someone with the disease and a shared experience.  Because the tumors often secrete hormones that cause us to look well externally, it can be difficult to convince others that we feel terrible internally.

A sharing meeting allows us to understand that all of us go through these problems…
And we survive! One of our members yesterday was diagnosed 40 years ago!  The sharing allows us to talk to people with shared problems and I find it to be cathartic.

At the end of the meeting, we had veggie snacks, brownies, pumpkin pie and drinks.  Many thanks to those who provided these refreshments.  Also, thanks to Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital for providing a conference room for the meeting.  That is quite important because we are not an official non-profit and we do not collect dues.

Again. thanks to all and
May we all have the best possible outcomes.