Chapter Three of The Bayou Belle’s Cancer Journey dives into the moment everything changed — the ERCP that revealed a rare neuroendocrine tumor in the Ampulla of Vater. From jaundice and unbearable itching to facing the reality of a Whipple procedure, this chapter blends raw humor, Southern grit, and real statistics about neuroendocrine cancer, major pancreatic surgery, and the emotional toll on families. A powerful look at life between diagnosis and surgery — when fear is loud, the phone won’t stop ringing, and survival becomes the only plan.

Chapter One — The Beginning That Wasn’t

My cancer story didn’t start in a hospital— it started in the quiet years of being sick, dismissed by my doctor, and told I was just stressed and had diabetes. This chapter shares what happened before we knew what we were really fighting while my body was waving red flags everywhere.