Acronyms are now running my life – the latest portal message from my oncologist: “Let’s repeat a CMP this week. If LFTs are not improving, I will order an MRCP to get a better picture of the liver.” Acronyms are all over my chart, all over my lab scripts & procedure orders. In grad school and my dietetic training I learned many of these terms. I don’t use them in my classes now. It’s kinda become a running joke at work — how much clinical nutrition I don’t know anymore.

But I know enough that I worry when labs are not normal. I understand how things work enough to know my liver is pretty critical – for more than just digestion. The issue for me is how much to worry. How much weight should I give to the odd results – are they really odd — or just a fluke? Am I okay with a ‘wait-&-see’ plan?

This cancer causes so many potential issues either by just being there or producing hormones. The treatment I’m on also causes it’s own issues. All of this has made me hyper-focus on every little twinge or odd feeling. When labs are out of whack my anxiety kicks into high gear. What caused the wackiness? How do I fix the numbers? Will they ever be normal again? What new issues will develop from them? I go on and on and on…. in my head with this.

So… the repeated CMP did not show improvement in the LFTs – an MRCP is now scheduled. Yay! – a new procedure to add to my list of experiences!