Embracing the present 

“I felt confused, scared, alone, and wondered if I would ever see my daughter grow up”, she recalls.

Simona had many questions: How long will I live? What stage am I in? Will I suffer? “Questions you cannot answer. Once I accepted my new reality, the doctor and I became a team, like a tandem. He told me, ‘we are in this together.’”

Further examinations revealed a tumor in her ileum. She underwent major surgery to remove parts of her intestine and thermal ablation* for liver metastases. Post-surgery, she was put on monthly injections, which initially scared her due to the lifelong commitment. “When you start something, you are used to seeing the end. I was afraid and didn’t understand why I would need this medication for life.”

Initially, the treatment made her tired and caused diarrhea. “The treatment can be very uncomfortable, but after hundreds of injections, I am used to it and do not complain.” Every month, a private nurse near her home administers the injection, and Simona says she is lucky in that way: “I talk to other patients who struggle because they have to travel far, sometimes to another region, for examinations and treatment.”

Simona was introduced early to the Italian NET community and now serves as President of NET Italy ETS and INCA** full member association. 

“When you support others, you support yourself. Listening to others also means focusing on someone else, which has helped me a lot.”

The organization works to raise awareness, shorten diagnosis time, and improve access to care.

Simona has learned to live with her new normal–regular check-ups, monthly injections, and her work for INCA. She takes one day at the time, avoiding thoughts of an uncertain future. “This isn’t a war with winners or losers, just people like me, moving forward for the sake of those we love”, she exphttps://www.netitaly.net/lains.

_{* Thermal ablation is a minimally invasive, image-guided treatment that destroys tumor cells, including cancer, using heat or extreme cold. (Source)
** Learn more about INCA, International Neuroendocrine Cancer Alliance and about Net Italy ETS}