Cealia,
I also am a retired nurse & being on this side of the bed is challenging to say the least. I have stage 4 inoperable pancreatic cancer in the tail which was also found by "accident" due to CT of my lungs as a former smoker. I had a mass on my adrenal gland and mets to my lungs. I am in GA about 2.5 hours north of Mayo Jacksonville. Mayo did the confirmation since I was striking out on referrals to "local" (45 min. away) gastro docs! You are so lucky to find this site early! Took me forever to find this group. The other 2 sites recommended are really helpful too (Let's Win & pancan .org). You may find your nursing research skills getting used to try & find articles that help you deal with nutrition & labs, pain management, drugs, and therapies like acupuncture (helps me), exercise and motivation.