@fim we didn't think mine was quite carcinoid (it was a non-functioning neuroendocrine tumor, measiring about 1cm, and still benign when it was removed in 2014).
BUT there used to be a group back then called "The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, which is now called The Neuroendocrine Cancer Foundation, which has a LOT of really great resources!
The website is ncf . net without any spaces in between--or you can just google "Neuroendocrine Cancer Foundation" and you should be able to find them, too!
And they even have free webinar this upcoming week called, "Just Diagnosed With Neuroendocrine Cancer?" Which should offer some good tips for things to ask your doctors, where to start finding answers & support, etc!
Back whe they were "The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, their logo used to be a Zebra, because Carcinoid "is the zebra, rather than a regular horse," in that old phrase, "When you hear hoofbeats, it's most likely a horse, not a zebra."
Regarding the digestive issues--do your dotors have you doing a "bland food diet" or a "BRAT-type" diet, or just eating "regular foods"?
Because when my pnet used to "get fussy" and block off my duct, i typically shifted over to a "bland food" diet.
That meant VERY low fat, to prevent the diarrhea & loose (stinky!), oily stools.
I'd eat lots of the traditional "BRAT Diet" items, Bananas, Applesauce, Rice, & Toast, along with saltines or Club/Ritz/Townhouse crackers, plain baked chicken (not fried/cooked with much oil, and just some dried herbs--no sauces!), roasted or steamed vegetables, like carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, baked potatoes (again no skin), mashed potatoes (no butter/gravy!), oatmeal, malt-o-meal, or cream of wheat (again, no butter added!), etc.
Things like the "Mediterraean Diet" foods, are solid, rice bowls--as long as the "sauces" used are lowfat, lean meats (chicken, fish, turkey, & eggs).
Stay away from high-fat foods, like butter, mayo, dressings, sauces, gravy, etc.
Lowfat yogurt, as it's tolerable is GREAT, and it can be used instead of sour cream to make sauces & dressings.
When i was dealing with a "fussy pancreas," i typically went to Jimmy John's, and bought 2-4 of their "day old breads," then cut them up, put 'em in a gallon ziplock in the fridge, and then i'd get some oscar-mayer type "sliced turkey" or "sliced chicken" and have a sandwich made of the chicken/turkey lunchmeat, maybe some tomatoes or shredded lettuce, pickles, mustard, and that bread.
It gave me "flavor" but was almost zero-fat, and i could eat it multiple days without getting bored.
I also did mashed potatoes with homemade "Cream of Chicken Soup" as the "gravy" using the old "US Land-Grant University Extension Service" recipe--the one i use can be found online on the k-state newsletters (University of Kansas) website, and i'll make another comment with it.
You can make Vegetable, Beef, and other flavors of soup, by substituting other powdered bullions!
Lowfat soups are also really great--and you can turn 'em into "gravy" with a cornstarch slurry, to eat with diced baked chicken, over rice or potatoes.
Basically, i learned from my Pancreas Specialist's nurses, that any time my pancreas got "fussy," the best thing to try was just that "low fat, easy to digest, high soluble fiber/low insoluble fiber" diet for a few weeks, until my pancreas "settled down" again.
Canned fruit, rather than fresh ones, frozen & canned veggies, or roasted in the oven until they were soft, not fresh & crispy, etc.
And then i could go back to "regular foods" slowly.
Although i also learned that too much fat in my diet in a short timeframe would tip my pancreas into a "fuss", and so did things like too much fast food & processed foods in tge span of 1-2 weeks.
"Slower" foods, which were lower in fat NEEDED to be mixed in heavily, if i was going to need to catch meals on the go!
Here's that Cream Soup recipe, from the Kansas State Extension Service (you can switch out the herbs for whatever you want to use or have on hand!):
"Canned cream soups can be high in fat, sodium, and calories. If you use cream soup often, try this homemade soup mix instead.
When using the soup mix, add some chopped celery, chopped mushroom, or substitute chicken broth for the water to flavor the cream soup.
Dry Cream Soup Mix
(Equal to 7 cans cream soup)
Ingredients:
2 cups instant nonfat dry milk
¾ cup cornstarch
¼ cup sodium free dry chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
½ teaspoon ground pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and store in air tight container.
To use as a substitute for one can condensed soup:
Mix 1/3 cup dry mix and 1 ¼ cups water.
Stovetop: cook and stir with whisk until thickened.
Microwave: Using a large microwave safe bowl; cook on high for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring with whisk every 30 seconds until thick.
Nutrients per can-equivalent: 149 calories, 7 g protein, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 111 mg sodium, 4 mg cholesterol, 28 g carbohydrate, 0.5g fiber