Looking for a surgeon for carcinoid tumor in the mesentery

Good morning! I hope your OP question was answered (I see no "response" directly to you - sometimes I get confused on this website).

Just wanted to share my surgical oncologist, Dr. Howe, of UIHC (University of Iowa Health Care) Is EXCELLENT! UIHC offers oncology overall, to a NETs TEAM: Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, etc. When I was diagnosed in 2020 w/neuroendocrine cancer I was told "You have 2 years to live". Okay - that statement sent me straight to researching NETs. When confronted with serious 'news' my default personality is to RESEARCH.

At that time, there were approximately 5-6 NET specialty centers in the U.S. I live in MN, so my practical choices for a second opinion boiled down to Chicago or Iowa. I didn't want to drive to Chicago (ugh: ugly and long drive), so that left Iowa (UIHC- a Comprehensive Cancer Center, a "CCC" See: https://uihc.org/cancer/about-university-iowa-health-care-holden-comprehensive-cancer-center). I self-referred and diagnosed with Stage 4, Grade 3 SB NETs. Six years later, I'm still on the right side of the grass, thanks to the AMAZING UIHC team.

Dr. Howe is an superior surgeon and DEDICATED (IMO, with some experience: my father and grandfather were both Mayo fellows and surgeons). At UIHC CCC, I felt BOTH cared FOR, i.e., medically, and cared ABOUT as a person. It felt like FAMILY. I have NOT experienced this feeling anywhere else. I have even considered moving to IA City, and as a MNsotan, that's saying a lot, lol.

Currently, I am at Mayo, seeing Dr. Thor. He's great. But no "family" feeling at Mayo -- (em dash) and don't have a 'team' of which I am aware. I miss that, but as my NETs progress, the 5.5 hour drive 2X/year follow-up schedule became more and more taxing. Dr. Chandrika, was gastro doc of the team, and now is at MD Anderson) suggested, based on my overall health, that moving care "closer to home" might be beneficial to me. So now I'm at Mayo seeing Dr. Thor (who is great), but I have no 'NETs' team' of which I'm aware; and there is NO sense of family or whole person care. I get that, given Mayo is so huge, but I sure miss it! The Mayo of old is gone (read the small book "Aphorisms" by the Mayo brothers and you'll understand what I mean). LOL, when growing up, "Aphorisms" was included in our bathroom "library" material.

If anyone chooses UIHC-CCC for NET's care - My belief is: you will be in great hands!