Doctors caught rare cancer by looking for the zebra

"Thank God for the kidney stones" isn't a phrase one typically expects to hear -- but Jennifer Goff said they may have saved her life.

The 21-year-old nursing and EMT student said she was rushed to the MedCentral/Shelby Hospital emergency room last August with severe back pain. Doctors told Goff she had already passed kidney stones, but a CT scan would show she wasn't out of the woods yet.

"It showed a tumor, but they said an MRI would give a better picture," Goff's mother Lynn Shafer said.

The next day, an MRI confirmed a 3.5-centimeter tumor on her daughter's pancreas.

"So many people, like Jen, discover it because of other issues. There is a lot of misdiagnosis out there. There is probably no other way to detect this besides a CT scan," Shafer said. "But they told us they believed it was benign because of her age."

With that in mind, the family couldn't believe the news Goff recently received.

"I was going to pick up my sister when the doctor called," Goff said, noting that her doctor had previously asked her to come in, but she had requested to be informed over the phone. "He told me I had cancer."

Specifically, she has a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, a rare subgroup of tumors found in the pancreas. Goff said she pulled her car into the Shelby Duke and Duchess station.

"It sounded like he wasn't talking right. I couldn't really make out what he was saying," she said, tears filling her eyes. "Then, when it actually hit me, I had to have him repeat everything so I could write it down.

"I kept repeating, 'I have cancer. I have cancer. I have cancer.' He was very nice and told me this is curable. I just needed to get into the right hands."

Goff wasn't comforted.

"I just sat there and tried to figure out how I was going to tell my mom," she said. "I called her at work and asked when she was going to be home because I didn't want to tell her over the phone -- but she could tell something was wrong, because she's Mom."

Shafer tried to comfort her daughter.

"I told her it was going to be OK and that we would get through this," Shafer said. "I work in Marion though, and that drive home seemed to take forever."

Goff said she immediately began researching her cancer.

"There are only 1,500 cases in the U.S. diagnosed in a year, though they've found many more on autopsies," Goff said.

Today is Worldwide NET Cancer Awareness Day.

"It's only the second annual -- that's how new this is," Goff said.

The ribbon designated to this particular cancer is zebra striped, which signifies thinking outside of the box -- when you hear horse hooves, don't immediately think horse. It could be a zebra.

"We say, 'Thank God for the kidney stones,' because if it wasn't for them we may have not discovered this until much later," Shafer said. "Early detection is key."

Goff finished her last week of work until after recovery, which is expected to be about eight weeks. She also had to quit school.

She was more than halfway through the paramedic program, but must start back at the beginning when she is able to return.

"I've just been spending a lot of time with my family and my daughter," she said. "I keep telling myself I have to do this and get through this for her."

Goff recently saw an oncologist, which turned out to be one of the biggest blessings so far.

"Until I saw her, I couldn't sleep. I was having nightmares. I was waking up crying. Every night I'd lay down to sleep, all the negative stuff would come in," Goff said. "But seeing the oncologist really cleared up the unknown. I think more positively now. I keep telling myself, 'No, this is not going to come back.' "

A visit to the James Cancer Center on Monday in Columbus determined Goff will have surgery at the end of November. Through it all, she remains positive and continues to count her blessings.

"I've learned not to take life for granted and to be thankful for what I have because you just never know what lies ahead. I have a super family and friends and I know I'm going to get through this," she said. "And I'm grateful for the oncologist -- who looked for the zebra instead of the horse."

Guillen passes kidney stone, then manages game

Manager Ozzie Guillen knew from experience that he had kidney pain Sunday morning.

Guillen, 47, passed a kidney stone but felt well enough to manage the White Sox's 8-2 victory.

"I feel drugged out," Guillen said after the game. "But I feel better."

Guillen had kidney pain seven years ago before a game in Chicago. This time, he knew what the cause of his pain was when he woke up. He praised trainer Herm Schneider for arranging hospital accommodations that enabled him to pass the kidney stone and return to Chase Field two hours before the game.

Guillen was adamant to treat the problem as soon as possible to prevent an overnight stay.

"I don't want to miss the (Cubs) game (Monday)," he said, "but early in the game I was a little dizzy."

Stay sharp: Because the Sox are reverting to a six-man rotation and have a day off Thursday, Edwin Jackson will have six days before his next start Friday against Washington.

"Everyone is different," Jackson said of starters' routines with extra rest. "Some do less. I try to throw as much as possible so I stay in a rhythm."

Extra innings: Adam Dunn made his first start in right field since 2009 and made a running catch to rob Ryan Roberts of a hit to end the third inning. … Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was a guest in the suite of Sox general manager Ken Williams. … Paul Konerko's 52 interleague home runs trail only Jim Thome (57) and Ken Griffey Jr. (55).

Police complaint against hospital over patient’s death

A Police complaint was filed in Waghodia police station on Monday by the relatives of a 40-year-old woman who died in Dheeraj Hospital in Pipariya village. The woman's relatives have alleged that the hospital authorities moved her to a private clinic of a hospital doctor in his personal car after they failed to conduct a laparoscopy operation for her minor kidney stones.

The Waghodia police said Shahnawaz Khan Pathan the husband of the deceased woman, Najma Khan Pathan, has now lodged a complaint with the police asking the Forensic Department of Sir Sayajirao General Hospital to conduct a post mortem.

It was on April 1, that Najma, a zari embroidery worker from Hathikhana was admitted to Dheeraj Hospital with kidney stones.

Shahnawaz told The Indian Express: “We were told by the hospital that they would conduct a laparoscopy surgery to remove her stones since it was a textbook case. But due to unavailability of a laparoscopy expert, they decided conduct an open surgery. As per the hospital reports, there were 42 stitches in her belly. But her condition did not improve after the surgery. After staying in the hospital for a week, we again approached the doctor who had operated her when her condition deteriorated.”

Shahnawaz, who works with the Jaipur Golden Transport Company in Vadodara, told the police in the complaint that when the hospital failed to improve her condition, one of the doctors, Dr Kuldeep Agarwal, brought her to his private clinic in Alkapuri in his car for treatment. "We did not understand why they had to take her to the doctor's private clinic when all the facilities were available in the hospital. But we did not know much about medical treatment, and assumed that it was for her good,” Shahnawaz said.