How Is This Good News?
The tumor board found the reason behind my cancer, and it changed the whole plan.
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Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness
Neely Nation
I'm Amber. In July 2026 I was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile ducts. I am writing it all down as it happens, so the people who love me know how I really am, and so the next person who hears this word is a little less alone than I was.
#NeelyNation
Why I Write
I cannot control my scans, my calendar, or how long anything takes. I can control whether I say any of it out loud.
The most peace I have found since my diagnosis did not come from a waiting room. It came from talking with people who have been exactly where I am. People who knew what to ask, what it feels like, and what not to say. That is the thing nobody can hand you in a folder.
So I am writing it down as I go. The scary parts, the funny parts, and the ordinary Tuesday parts. If it makes one person feel less alone, or gets one diagnosis found sooner, it is worth every word.
Walk With Me In The Journal Know The Signs
My Body Was Telling Me For Months
I explained every one of these away. The itching was the Texas sun. The weight loss was healthier habits. Bile duct cancer is quiet at first, and its early signs all have easier explanations, which is exactly why it gets caught late.
None of these mean cancer. But when they show up together, or they will not go away, they are worth pushing on.
Learn The Warning Signs- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Itchy skin without a rash
- Dark urine or pale, clay colored stools
- Pain in the upper right belly
- Unexplained weight loss or fatigue
Find Your People
You Do Not Have To Do This Alone
If you are the one who just got this diagnosis, this is what I would tell you first. Find someone who has been here. The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation connects patients and caregivers with people who understand it from the inside, and every bit of it is free.
Newly Connected
For anyone who just heard this word for the first time. Start here.
Open on their site→One-on-One Support
Ask to be matched with a patient or caregiver who has already walked this.
Open on their site→Virtual Support Groups
Meet others online from wherever you are, patients and caregivers both.
Open on their site→ Latest From The Journal
Recent Entries
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September 3, 2026 -
August 20, 2026There Is A Plan
Staging week at MD Anderson, the surgeon leading my care, and a September date circled on the calendar.
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August 7, 2026Why I Started This Journal
What the diagnosis felt like, what I'm carrying right now, and what happens next.
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