In June this year we went on a vacation with my sister and her significant other. While we were enjoying the lovely, humid sights of New Orleans I mentioned that I had this lump on the back of my thigh that was making stretching after running difficult.
Baz made me promise that I would go see my doctor. Actually - he paid me to go see my doctor! Aussies really have trouble understanding the medical system here. Truthfully - after 8 years, we still don't understand the medical system!
So, July 30th was the appointment with my PCP - Dr K. LOVE this guy. I really thought that it was some sort of benign tumor, that I would have surgery to remove it and be laid up recovering for a few months and that would be that.
Hmmm.... You've guessed it by now. Not so easy.
There was a 'normal' x-ray. And then a non-conclusive MRI. A trip to an orthopedic, oncologist specialist surgeon. Then finally a guided biopsy that resulted in a diagnosis.
I have a deep musculoaponeurotic fibromatosis. Or more commonly known as, well - easier to say at least - a Desmoid Tumor.
Not cancer. But not NOT cancer!
So - as far as I understand, it's really a benign cancerous tumor. He will continue to grow, but wont shoot off babies into the rest of my body. He responds similarly to cancer, and so we treat him like cancer.
Today marks the 3 month mark since that visit and a visit to an oncologist to talk about getting rid of this thing.
We have named this 'mass' Fred - get the name of the blog now?
My case has been to the Tumor Board, and my team has decided that radiation is the first course of therapy. That will start on January 16th 2014. Fred is too large to be removed surgically - that would actually be called an amputation! Not really an option if we can help it.
I am to have 33 treatments, Monday through Friday. That's about 6.5 weeks of a daily trip downtown during winter - YAY!
After that will be another MRI to see if ti has effectively killed Fred, and if not then we will look at chemo options.
Flip on over to the main page to keep up to date with how I survive the radiation. 'Cos even that is not straight forward with this tumor called Fred.....
Hugs until next time
Megan.
