This message is really long. For a shorter version scroll down to the paragraph titled: “SHORT VERSION”
Hello everyone. I have an update. A little over a week ago I started
having severe pain in my upper left leg/buttocks area. It was a pain I
had periodically before over the last couple of months, but it was
always temporary and generally not extremely painful. This time,
however, it continued to get worse. By the end of last week, it had me
staying in bed most of the day screaming in pain into my pillow.
Standing up was next to impossible, and walking 5 feet was a daunting
task.
By Saturday we gave an ultimatum to ourselves, If it
hadn't resolved itself by Monday I would be going into the emergency
room. Instead of better, by Monday it was worse. I called the best
doctor in the world: Dr. Johnnie Cook, who told me the emergency room
was a great choice. Seeing as how he IS the best doctor he mentioned
calling my oncologist as an additional option. I did just that. They
made room for an appointment in their office. After the examination
they rushed an order for an MRI.
A half hour later I was
looking up into the MRI machine. Johnnie, combined with the efforts of
Dr. Hansens’ office, helped me get the fastest treatment possible
without the headache of the ER.
Shortly after getting home that
day we got the results on the MyHealth website (amazing invention). It
showed that in my bones there was marrow irregularity. It also
indicated that the area we had been concerned about (from previous
scans) showed growth. Doubling in thickness. This was obviously very
concerning. This combined with the pain was not real uplifting. I
called Dr Hansen’s office. The nurse I spoke to did not give me a lot
of hope. After she explained the results to me, and telling me that I
needed to come in to discuss options for treatment, I asked her: “So
does this mean it’s cancer?” Her answer? “Yes.”
At the same
time my pain had gotten worse still. She helped with that as well by
getting a prescription for some patches that I now wear that release
pain medication into my body 24 hours a day. I am now up to two of
those patches as well as the “pill form” pain medications I was taking
for the neuropathic pain. To put the pain into perspective I can tell
you that even with all of that, its still in pain and walking is
difficult. However the pain is much more manageable finally. I am not
screaming into my pillow or helplessly crying in bed.
Back to the
diagnosis. I went in to talk with my oncologist and came out of there a
little more hopeful. He said he wanted to make sure that it really is
cancer. This means he was not as convinced as the nurse indicated.
However, he did say he’s worried about it because of the growth in
thickness as well as the pain. By the way, he believes the pain is in
fact being caused by this growth. In that a nerve has been wrapped or
affected somehow by this growth. Causing pain down the leg. As for the
bone marrow irregularity, it’s his hope and belief that this is just a
result of radiation and that no cancer has reached the bones.
To find out if its cancer, I will be trying to get Dr. Sandhu (who has
staged my cancers) in SLC to see if he can in fact biopsy the area. If
not, the only option for that would be to perform an invasive surgery
for direct biopsy. This is so invasive that I would probably end up
with infection in addition to a colostomy with a number of other risks.
That’s a huge risk for a biopsy. So if it ends up being positive or we
can’t get a biopsy, I will begin chemo treatments again. Unfortunately
we cannot operate on it or continue radiation in the area. So chemo
would be my only choice.
Obviously this is not the greatest
news. It’s important to maintain hope that it’s not cancer, or that if
it is I can fight it off. As always I need your prayers and good vibes.
In return I promise to do everything I can to win the fight and stay
positive.
To sum it all up:
----- “SHORT VERSION” -----
About a week and a half ago I started feeling extreme pain in upper
left leg/lower buttocks. It got worse until Monday of this week I
finally went to the Dr for it. I got an MRI which showed bone marrow
irregularity as well as growth in the area of previous concern outside
of the colon. My doctor (his nurse actually) originally told me it was
cancer. But since then he is not 100% convinced and wants to run a
biopsy. If I CAN get a biopsy and it’s positive, or if a biopsy is not
possible, I will start chemo treatments again. Again I ask for prayers
and good vibes. Wish me luck.
