Treating Malignancy

Within a week of one of my regular total-body MRIs, I was due to get the results.  

It was early 2021, so COVID restrictions were still in place. As such, I was not able to go in for a meeting with my awesome orthopaedic oncologist.

Instead, he gave me a call to quickly tell me ".... not the news you want, but we see degeneration in the iliac crest".  I knew what that meant.  No need to clarify.  After a pause, I managed to ask, "Is it growing quickly?"

"No, no, slowly, slowly..." he promised, with total confidence.

He told me they would plan an additional MRI as soon as possible, and then a surgery. 

A five-minute call followed by a rough day.  That is for sure.  

It was a Thursday, and it took very few hours before I had an MRI scheduled for the following Monday. The timeline was fast, and strangely, that made me more nervous. I  know now that it was simply a courtesy, but wow, I did panic a bit. That was the worst of all MRIs so far, and I am not a fan to begin with.  

Then, I had to wait 10 very long days to get feedback. 10. full. days.

In that time, I managed to google a lot of things. That was not good. I do not recommend it! 

But the problem with these super rare diseases is that there is so little information available and I felt like I needed something. Only in the last decade did I manage to find a Facebook group with a couple of hundred members, which has given me some community. Everyone has a slightly different situation though, so there were no easy answers to be had...  

The fact was:  I. just. had. to. wait. Until April 1.  No Joke. April Fool's Day.  

At last, it arrived, and the receptionist called to let me know that they had not quite decided how to proceed so would call back within a week.! A WeEk?!. S.e.v.e.n days?!

I am not ashamed to say that I lost a little bit of my cool! I must have said "no, no, no nononono  nononono, no no no nonononno  nonoononononononoooooonnoononoooo no no", and that they would have to call me back that very day to give me something. Having emphasized the obvious: I was unwell with the stress (!) she understood me perfectly, so promised.  Thankfully.

Late that night I got a call from my surgeon. I do not think he was impressed with me for my googling! Whoops!

He patiently and gently explained how the surgery would likely be carried out, probable recovery time, etc. but that a bone biopsy would be needed first. (He is fantastic, honestly.  The best.  "You have him?  Pfft. You'll be fine" was the feedback I got, more than thrice from other specialists).

Comforted that it would be possible to treat me one way or another, though dreading many months back on crutches, I managed to wait for the biopsy in relative calm. I kept my head down and worked as much as I could.  A lovely distraction.  I am grateful for my students, always.  

At this point, it is worth mentioning that I had not seen the x-ray above.  I thought the tumour was on the edge, not SMACK IN THE MIDDLE!  I am relieved I had not seen it, as I would have been far more stressed out. 

Anyway, I showed up at the hospital to have the biopsy.  

The man ahead of me had just come out of the same procedure.  

I heard the nurse ask "How was it?".  

He glanced at me quickly, then right back to her and said "Totally fine". 

Great! 

I was rolled into the room and asked if I wanted painkillers.  

Nah! 

I turned them down. 

It is just a needle, right?  

Yep.

Through bone though.   

It does crack. 

The pillow did not make it, but I did.  

(The path of the needle can be made out in the photo, on the right-hand side.)

What a liar he was!  The worst part?  When I was wheeled out after, the nurse asked me the same question, and I said "Totally fine".  

Just as bad as him!!  Too proud to admit it was a bit of an Oww, and unwilling to scare the next one up! 

Compared to everything else, it was not that big of a deal.  Honestly. It wasn't thaaaaat painful.  I promise (really!)!

The biopsy showed it would be fine to extract.  How that went about is a story for another day.