Like I said here, I had a full body MRI as part of my Li Fraumeni surveillance. The results were mostly unremarkable except for some funkiness on my left hip. I have noticed that when I sit on that side for too long it is a little difficult to walk and I need to stretch it out. To be honest, the time coming up to my full body MRI I knew about the stiffness in my hip but was too afraid to say anything because honestly, the "C" word lingered in the back of my mind, but I tried to keep myself busy enough that I wouldn't think about it. I thought that if I brought it up to my doctors that it would actually make the situation real. So I hoped and wished that nothing would come up. When I heard that the Radiologist saw that and recommended a second MRI just of that spot, frankly I started getting scared, but I managed to put on my big girl pants and get it taken care of.
A few weeks ago I got a call from my Geneticist and the conversation started out with, "Emily, do you have a minute to talk about the results of your MRI?" That immediately brought me back to the day that I found out I had breast cancer. My entire body became flush and I froze. All I kept expecting to hear was that it was cancer. He continued on with mumbled words that in that moment I couldn't really understand because my mind was so lost. The bits and pieces that I was grasping was "not normal" and "sarcoma". I was literally only hearing every other word until I came back to things. It felt like an eternity but it was only probably a few seconds. I really tried to keep it together but failed and started to cry, which didn't help my ability to hear what he was saying.
Once I was able to somewhat be able to get my bearings together I had him retell me what he said, several times, which was that the results of my left hip "weren't normal" but him, as well as three other Radiologists did NOT think it was a sarcoma. He also said that they were going to pull the scans that I had last year before my surgery to see if there was anything noted on it. He further recommended a x-ray of that area which he would put in the orders immediately, which within three hours I had completed.
After I got off the phone with him, I was freaking out thinking I would have to wait a week to hear anything. So my nosy, wanting to take action, self called my Oncologists office and talked with one of my favorite nurses there to see if they could look at my scan from last year and give me a heads-up on what I can expect. After he talked with my oncologist and read the reports, she was confident that it wasn't a sarcoma, but wanted me to see an Orthopedic Surgeon, which I scheduled for the next day. He's awesome. Knew about Li Fraumeni and was extremely approachable. He took a look at my MRI's and x-ray and said that he also didn't think it was a sarcoma, but at the same time they couldn't rule out metastatic cancer, but that it could be a lot of different things. He further said that if a biopsy were to be recommended, the "problem area" is very delicate and I'd have to either be on crutches for a month or have a pimped out walker.
I had a MRI with contrast last week and got a call from my Orthopedic Surgeon. He still wasn't sure what it was, and the fact that it apparently wasn't there on my scan I had last year I have a PET scan scheduled for December 30th and have an appointment with my Oncologist on New Years Eve Day as to what they think it may be and whether or not they recommend a biopsy. Please send me some positive juju that it is just bad hips and not the dreaded "c" word. Regardless of whatever it may be I will roll with the punches and beat it. Anyways, I'm too stubborn not to.
When they say that life is like a roller coaster, they weren't lying. In one day I went from one end of the spectrum to another with my emotions, but I'm relieved that I'm staying on top of things.
Wishing everyone a happy and memorable Holiday Season. xo
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