Yesterday I saw my orthopedic surgeon/sports medicine doctor. I had to pick up my CT scan result to take with me and made the mistake of reading them. I had to stop myself doing any form of research. Why? The radiologist's report had fun and exciting words like "tumor" and several variety of "-omas." Spooky, yes? Yes. The report also indicated no stress fracture - and did not say a word about any long term damage, as the podiatrist suggested. Nonetheless, after losing a close friend to cancer nine months ago, I do not want to see any "-omas" anywhere around my name.
Two hours later I was in the exam room, waiting to see the doctor. He reviewed the scans and asked for another set of x-rays. (Just in case you're counting, this makes two sets of x-rays and a CT scan for m'sweet left foot.) We did more x-rays and I waited.
Doc came in, shook my hand, we chit-chatted for a few minutes. Then he sat down and asked for the whole story. When I finished talking, he examined my foot, asked what hurt, what did not hurt, etc. Then he pushed his stool back and said he was confused. He elaborated that the symptoms started with the running and align with a stress fracture, but none of the scans show it, and yet I have a lesion in my second metatarsal. He wants to do a bone scan to check for 1) a stress fracture that the x-rays and CT missed and 2) growth in the lesion.
A bone scan involves going to the imaging office and getting an injection of a small amount of radiation. After I get the shot, I get to leave the office. Three hours later, I return and get scanned. The scan takes about 45 minutes. The radiation will cause any growth or fractures to light up in the image. Sadly, I will not glow in the dark.
If there is no growth in the lesion, it means it has been there for years and it is no big deal. If it does show activity, it is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is not exactly a good thing. If the lesion has growth activity, it could be a tumor, probably an osteoblastoma. Those are typically benign, but not always. I have not done a whole lot of research on them because, frankly, I am choosing the ostrich method at the moment. Nothing can be gained by researching and possibly freaking myself out about something I probably do not have.
My doctor said that *if* there is growth activity, I'll need to see a something-ortho-something-oncologist. That does not mean I would have cancer, but that the specialist would know more about bone tumors than him. I love a doctor who is willing to admit his limits.
Because my doctor's medical assistant could only leave a message with the imaging office, I got to make my own appointment. They wanted to get me in late next week, but I played the "we're checking to see if I have a growing tumor" card and got an appointment for early tomorrow morning. Then I called the doctor's office again and the earliest I could get in was June 7. I played the card again, mentioning the doctor expected a week's turnaround and that the MA said to call her if I need scheduling help. The scheduler called her and the MA scheduled me for next Tuesday.
I did mention to the doctor that we have paid my deductible and out-of-pocket for the year, so it would be helpful to wrap this up by September 1. Yeah, he thought that was funny, too. :-) I like this guy.
So, if you're the praying kind, please pray that I merely have a stress fracture (that heals sooner than later) and that I do not have any growth in or around the lesion. The bone scan is tomorrow, 5/24/12 and I see him again Tuesday, 5/29/12.
While the medical mystery tour might be fascinating, it is not fancy. Just in case you wondered.
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