It's a wrap!

Today I saw my doctor at Westlake Orthopaedics.  A great group of doctors and great staff!  I'm so glad they were so proactive seeing I had abdominal masses and made sure I went through every process possible to rule out cancer.  I'm back to the reality of my hip issues and bottom line - I have arthritis, bone spurs and my femoral head should be round and mine is more shaped like an egg causing a lot of friction and pain.  It's a wrap - I need hip replacement!

Well there's no time like the present, so I am having Left Total Hip Replacement on Monday, October 3, 2011 - yep that's almost 2 weeks - 12 days!  How am I feeling about this?  I'm actually excited!  After thinking I had cancer, to not having cancer and knowing that after surgery I won't be in pain and I'll be mobile - I'm GREAT with that!

I'm going to do my best to blog about this experience in hopes of helping someone else who may one day be in my shoes or someone who is already in my shoes and can't decide on whether to have the surgery.

So my decision has been made and the journey begins . . .

Oncology - I thought I knew

One thing this journey has shown me is that there really aren't a lot of oncologists in Austin.  Well at least not as many as I expected.   Well from what I've seen there are a few private practice oncologists (10 maybe) and all the others are with Texas Oncology (about 50) and those doctors are then narrowed down by specialty.  So how many oncologists specialize in gynecology in Austin?  Under 10!  That was shocking to me.  So if I had cancer of the uterus and wanted to see a doctor in Austin, I would have less than 10 choices?!  Only 4 are with Texas Oncology, so if you wanted a second opinion your options seem pretty slim.

I'm thankful I don't have cancer, but I'm learning more about it.  I thought before all of this I knew, but I didn't.  I still needed to see an oncologist to evaluate all my tests and again calm my fears.  Also, there is a very small percentage of the type of tumors I have becoming malignant.  My masses are benign and I will not be having surgery at the present time - my best option is to re-evaluate the masses in a few months.

Now that the cancer scare is over, I can go back to my orthopedist and resolve my hip issues.  Wow, what a month!  I CAN'T complain - I don't have cancer!  I just can't say that enough - blessed!!!

Results - NO CANCER!

Quickest appointment ever - "Ms. J, you DO NOT have Cancer." 

Can you say AWWWWESOME!  So so very happy!

Happy Happy - Joy Joy!

More doctor appointments in the future though to see what's really going on. Ok, I have nothing more to say than I don't have cancer.
Blog out! oh and
I thank GOD!
Now, Blog out!

Biopsy Day - da da dah

I had my biopsy this morning.  I was awake during the procedure, just a little sedated.  I thought the procedure hadn't quite started - I was lying on the table and kept hearing this clicking noise and felt a little flicker, so I asked the doctor about it and he said "you're feeling the flicker because there's a needle about 12+ inches inside you" and then he told the nurse to up my drug (can't remember the name of it) and that was the last thing I remember LOL!  So I pretty much slept in recovery, got up and ate lunch and slept some more and when I was released I came home and slept some more.  I'm feeling ok, just missing my family!

My sisters are so awesome!  I told them not to come and that I can handle all these doctors and tests by myself.  I have to admit when I'm actually sitting in the office or the hospital though I wish they were here.  I know that I will need them later when and if I have to have surgery, so I got this!   And I have some really awesome friends you have my back!  I'm being looked after and taken care of :-)

Justified?

I'm almost at the end of the week of the worst day of my life, but I'm beginning to think that won't be my worst.  I've seen one doctor and another doctor and another doctor and none of them have been able to tell me 100% I do not have cancer.  I'm scheduled to have a biopsy next week.  In the meantime, I can truly say I know what it means to be stressed out.  I really don't feel like doing anything.  I've talked to my immediate family and a few close friends, but I really don't want to spread this news around until I really know whats going on.  The process is taking such a long time.  I guess I have to adapt the phrase "no news is good news".  Truth - I'm not feeling that.  Oh and my healthy eating has been thrown out the window a little.  Eat a salad or eat fried chicken wings.  Fried chicken wings with hot sauce, you may have cancer!

Why Me? Why Not?!

I have lots of questions and not a lot of answers, but I feel better today.  I'm singing my favorite song a lot - "Count it all Joy" by Tarralyn Ramsey.

when your going through,
and you don’t know what to do,
when the fire gets to high don’t draw nigh,
hold your head up high and be of good cheer,
all you need to know,
your deliverance is here

i know you sit and ask yourself so many times,
why does it seem like i am losing my mind,
as i sit and reminisce on all that I’ve been through,
i'm realizing it’s not about me but about you

count it all joy

If this is the road God intends for me to travel, then I know I can do this.  I know God won't put more on me than I can bear.  I had to two more tests yesterday, Chest X-ray and Bone CT and the results came through with excellent news - NO SIGNS OF CANCER in my lungs or in my bones.  I'm counting it all joy!

The worst day ever . . .

Today I received a call from my doctor's office.  Now I know why they called me back in and ordered a CT Scan.  The MRI and the CT showed I have several soft tissues masses.  I guess that's the nice way of putting it.  The conversation went on to say tumors and CANCER.  Wow, really??  Tears streaming down my face, I definitely have no words to say.