In March of 2009 I was doing what I loved. Being an active mom to 4 kids, running, walking my dog, teaching Spinning, doing Crossfit and lifting weights. I started having knee pain after exercising, it started off as a twinge and gradually got worse. After a few weeks I finally went to the doctor, I couldn't put it off anymore and I felt like a hypocrite telling my spinning students to see a doctor for twinges and pains when I was avoiding going.
To say I was dreading the appointment is an understatement because I sure she was going to tell me to stop exercising for 6 weeks and I had no desire to give up doing what I loved. At the appointment my doctor commented on the crunchiness of my knees (thank you arthritis!) and recomended an x-ray just to see what was going on. The x-ray tech just happened to be someone who worked out at the gym so he knew me by sight. We chit chatted a bit, between being positioned on the table and being told to hold still. After the first x-ray was taken I heard someone say "what in the world?" and then the voice of the x-ray tech asking if I had ever broken my femur. I laughed and said "no, I think I would remember something like that. Why?". The tech got quiet and told me that there was "something" wrong with my bone, he didn't know what, in fact he shouldn't even be telling me, but he wanted to be aware that I would be getting a call the next day for a full Femur series.
Like expected the next day my doctors office called and asked for a full Femur series. I had a different tech so I couldn't ask what was going on. Well I think I did but she told me I had to wait until the doctor looked at the pictures. To say I was nervous is an understatement. The following day I received the call I had been waiting for. I had a bone tumor. I was being referred to Orthopedics and but I had to wait for them to call me for an appointment. Anyone who has been in my position knows the agony I went through. What kind of bone tumor? Cancer? Not cancer? Would I need surgery? It was awful. Like any sane person does after finding out they have a bone tumor I did Bing and Google searches and I did NOT like the results. At one point I told my husband that the only bone tumor I didn't want was a Chondrosarcoma, but honestly, the other options weren't much better.
After arguing with Orthopedics, who wanted me to wait until JUNE to see a doctor, I finally got to see an Orthopedist in April. I had a 10cm Enchondroma, but because it could turn out to be a Chondrosarcoma he wanted me to have a Bone Scan and MRI. He was 99% sure that it was nothing to worry about, I didn't fit the typical demographic. I was under 40 and female. After having both tests, I had a follow up in May. Unfortunately nothing showed conclusively that the tumor was a benign enchondroma so I was refered to my first Orthopedic Oncologist, Dr. Kimberly Templeton at Kansas University Medical Center.
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