So plan of action is changing. The options have been laid out before me and I have spoken with my family and my radiologist and I am changing the course of action for now. Everyone knows that the original course of action was going to be surgery and radiation. Surgery is still going to happen however radiation is not going to happen right now. There are a couple reasons for this. First-if this growth is what they think it is (My hip surgeon is pretty sure he knows what it is) I have a 50/50 chance of it growing back without radiation. With radiation I still have a 30% chance. While that number seems like a big difference let me explain the rest to better understand why that number is not a big enough difference. Ok lets move on to the next piece of information. Those that have followed my story know that on my left leg I have my skin grafts from where I was burned extremely bad. In the area that would be radiated is the donor site of where they took the skin for the grafts for my lower portion of my leg. This portion of my leg is very susceptible to developing a malignancy of some sort. This is without being radiated. Adding radiation to this area I adding a much higher risk to the area to developing some form of cancer. Next. Pain. Again radiation runs the risk of pain in any patient. However. With my skin grafts my radiologist was straight forward with me in telling me that it is going to be very painful in the graft site and it could be permanent. I could develop scaring and fibroids in the graft site because of the trauma from radiation which could be permanent pain. She also was very straight forward with me and stated that she really doesnt think this will be my last hip surgery. While I also thought this I still found it to be heartbreaking. We agreed that if at 34 I have needed now 3 hip surgeries it is probably in my cards that I will have to return to the OR in my life. She would rather save the option of radiation for another time instead of using it so young. Also the fact that radiation does increase your risk for cancer and the fact that I am so young she just does not recommend adding radiation at this time. If I was 50-60 it would be a different story. There has been a lot of thinking and soul searching today. For now, my choice is to not utilize radiation. 20% chance is just not worth it to me right now. At least not until we get pathology reports back. Until then, surgery and injections will be the only course of action. Surgery is still a huge risk as the growth does go around major blood vessels but I have prayed over my decision and Im letting it go in gods hands. 8 am Thursday morning I should be on the table with the Dr doing his thing. Please pray that Dr Mather has the guidance and wisdom to get this all out and there will be no reoccurrence.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 21:50:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015