I'm writing this blog long after getting the news .... Ryleigh has a tumor.
Let me give you some back ground. Ryleigh plays tennis and the guitar and has been complaining that his arm hurt. Chris and I thought it was tennis elbow. After some time of it not getting better I took him into the doctors just to confirm what we were all ready thinking. And of course the doctor thought it was overuse / tennis elbow, but just to be on the safe side he order an x-ray. A month pasted and still we hadn't gone in to get the x-ray. Ryleigh one morning asked me if I could please take him in to get his x-ray, so I did. I really thought it was a waste of time and money but he felt differently.
2 hours later I received a call from his doctor, Ryleigh had a bone lesion. The radiologist noted
Osteoid Osteoma. He asked to drop everything and call the orthopedic. Of course they were closed.
We call Ryleigh downstairs to talk with him and it took everything not to cry. I was terrific. I spent the next 5 years researching everything I could about bone tumors, I cried the entire time. I thought that if I would have some knowledge I could be able to talk to the doctors and understand the plan in-front of us.
The next morning, after hours on the phone, we got an appointment of a week later. A week of panic, a week of no sleep, and week of cramming as much information I could find in my head.
Luckily, we got scheduled for an MRI before his orthopedic appointment. I sat in the room watching my son wondering if he was ok or worried. I tried not to worry him.
We went on with life as normal. He went to school. We went to Winter Park and skied. We went to pueblo to celebrate Christmas with family. But every moment I worried, and stressed, and researched, even through everyone told me not to.
It was finally the day of the Orthopedic appointment, I was really to talk to the doctor about whatever it was and treatment options. I was an expert.
When the doctor came in, he seemed down. I remember looking at his face and feeling the need to cry. I hurt in the deepest part of my soul. And then he said Ryleigh didn't have a tumor. Nothing.!!!!!!!
What?
It was a bone defect and tennis elbow.
