Waiting for the biopsy results was my next challenge. It was hard knowing that I had an issue but not knowing the severity of the problem. In early December I got word the tumor was BENIGN – noncancerous! Yeah, I was Happy. The plan was to eventually schedule surgery to remove it after the New Year.
As the month of December progressed, the pain & pressure in my thigh was getting worse. I could barely bend my leg & started walking in a way to accommodate the limb that was not functioning normally. My primary care physician, Dr. Lynn Alonso was working with me on managing the pain. I was taking some strong narcotics & still experiencing levels of pain like I had never felt before. At times, bringing tears to my eyes. (I stopped driving in November because I could not move my leg from the gas pedal to the brake as needed.)
I was sure something was not right. After much fuss, I fought to become a priority again for the Dr’s at Johns Hopkins. I got an appt with Dr. Frassica for follow-up on the pain & current condition of my leg. After the exam, he said, “Lisa, I know this is not what you want to hear but I am not convinced this tumor is benign. I don’t care what the needle biopsy results were. With your permission, I would like to do a CORE biopsy, where we cut out a piece of the tumor & test it.” I agreed. The appt was set for Monday, January 9, 2006, my sister Janet’s Birthday.