Brent McKennon

On December 1 , I had a biopsy on a mass on the outside of my left femur just above my knee. The biopsy came back as a Giant Cell Sarcoma. This diagnosis led to a PET scan, MRI and CT scan. On December 14, all the scan results came in, my lungs and all other organs were clear. However, a spot on my thoracic spine "lit up". December 15, I went in for a biopsy of this mass. I was told it was "complicated". The biopsy was the most painful experience I have ever encountered. They were able to extract a small amount of tissue from one area of the mass. The tumor itself is approximately 2"x 3"X.5" and is very vascular. They admitted me to the hospital for pain control. I came home on the 16th, but after being home less than an hour the pain was excruciating. I returned to St. Lukes ER. After a long stint in the ER trying to convince them I wasn't having a heart attack, they readmitted me for pain control. After 2 nights the pain was manageable with oral meds and I was released. December 23, Dr. Webber, the oncologist, called us and said the tumor on my spine appeared to be benign. But...the mass did not appear to be the same as the one on my femur, a very unusual situation. The tissue samples were sent to pathology to have Cytogenetic and FISH testing done, (FISH=Fluorescence in situ hybridization). Now we wait.
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