Biopsy

After waiting for about a week I called the Doctor's office in Calgary, Dr. Puloski.  His receptionist informed me he would be away for the Christmas Holidays and would not be taking any  "urgent" patients until after the New Year.  I was beside myself.  I obsessed about the lump in my foot and cried and wondered and just needed to know.  I read everything about soft tissue cancers that could be in the foot as I was sure my lump was cancer.  Two days later I received a call informing me that Dr. Puloski would like to see me the next week on December 22.  I was relieved and hoping for more information.  Dallas and I headed up to Calgary and I met my surgeon for the first time.


As soon as Dr. Puloski walked in the room I thought oh he's young and good looking, Dallas thought he looked young!  He introduced himself and asked me about myself.  We learned that we both had 3 children the same ages.  And he learned I had some medical background and was not going to be like his other patients!


He looked at the lump on my foot and pushed on it and told me what I already knew.  The only way to know for sure what the lump was was to get a biopsy done.  He believed it would be benign (non cancerous).  I asked him if it was cancer would they have to take my leg.  He said not to think about that and we'd just take things as they came.  I asked him if I could have the biopsy done in Lethbridge and he agreed knowing because of my job I would get in much quicker than in Calgary.


As I left the Foothills hospital I called the Ultrasound Department in Lethbridge and my biopsy was scheduled for the next morning.  I was nervous but looking forward to getting the information we needed.


My mom took me to the biopsy.  She waited in the waiting room and the nurse and ultrasound tech both of which I had worked with prepped me for the biopsy and talked to me about Christmas.  The radiologist the same one that had read my MRI did my biopsy.


First he used a needle to freeze the area of the lump.  Feet are very, very, very sensitive so many nerves.  The freezing worked and the first 2 passes with the biopsy gun where okay, but the tissue wasn't adequate he needed to go deeper so the third time he hit the muscle and the bone and the immediate pain I felt was indescribable.  I was writhing in pain but was surrounded and by my co workers and nurses and with some pain medication they were able to control some of the pain.  I was so grateful for there kindness as tears streamed from my eyes I was glad they knew me personally.


My family prayed and fasted as we waited for results all hoping and praying that the lump would not be cancer.  Then I waited, Christmas passed and New Years and I hadn't heard anything.  Finally about 5 weeks later I was going crazy with anxiety,  Dr. Puloski called saying the biopsy had to be sent away to a different pathologist and both pathologists agreed the lump in my foot was an extremely rare BENIGN myoepithelioma and that he wanted to see me again and discuss some options.

(Miles And SANTA)

Hearing it was benign made my family and husband happy, but I was still unsettled with the diagnosis. I felt strongly that it wasn't going to be so simple and straight forward.