I Don’t Like to Say the “C” Word (Part 2)

People were very helpful at this point, suggesting that it could be a ganglion cyst, or a “fatty tumor”, or even swelling due to repetitive motion (Nick is always on the computer).

The MRI was inconclusive. Dr. Conklin referred us to Dr. Herrick Siegel at UAB Highlands for a needle biopsy.
Dr Siegel is an orthopedic surgeon, but not a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. He was very good with Nicholas despite not specializing in pediatrics.

Dr. Siegel took yet another x-ray (he had Dr. Conklin’s x-rays and the MRI–I’m not sure what he thought another x-ray would show), and decided that he needed a surgical biopsy instead.

So we had to go, that day, and do pre-admission paperwork and blood work at the Kirklin Clinic. Two days later, March 20–Maundy Thursday, we were at the UAB North Pavilion at 5:00 AM for day surgery.

April 30, 2008 | Filed Under Nick's Cancer | Leave a Comment

I Don’t Like to Say the “C” Word (Part 1)

I was on my way to the University of Alabama with a couple of Upward Bound students to tour campus and my phone rang. It was a nurse from the UAB Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic at Children’s Hospital. My nine-year-old son, Nicholas, had a synovial sarcoma. Cancer.

It started with a lump. Well…it really started with a scream. Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last yeat, Nicholas and his sister were playing in his room, and as often happens, it got a little rough. Usually, someone ends up crying with their feelings hurt. Usually it is Katy. This time it was Nick screaming in pain and anger about Katy hurting his arm. A close look at Nicks arm showed a small knot on his right wrist. It looked like the kind of goseegg one might get when one bumps one’s head on a cabinet or something.

Only it didn’t go away.