Better Together

I got some scary news last week. I started having a deep aching pain in my left arm about a year ago that worried me, so I saw my Dr 6 months ago and he did an xray which found nothing and said to call if it got worse. The pain came and went for the next several months until it got so bad for a week last month I couldn't sleep and had to take Vicodin. I went into the Dr again and he said it was probably a pinched nerve, come back if it gets worse. I requested an MRI, which he agreed to. The MRI showed there was nothing wrong with my arm but the radiologist saw something abnormal in an unclear image on one of my ribs. He ordered a nuclear bone scan, and the spot lit up on the scan but several Drs still couldn't tell what it was. So I then had a CT scan which my Dr says showed a "very abnormal and worrisome" lesion that appears to be a tumor on my left 4th rib. I asked if this could be related to the pain and he said that it made sense it could be referred pain to my arm just like in a heart attack where pain is referred to the left arm. It has been suggested that I either "watch and wait" given the odds that a person my age probably doesn't have anything cancerous, or the oncologist has suggested I have an invasive biopsy because they can't tell exactly what the lesion is until it's under a microscope. It's scary because there is a high risk of getting a collapsed lung during the biopsy. I have thought and prayed about this a lot, mainly because I am scared as a nurse really knowing the implications this whole thing could have. It's clear to me though that I need to get the biopsy for peace of mind plus it just seems crazy to play the odds especially given my sister's history. So, I will be getting the biopsy done on Wednesday. I feel blessed that I have been guided to find this problem while it is small, and we still hope it will be nothing. Chad and I appreciate any prayers at this uneasy time and express our love to all of those who have already reached out to us. I am grateful for my wonderful husband, family, and friends who are so supportive and for the faith that I have because together they help me to be strong.