Thank you to those of you with kind words during my nightmare...
After having been told that my tumor was a type of sarcoma, I was referred to an ortho oncologist in OKC (only one in the state where I live).
I'm a bit in shock at what happened there yesterday, to be honest - essentially, I learned that radiologists make mistakes and can tell people they have cancer INCORRECTLY. My tumor (an osteochondroma) is, in fact, benign. It is a type of tumor that can (rarely) turn malignant, but that has not happened with mine. I spent two weeks praying to wake up from this nightmare, and now it seems as though I have. I woke up this morning afraid that *this* part was the dream, but here I sit - cancer-free.
I'm not angry at the radiologist for his mistake; I'm sure they err on the side of caution. I do, however, find myself feeling rather depressed this morning. After some contemplation, it occurs to me that I'm feeling guilty - guilty because I got news that SO many other people want and deserve just as much (or more) than I deserved it. I think of all the children in that cancer center, and I feel like I won a lottery ticket that should have been one of theirs.
I'm hoping this feeling doesn't stick with me forever - I'm thinking maybe if I can do more volunteer work that it will help ease the guilt.
At any rate, thank you again to all of you who sent your kind words... One of the silver linings is that my sister and I have been brought closer than we've ever been throughout this experience.
Best wishes to all,
~Cathey