the one-year update

As some of you may remember, last fall I found a small lump just under my ribs. It turned out to be a desmoid tumor and isn't that big a deal, but did still have to come out. And while there is no worry of it spreading elsewhere or becoming malignant, it does have about a 30% chance of coming back in that same spot so requires some monitoring. My doctor recommended MRIs as the best option, and suggested getting one every 6 months or so for a while to keep an eye on things. So back in May I went in for my first post-op MRI, and then last week I had my second one.

The results are good-- my scar looks like it's healed up nicely, and there is no evidence of a new lump growing. AND, my doctor now thinks there is no need to keep going back for more MRIs. The spot where the growth was is close enough to the surface that I should be able to just feel by hand any new lumps that might appear, and we have a good set of baseline scan images for comparison if I do feel something and need to get it checked out (one thing about desmoid tumors is they basically look like scar tissue, so it's important to know what is my "normal" scar tissue from the surgery vs new, abnormal growth).

Now, y'all know I love hanging out inside a cramped machine while it makes loud noises at me as much as the next gal, but the news that I don't need to go back for any more MRIs was like a big weight lifted off my shoulders. I was able to get a CD of the MRI scans so we can have our own copy to keep for future reference. Hopefully, though, I won't ever need them.