Yes, there is one more test

The CT and bone scans did not show any markers of tumors elsewhere, which we could take as good news. Dr. D. expressed that she was mystified by all of this, and mused that maybe it was Paget's disease, to which Dave and I said well, yeah, she was diagnosed with Paget's years ago--wasn't that in her chart? No.

Paget's is an interesting disease in that it can be asymptomatic for years; in fact, many never manifest any symptoms. Mom had been taking meds for it, but we discovered today that she quit one of them earlier this year. She had requested a refill through Medco and it was denied, likely because the prescription expired, and she didn't get a new prescription. Apparently it was not mentioned in subsequent doctor visits (of which there were several) so she rightfully figured she didn't need it. In retrospect we should have been on top of this, but until now, she's done a relatively good job of taking care of herself (and was adamant about doing so). And who knows, it may not have mattered anyway.

Anyway, the upshot is a needle biopsy has been ordered. This will provide more specific information regarding the tumor. If it's determined it's a metastasis from another site, palliative radiation may be ordered to shrink it to help with pain management. If it's a Paget's cancer (a rare but possible complication), the thought right now is radiation won't help much. In either event, pain management will be a major factor and possibly physical therapy so she can have some mobility.

We know now that we don't know. So what else is new? Being in the hospital is not an enjoyable experience for patient and family alike, but at least Mom is getting good care; she has had some exceptional nurses, several of whom stop by to see her even when she's not their patient. It also helps that she was moved to the bed by the window, which is less claustrophobic than the bed by the door.

If you're reading this, happy birthday, Laurel!