Duke

Despite having SBRT (radiation) in October 2022, by February 2023, I was still having pain and unable to run. I was referred to Duke for an appointment at their bone metastasis only clinic. They have a procedure called cryoablation that I was hoping to find out more about. Mom and I travelled up there in early April and, despite why were there, had a pretty nice time. The campus is beautiful, and we enjoyed wandering through the gardens and seeing the Duke Chapel. 

On the medical side, I left somewhat disappointed. I met with a nurse practitioner who was going to present my case to their board. A few days after my appointment, she called me to let me know the doctors weren't sure if my pain was from my lesion or my SI joint. They wanted me to get an SI joint injection and physical therapy to help try and determine the pain source. I knew the pain was from the lesion, but in order to pursue cryoablation, I had to have the injection and PT. This really frustrated me because it all takes so much time. I'm stage 4. Time is precious. I don't want to spend it in pain and waiting on appointments I know won't help. 

Needless to say, the injection and PT didn't help, and I ended up having a discussion with the interventional radiologist who would perform the cryoablation. He said while my lesion is an ideal location for the procedure, he wouldn't recommend it unless my lesion grew. I was really upset after the call with him. I was pretty much told you'll just have to get used to the pain, not do something you love, and you'll only get help if you have progression. I cried a lot and was really angry - it was a big emotional hit to me. 

I've prayed daily for God to give me a testimony that will help lead people to Him. I've prayed to be healed. I've prayed for pain relief. I wondered if now was the time to actually be public about what's been going on. If people don't know what's going on, how can I help lead people to God through my testimony?