What's The Deal with all these MRIs?

Oh Boomer....sorry you are having to worry about bureaucracy as well as the damn lump!!! Please keep us updated. Did Mo love the idea of the twin?

I think that the recommendation should now be “stronger than strong, very strong, really extremely strong,”

I'm so happy to hear your drama is winding down. I'm learning that the worst word you can hear from a doctor is "uncommon".

It's great to hear people say good things about the VA. They took excellent care of my father in law and my brother's experiences with them have always been stellar.

Glad there isn't any serious damage!

They're making her try out for the team? I'm surprised she's not being actively recruited.

Hi dlowan!!

Once I explained what a parasitic twin was he wasn't excited at all, just freaked out. He says I look like Popeye. Maybe I should go get an anchor tattoo.

Well for basketball as she is 5'2". They all need to try out. She was on JV last year and was their star. Varsity coach said he would move her up this yesr.

Hmmmmmm......or a parasitic twin tattoo?

That's some lump if you look like Popeye! Pre or post spinach?

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man
I live in a garbage can
I loves to go swimmin'
With bow-legged wimmin
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!

Sorry, Boomer, i couldn't help myself . . .

You almost baited me into doing an image search of parasitic twin, you rascally rabbit! I'm not sure that would be a proper way to start my Sunday morning.

Yes, my lump is a largish thing. It sits right below my elbow and gives me an impressive forearm, which Popeye had both before and after his spinach intake.

A lullaby for my parasitic twin:

No thread is complete without a soundtrack.

Hey!!! What's the news on the lump?

It turns out that the reason the tumor looked "inconsistent" was that there are actually two problems with my arm - so close together that they appeared to be one. One is the lump itself, the other is a (and I'm trying to remember this correctly) tear where my bicep muscle attaches below the elbow. This tear is what looked like the little "tail" that had the doctors so concerned. It also accounts for the pop I felt which started this whole thing.

I can have surgery -- two surgeries -- one to remove the lump and one to repair the muscle, or no surgeries -- unless the lump grows or just offends my notion of beauty (it doesn't) there isn't any real reason to remove it and the muscle will eventually, probably, mend itself and won't hurt anymore. However, if I end up having to have the muscle repaired I will need to have the lump removed first.

There are pros and cons to both the surgery and the not surgery approach and since there isn't a hurry I'm going to wait a while. As long as I don't lose any muscle function or unless the tumor starts growing rapidly I think I'll just sit tight.

It was worth running all over town and melting a witch to get to this doctor. She was whip smart and absolutely hilarious, such a great combination when faced with having to see a spooky specialist.

Whew! Although major owies from the tear, I suspect?

So...it is definitely not malignant?

It hurts but not that bad. I rated the pain at a "1". It's more bothersome than painful.

She isn't concerned at all that its malignant. The other doctors were only concerned with the "tail" (it's sort of shaped like a comma (which is kind of appropriate, don't you think?)). With the tail explained I'm not worried either.