Asking for prayers!

So some of you may know some of what is happening with Jonathan, and for some of you this is going to be the first time you have heard.  I think I've talked to 10 people today and it isn't getting any easier explaining the same thing over and over.  So I decided I should probably start some form of blog to keep everyone informed.  For those of you that we have talked to, I'm including pictures so you can maybe better understand...

So I'll start from the beginning.

About a couple months ago, Jonathan began to have knee pain after working out in the gym.  So like anyone he tried ice, ibprophen, and rest.  (Well except golf... He powered through that!)  But the knee pain wasn't getting better and he was beginning to loose mobility in it.  For example he couldn't bend it very far etc.  So he thought he better go see orthopedic Dr to see if there was something up with meniscus etc.  So about 2 weeks ago at that apt they did an X-ray.  Well in the X-Ray there was a shadow type spot above the knee.  We were told it is probably from an old injury or possibly a cyst or something like that.  Anyway, we should probably look further just to make sure.  So on Monday  the 23rd Jonathan had an MRI done.  He came home with the CD and all the pictures.  We were pretty sure something was wrong, well because when I show you the pictures you'll know.  The issue was not with his knee joint, there was something going on with his bone in that spot that was just suppose to by a bruise or something.

On Wednesday the 25th he had a follow up apt with the orthopedic dr.  At that appointment Jonathan was told that he has a tumor in his femur.  The dr. had told him that he had already sent the scans to a tumor specialist, who is a orthopedic oncologist.  He told him this next dr. would like to see him immediately and that he needed to bring his wife to the appointment.  So at this point we knew this wasn't good.  That was a long night...

Thursday the 26th at 1:00 we met with the oncologist.  He got right to the point.  Now I'm going to try to show the scans to try to help explain this...  Here are a couple pictures of what the normal part of his bone should look like. 

The big black ring is his bone.  Inside that black ring in the marrow.  This is a healthy portion of the scan.

This is beginning to show the problem, because you are beginning to see the "hot spot" in the scan.  But if you look at the bottom bone, that is more normal looking.

As you move down his leg this is what the scan begins to look like.  (remember white hot spots are bad)  The Dr. explained that this is the photo that make him believe that Jonathan has a malignant tumor starting from inside the bone. On the left side of the scan, this is the more health part.  There is more of that thick black circle.  But if you move to the right side, the tumor is beginning to eat away at his bone.  So there you have it... Jonathan has what we suspect to be a cancerous tumor inside his femur.  (excuse me while I go throw up again!)

 

Here are a couple of images from the side... when you look at the bottom bone, which is healthy, seems kind of obvious there is a big problem above.

 

So now what?

 

The oncologist has ordered a bunch more tests that are happening as quick as possible.  But for us it isn't happening right now, so it isn't fast enough!  So on Monday Jonathan will be having another MRI, bone scans, and the most scary is a CT.  Jonathan and I can't remember if the Dr. said that a bone tumor is secondary to another cancer that is somewhere else in his body, or if it will cause secondary cancer somewhere else in his body like his lungs.

 

After those test, Jonathan will be going to the hospital on Wednesday to have a minor surgery to biopsy the tumor.  There was an option to just stick a needle in his leg and get a piece, but that has a 20% chance of mis diagnosis.  So we opted for the surgery.  I think this means they actually cut into his bone and take a small piece out of the tumor.  The Dr. said typically he will know immediately more about if it is for sure cancer.  Then the tests will begin to tell us what kind, how fast, etc.

 

What we do know is that Jonathan will at the very least be having some surgery.  This Tumor has to come out.  There is a possibility they will have to remove his entire femur.  OR there is a possibility that with Chemo and radiation that they can shrink the tumor and maybe the surgery will be less invasive.

 

What can you do for us?

 

We've debated on how much we tell people... But at this point, we know what we need, as much prayer as possible.  So I'm asking you to get down on your knees right now and really pray for him!  I mean really pray for him!  He has a 2 year old son and a 4 year old son... this isn't suppose to happen.  BUT I know God won't give us something we can't handle, and he is young, strong and healthy.  Whatever this is, he is going to fight like hell!

 

I will continue to post more as we know more... So now we wait...