It has been much like a whirlwind. It all started at a family reunion in Idaho. Mr. Blue Eyes removed a bandage from his right hip. (It had a scab from what we thought was a severe eczema ball, which we had been treating with steroid creams.) What was revealed was alarming at best. It was a large, inflamed, open wound of ulceration. It had puss and red lifted welts. It was roughly the diameter of a baseball.
We left the reunion early and went to the E.R. in the Boise area. They were alarmed by what they saw, and the doctor said we needed a biopsy but we would have to see the dermatologist first. He said that it could be anything from cancer to an infection. Our hearts sank. The E.R. doctor put him on an antibiotic called Septra.
The next day was a holiday, so on Tuesday we tried to find a dermo office. It was amazing how many offices were so nice and friendly, but unable to help or even look at his wound. I called Andrea, desperate to find someone to see Corban. Within one hour, she had found a doc in Twin Falls that could get us in. We packed up, leaving my cousin Jan's house, and headed for Twin Falls. Andrea, being the sis she is, met us at the office.
My nerves were on edge and my stomach was in knots. The doctor came right in and saw us. His face said it all. He said that this would be something unusual we were looking for, something out of the ordinary. A biopsy was taken and Corban got his first stitch. It would be one week before we would get the results, and he could get his stitch out. That week was one I know many others have lived through, with the same worries and fears that rage through your heart and soul. I feel for all those who have been in my shoes.
By the time the week had passed, I felt I had aged, and my stomach and entire system was a wreck. In the end, I just prayed for the strength to handle whatever came our way. The wait in the office was so long, and then finally, the doctor came in. He said that it was not cancer, or a virus, bacteria, fungus, or even an infection. He then said that because it did not show up on any of these tests, it would fall into the class of a Xanthogranuloma. We do not yet know what kind, but we will have to follow up at a university hospital. So we all took a deep breath and said a million prayers of thanks. The wound is very sore and ulcerated, so it will be a journey ahead, but we are so so grateful for what we think is a smaller problem than some others.
Now that we are home, the journey has been long and very difficult with insurance. Finally after being home for over one month, we will see a City of Hope doctor named Doctor Karras. She will be looking at his pathology and blood test to see if Corban has any risk of cancer.
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