Day 964 - Right leg concerns?

     As usual it's been a while since the last blog post.  Over the last couple of weeks I've been holding off providing an update until Cristy and I were able to capture as much reliable data as possible.  Let's rewind to about two weeks ago.  Evan had an MRI scheduled with his orthopedic doctor to review bone growth and the overall health of his right leg.  Evan has been bouncing off the walls for months so we had no reason to think that anything was wrong.

Hiking Kennesaw Mountain

     Last week we received a call from his ortho doctor that the MRI showed a possible infection in his lower leg (again).  If this had been our first such experience with orthopedics we probably would have taken this diagnosis at face value and started talking about options; however, we've been dealing with enough varying issues with Evan that we feel like he knows his body well and so do we.  His blood counts all seemed to indicate that he was more than capable of fighting any infections.  Along with that he has not expressed any signs of discomfort, which he has always done prior to any medical discoveries in the past.

     When we received the call it happened to be a day that I was working from home and luckily was able to take part on the call.  We asked the doctor if it could be anything else.  He said it could be a case of inflammation, but wanted to consult with Evan's primary oncologist before ordering any test.  Coincidentally Evan had his monthly IV appointment two days later and they were able to order up an inflammation test prior to leaving the clinic.  The doctors and nurses didn't seem too concerned overall and the test showed low inflammation.  Not sure where this leaves us.  Evan continues to carry on without a care in the world, Cristy and I are still uncertain what other tests or treatments we'll need to consider for the future.  With all of his increased activity I'm hoping it's simply a case of inflammation or improved blood flow in that region.  If more information becomes available I'll certainly share it here.

Photo session with Rally.  Can't wait to see the finished product

     Besides this scare that has popped up, things have been relatively quiet around the house.  The kids have been trying to stay active despite all the rain we've received lately.  Both are doing well in school and with warmer weather I'm hoping to get them involved in sports or extracurricular activities.  Nolan will be playing t-ball in a few weeks and he's really excited to make some new friends and get out on the field.  Cub Scouts and potential instrument lessons are Evan's focus for now.  Cristy and I are talking about some athletic alternatives that he can do while on chemo, such as swimming, but can't seem to find a good fit yet.

     Closing out with a song straight from Evan's playlist that seems fitting considering the situation we find ourselves in.  This journey has been long, frustrating, stressful, inspiring, motivating and any other adjective you can think of to describe a life changing challenge.  With the conclusion of chemo scheduled for August it's important that we keep our eye on each day and not look too far ahead.  Additionally we need to continue to tackle each challenge that presents itself with the same vigor we have in the past.  Having said that, the song is called Whatever it Takes by Imagine Dragons.

More photos from the last few weeks.