How it Started
In early April, Charlotte fell down at recess and hurt her right knee. At the time we thought it was a minor injury - there was no swelling or bruising and she only complained about the pain around bedtime. She continued going to school and track practice without any complaints. In true 'kid' fashion, she got annoyed if we asked how her knee felt. For the most part, we didn't think there was anything unusual with her knee.
A few weeks later, while we were on vacation, we noticed Charlotte was favoring her left leg and even limping a bit. It seemed unusual to think that a small fall at recess could have such lasting effects, so we decided when we got home to get it checked out. The pediatrician suspected a small fracture was possible and ordered an x-ray. The results showed some unexpected cloudiness in the bone that was inconsistent with just a fracture, and we got calls from her doctor and an oncologist at Seattle Children's Hospital who shared concern about what they were seeing. They ordered an MRI to look more closely at the leg and CT scan for her chest (to check for signs that the mass had spread) at the start of the next week, leaving us with a weekend of anxiety.
Charlotte started with her CT scan, and handled it like a champ! It was quick and easy. Unfortunately, the MRI was next and we knew it would be much longer, louder and would require an IV for contrast liquid, which Charlotte was dreading. The team at Seattle Children's was wonderful at helping calm Charlotte for the IV placement, and I want to give the Child Life team the first of many shoutouts in this space for their efforts at comforting Charlotte. The process was still nerve-wracking for the little lady, but she tried her hardest to be calm for the nurses so that her IV could get placed.
The MRI itself was another challenging process. Anyone who's had one can attest at how uncomfortable the experience is. It's loud and claustrophobic, and requires the patient to be as still as possible. In Charlotte's case, they had to place extra camera pads directly on her legs. These were about 2 feet wide by 3 feet long, and heavy enough to add to her discomfort. I got to be in the room with her for this, but had to stay a good distance away to avoid the magnets. I hope I was able to provide some comfort for Charlotte, but being so far away I'm not sure how much I could do. The process was supposed to last about 45 minutes, but after about 25 we had to pause and readjust some things to keep Charlotte comfortable. Again, the team at Children's was incredible at showing their patience and resolve to get the results they needed while keeping Charlotte as comfortable as possible. They were able to reposition some pads and pillows and finish the scans.
The MRI results confirmed that the x-ray wasn't a fluke, and it appeared that Charlotte had a tumor in her right femur. Fortunately, the CT scans didn't show any evidence that the tumor had spread, though additional testing was needed to verify that in the form of a PET scan and an EKG for her heart. The doctors suspected that the tumor was a sarcoma cancer, but needed to analyze actual samples of the tissue to determine the specifics. A biopsy was scheduled for the following week, followed by the other scans a few days after.
On April 30th we got to the hospital for the biopsy and were once again met with comfort by the Child Life team. The team had been checking in on us and Charlotte since the last visit, and we had mentioned off-hand that Charlotte was upset to be missing school for the procedure, particularly on Library day. She was greeted with a surprise set of books by Riley, one of her Child Life support team. It instantly lifted the mood and brought some much needed joy. Charlotte also got to help pick a scent for her anesthesia, and chose orange. She got to 'paint' the inside of her anesthesia mask with the scent and decorate the outside with stickers. I went back with her to the operating room for the anesthesia, and she did a good job of staying as calm as she could. Once she was under, I was escorted back to Lauren so we could wait.
After an hour or so, we met with the surgeon, who let us know that the procedure went well and confirmed that the tumor was osteosarcoma. This type of cancer is fully treatable and curable, and he said that we caught it about as early as he had ever seen. We were sent home with Charlotte to help her rest and recover from the procedure.
The following week, Charlotte had her PET scan and an EKG on her heart. These were to check for any signs that the cancer had spread beyond the tumor. The doctors indicated it would be extremely unlikely based on the previous scans and the size of the tumor, but we had to make sure. Early indication is that neither test showed any sign of spread or further concern. We met with our oncologist, Dr. Brittany, to discuss the biopsy and future treatment plan. The treatment will involve several weeks of chemotherapy, followed by a surgical procedure to remove the tumor, followed by additional chemotherapy to ensure we remove all traces of the cancer.
All of that brings us to now. We have about a week and half until we start treatment. Charlotte is back in school for the time being, but will probably be unable to attend in-person once her treatment starts. We were able to work with the team at Children's to help make sure Charlotte will be able to attend some important school events in the next week like the Talent Show, Spring Concert, and the all-important Battle of the Books before chemo begins, and we're grateful for their ability to work with us. At the time of publishing, we are happy to announce that Charlotte's team WON Battle of the Books for her school! Next week they get to face off against other schools in the area for the grand prize!