My Crazy Hand

About fifteen years ago I asked my doctor (one I greatly disliked to begin with) about my hand. I told him my pinkie finger would occasionally swell and it was very painful. He poked my finger a couple times and told me there was nothing wrong with it. Over the years the swelling has become more frequent and the pain more annoying. With it being on the side of my hand I knock my hand on so many things it makes it worse. There have been times over the years I have thought I would go back to the doctor (a NEW one), but I have either not had insurance or I haven't known what kind of doctor to go to. For the last year Ashley (my trainer) has been bugging me to go to the doctor. She has seen my hand on multiple occasions when it swells and bruises and tells me 'Chasity, that is not normal'.

Two weeks ago my hand was swollen worse than it has ever been. The pain started keeping me up at night and waking me in the morning. I finally made the decision to see an orthopedic hand specialist at Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics at Baptist Hospital. I discovered these are the doctors for the Tennessee Titans players!!! I had THREE doctors appointments this week including x-rays, an MRI, and lots of poking on my finger. My MRI even made its way to researchers at UC Davis in California. Dr. Dovan has determined I have a blood vessel tumor in my finger. He does not feel it is cancerous due to the length of time I have had it and some other characteristics, but I will be having surgery to remove it.

I never in a million years thought a tumor was what was in my hand. I'm glad to know finally what it is, but more excited to get it out of my body. I'm so excited to not deal with a big swollen, painful finger. Here are some pictures:

The arrow is pointed at the area that bruises and it's the actual tumor. See how the side of my hand swells out.
This is how it swells around to the front of my hand.
The arrow is pointing at the actual tumor. That is how it sticks out of my hand from the side.

Even more days til it's removed. :) Fifteen years of pain FINALLY gone!