I think I have bone cancer, specifically Ewing's Sarcoma, but I'm afraid to tell my parents. What do I do?

In mid-spring, 2007, I had extreme hip pain and could no longer run with my track team. I was told it was a pulled groin, but it didn't get better after a few weeks so I got an x-ray that came up "blurry" because there was so much swelling in my hip. I started physical therapy, as recommended by my doctor, but I made no progress. I went back to my doctor a month later, still in extreme pain, and had blood tests taken for Lyme Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis, both came back negative. My doctor mentioned an MRI, but then never followed up on it, and a month later I am still in extreme pain, especially at night. I am extremely tired and the pain goes from my hip to my knee and through my shin. My parents think it is a waste of money to keep paying the co-pay because I have been to a specialist 3 times and they continue to tell me that I need to rest, but I have not yet had an MRI and I haven't had an X-ray since April when it came back blurry.
(15 female growth spurt last year)

I'm so sorry you are going through this! I'm the mother of a 15 year old girl with severe pain issues, so I have some idea of what you're talking about. I understand your parents are getting tired of going back to the same docs, being told the same unhelpful things. But you've got to let your parents know how much pain you are still in. You need to get to a doctor who will follow through until they really find out what your problem is.

Another similarity with my daughter's case: she also was tested early for Lyme disease, and when it came back negative, everyone dismissed that as a possibility. Turns out, she in fact had Lyme, but by the time that was figured out, she had a really advanced stage of it. (The Lyme test they usually give you first--called ELISA--has a very high false negative rate.) You need to get to someone who really understands Lyme to figure out if that's what your problem is.

It sounds to me like you should definitely get that MRI your doc originally suggested. (It won't show Lyme, but it could show other things that may be causing your problem.)

I don't know anything about Ewing's sarcoma. Have you googled it to find out the symptoms? If it looks like that's a strong possibility, print out the pages and show your parents. Maybe print out some pages about Lyme disease, too. Best of luck to you, sweetie.

PS. There's also a book called "It's not Just Growing Pains: A Guide to childhood muscle, bone, and joint pain, rheumatic diseases and the latest treatments," by Dr. Thomas J. A. Lehman.

If it was cancer you'd feel sick, not just tired. My cousin had bone infection of a sort, and he couldn't even lift his head off the pillow. But you shouldn't be scared to tell your parents, if you really really think that something is wrong DO something about it before it gets worse or there is permanant damage. Good luck.

You need another X-Ray and possibly an MRI. Call your primary care physician and tell him you are worried it might be cancer, are still in pain, and that you need to get the cause diagnosed.

It can take awhile for a hip to heal. Did you have any physical therapy? It may have helped. Generally rest can make things worse. Mobility keeps our muscles from "shrinking" and "tightening". I would not worry about cancer. Try explaining to your parents again that you need to follow up with a doctor - an orthopedist. If they still refuse you will need to speak with your school nurse and explain the entire situation to her. It may seem extreme, but she and the school can force your parents to take you to the doctor.

You need further tests to determine what is wrong, tell your parents hoe you feel, and call your doctor, until you have the proper results....That's it period, the sooner you are diagnosed the sooner you can be treated.......

I read a little about the Ewings Sarcoma and they said that you need an MRI to find out if you have it. when they tested your blood for arthritis and lyme disease, if you had cancer your blood work would have come back abnormal. If your hip is not getting better then you do need to get an MRI. If you do have cancer the time you are waisting is precious. It could be spreading throughout your whole body. You say that you are scared to tell your parents but why....??? how do you think they would feel if you died from cancer. you need to get to the doctor and find out whats wrong with you.

Have you tried a chiropractor, I had a lot of hip to knee to foot pain and figured at my age it was just arthritis. But I found out differently when I realized my chiropractor was making my knee feel better. If you have gone through the preliminary tests and they have come back negative and while you are still in pain you haven't said that it is new or worse, or spreading, go for the simplest idea, and see a chiropractor.
A fifteen year old physically active female is far more likely to have damaged something than have Ewing's sarcoma.

The chances are better that you just injured yourself running and are still recovering from that injury.

However, If you are still worried about it I would ask for another medical opinion. It never hurts particularly since your xray was fuzzy.

As a parent I would have a second xray done and ask about a MRI.

You definately need to have that MRI that never happened! I can't understand why your doctor never followed it up? Even if you have to see another Dr.~~~Do it! You are obviously not getting any better and the longer you leave it the worse it will get. You need answers so you can be treated now!
Good Luck~~~

Hi.....I had kidney surgery last year in May. My hip was hurting after the surgery, & the pain was in the front of my leg to the knee and down the front of my leg.

I told my primary doctor, she sent me for physical therapy. It improved but continued to hurt. My knee began to swell, got an xray, just a touch of arthritus.

Finally I made an appointment with the chiropractor for my knee. He watched me walk, had me lie face down for the adjustment. I said don't you want to see my knee, no, your hip was out of place.

Hope this helps..............