Diagnosing Dana: Exhibit 1

Today marks the nine year anniversary of the day that this x-ray of my lower right mandible was taken by Theodore Marolda, DDS, on June 19, 1999, before he pulled tooth #28:

I was lost to follow-up with Theodore Marolda, DDS, in March of 2000, when Theresa F. Keefe, DMD, asked me to paint her home in Avon.

However, NINE YEARS LATER, I am still trying to get a diagnosis of that ominous looking radiolucent lesion that caused the roots of my teeth to resorb.

The differential diagnoses of this lesion is osteomyelitis, lymphoma, and myeloma.

However, there was no purulent pus in the jawbone when the tooth was removed, so osteomyelitis is unlikely.

Could it be Metallic Implant-Associated Lymphoma considering my history of EBV?

So why haven't I been able to get a diagnosis of this lesion for the past nine years?

Believe me, I have spent what feels like nine thousand hours and driven nine thousand miles trying.

So on the ninth anniversary of the detection of this lesion, I am going to start a series of blog entries entitled "Diagnosing Dana", to see if I can figure this out . . . .