x
Breaking News
More () »

YOUR HEALTH: A tumor was breaking apart his bones

He was breaking every bone in his body and doctors had no idea what was causing it

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Physical therapy was tried to help with his degenerative discs.

Steroid injections were tried to treat his arthritis.

One young school teacher went from doctor to doctor, diagnosis to diagnosis to find out why his bones were breaking.

It left David Covington with more questions than answers.

And at age 27 his back pain and general weakness would turn into him needing a cane.

He even had a hard time with household chores.

"I couldn't get the lawn mower started and it was just a pull and I wasn't strong enough to pull it on."

Doctors did a full body scan on David and found he had several stress fractures throughout his body.

"That was kind of where I really felt that 'Oh, maybe this is something more serious than just back pain'", he said.

After two orthopedists, a rheumatologist, and months of treatments, David`s condition worsened and he became so weak that he was falling.

Then an endocrinologist at Vanderbilt University said a tumor in his brain may be the culprit.

"A rare problem called TIO, which stands for tumor-induced osteomalacia, so tumors causing breakdown of bone," said Dr. Reid Thompson who is also a neurological surgery professor at Vanderbilt.

David was referred to Dr. Thompson who at first thought it was a benign tumor.

"If you ask most neurosurgeons who specialize in brain tumors what it is that you have, they would say it's a benign tumor, nothing to worry about," said Dr. Thompson.

But a quick search about TIO changed his mind.

"We really had to do that operation, because it was a chance to actually cure him of this disease which was ravishing his body," he added.

After the surgery and about a month of physical therapy, David felt back to normal.

"It would take about five minutes to get from my car to the front door," David remembered. 

"Now it takes about 15 seconds."

And two months after surgery, David was back in his classroom teaching, pain-free.

If this story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Jim Mertens at jim.mertens@wqad.com or Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com.

Before You Leave, Check This Out