Well, the Orthopedist was quite confident this thing in my leg is a "fibrous nodule" and nothing to be concerned about. There is always the small chance it could be something nasty, but it's present character doesn't suggest anything. An MRI could tell more but I'm going to keep an eye on it for six weeks and report if anything changes. I have a follow-up set then if needed. He said he's removed quite a few of these over the years and this one is fully consistent with the trouble-free ones.

So, a sigh of relief, and I'll spend some time thinking this weekend about what I learned about myself in the process. The one clear thought I had through all of this is that I really want to see my kids make their way through High School, and I really want to be available to help them whenever they need it -- even if they need it less and less. Sometimes it is just one or two moments a year that make a difference. Anyway, here's to hoping I and they get another six years. And there really is a sense in which it feels like I've regained a bit of a sense of purpose in this, and that's a plus.