So How Do They Know?

"So how do they know that Vince has a brain tumor?" is a question that I get a lot.

Late last spring (2013) I noticed Vince had a lump on the back of his head on the right towards to hairline.  I took him to the doctor for it.  I saw the physician's assistant. 
"Oh, that's nothing," the physician's assistant said.  "We'll watch it. His well baby visit is in a month, so we'll check it again then."
"Are you sure it's not brain cancer?" I asked.
The physician's assistant went through all the symptoms of a brain tumor, including uncoordination and vision problems. He also explained that this lump was on the outside of his skull.  I remember this conversation very well.

In July, I took Vince for his two year old well baby visit.  This time I saw the doctor.  "It's not a big deal," he said, "watch it and if it gets bigger he needs to see a pediatric surgeon."

Fast forward to October.  Kevin gave Vince a haircut.  I thought it looked bigger, but I thought it might have been the haircut.  I called up Children's Hospital and made an appointment with a pediatric surgeon for early November.

When we took him to the pediatric surgeon, he said, "That's lump is not a big deal, but Vince needs an MRI to find out exactly where it is."  He also explained that the MRI is with anesthesia since Vince is two and will not hold still. So Kevin and I discussed it and made the next available appointment for an MRI, which was January 2nd.

Little did we know that the MRI would show a whole different additional lump, a brain tumor.