Posted by Rob Bradford

Before I head into Brighton Landing, prepping for The Big Show from 2-6 p.m. …

While many have been focused on Mike Lowell’s recovery from his oblique injury (he took about 70 total swings yesterday and hopes to be ready for this weekend’s series in Texas), perhaps the more compelling story revolves around his injured hip.

The mere mention of a hip injury is a sensitive matter for Lowell, who said he will have to get this one dealt with after the season. As the third baseman reminded Monday, if it wasn’t for his previous foray into matters of the hip in 2003 he might have been going through the scare of his life these past few days.

The scene plays out like this …

Back in ‘03 Lowell was experiencing discomfort in his hip around the All-Star break, so much so that he went immediately from the All-Star Game that year to get his hip checked out. What the doctors said, after looking at the MRIs of his hip, was that signs were pointing to Lowell possibly having bone cancer. Now remember, he had already dealt with his testicular cancer four years earlier, and this time he was entrenched in the majors with a young family.

(Note: When I was helping put together Lowell’s book, “Deep Drive,” this offseason this portion of his story brought out perhaps the most emotions.)

Lowell would have to drive up to Gainesville with his family to go through a clandestine check-up. Finally, the call came to his brother’s apartment near the University of Florida campus informing the third baseman of the diagnosis. It was a condition called “Fibrous Dysplasia.” It is a spot on the bone which can often be misidentified as cancer.

The term became a rallying cry for the Lowell family, with the group dancing around the apartment, crying and chanting “Fibrous Dysplasia! Fibrous Dysplasia!”

Flash forward to his latest hip incident. When the Red Sox medical staff went to do its examination a few weeks ago, the doctors were fully aware of the Fibrous Dysplasia incident, so when that spot that might appear to many as a sign of cancer was quickly dismissed.

“Absolutely!”

It was Lowell’s reaction Monday when asked if he would be possibly immersed in another cancer scare not for the incident in ‘03.

You can find out more on this Lowell story and others tales regarding the Sox third baseman by heading to your local bookstore … Good times!

Before I head off, will somebody please give Meter a better nickname for BC quarterback Chris Crane than “Chris Cool.” I smell a WEEI.com poll.