Elaine’s Story

Myxoid Chondrosarcoma at the Pelvis – with lung mets
Age at Diagnosis: 52
Year of Diagnosis: 1999
Surgeon: Dr. Alan Yasko, Houston

Diagnosis: After several months of pain down my left leg which was similar to the pain I had in 1983 from a ruptured disc, I went to see an orthopedic in October, 1998. He made x-rays in his office and told me that I had a “calcium deposit” in my left hip area and the pain was just something I would have to “live with.” He suggested I see a pain management doctor for possible injections. As long as I was up moving, my pain was less, so I began walking 3 miles 4 or 5 times a week. I found I could not sit on the floor or in a metal chair as within minutes the pain would become unbearable. As 1999 came, my pain progressed to the point that my nights were spent in a recliner as I could get enough relief to allow a few hours sleep. Over-the-counter meds such as ibuprofen and tylenol were taken on a regular basis. By May, 1999, I could feel a significant growth near my waist on the left wide just above my pelvic bone. Sitting was becoming very painful. I quit my job in June, 1999, as it involved sitting at a computer for hours. As the summer passed, the pain became almost constant and the area near my waist became larger. On October 14, 1999, I had an appointment with the neurosurgeon who had performed my previous back surgery. I told him that “I can’t live like this.” He recommended that I have an MRI done. [My first granddaughter was born on October 13, 1999.] The MRI was done and I returned to the neurosurgeon’s office about October 20, 1999, when I received the news that there was a very large mass in my left pelvic area. A needle biopsy was scheduled within the next couple of days. The diagnosis was chondrosarcoma. An appointment was made for November 9, 1999, at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center with Dr. Alan Yaskco, Chief Orthopedic Surgeon. Surgery was scheduled for November 29, 1999. Read more

Nick’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Tibia with Lung Mets
Age at Diagnosis: 14
Date of Diagnosis: 1986
Location: United Kingdom

Diagnosis: My story starts in the autumn of 1986 when I was 13. I was a very active sportsman playing football for both school and local teams and was also undertaking trials for S*bleep*horpe United junior teams. I was always getting knocks and bruises that usually healed very quickly. However this time I noticed that one particular injury had left a permanent lump on my right knee. I went to the doctors with my mum but was told that this was just a fluid build up as a reaction to the injury; I was given diuretics to remove the swelling. However by the Christmas of 1986 the lump had grown massively in size and walking more than 500 yards was becoming a problem. Read more

Katie’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Distal Femur with lung mets
Age at Diagnosis: 13
Year of Diagnosis: 1995
Location: Arizona, USA

Diagnosis: I went to the doctor for an athletic physical so that I could play sports. I mentions that I kept pulling muscles from all of the sports and climbing, and asked if there was a brace they could recommend for extra support. At the time they took an x-ray and told me that there was a tumor on my leg. The next day I went back to the clinic and talked to an oncologist. The doctor told us at the time that it was either osteosarcoma or Ewing’s sarcoma, and that it was likely that it would be malignant. Two days later I was in for a biopsy, and three days later I was in for a Port-a-cath. Two days after that, I was in for Chemotherapy. Read more

Jennifer’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Fibula
With lung mets
Age at Diagnosis: 13
Date of Diagnosis: 1990

Diagnosis: When I was 13 years old I was walking outside one day and noticed I couldn’t walk without a limp and had a lump around my fibula. I thought I might of fell when I had gone roller skating and just didn’t remember falling. Needless to say a week later I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Of course I didn’t think anything about it being serious. I just thought surgery would be performed and that was it.

Treatment: My parents ended up getting a second opinion. They were told it was just an aneurism bone cyst. So they took it out and took half of my fibula out. A year later the same thing happened. It was back and I had no idea my life was going to change. My parents found another hospital out of state that specialized in osteosarcoma. They tried to save my leg but it was just too risky. I had chemo for a year. I was so depressed. Being sick, losing my hair, being away from home. I was terrified. I was told they were going to have to amputate above my knee. I thought no one would ever be my friend, guys would never like me. You know at the age of 14 1/2, that’s an important time in your life. Read more

Todd’s Story

Low-grade Osteosarcoma at the Proximal Femur
With lung mets
Age at Diagnosis: 33
Year of Diagnosis: 1987

Diagnosis: Some swelling in femur, pain, would go away, but then it started to hurt at night, while I was resting. I thought it was a raquetball injury. I went to a primary doctor who said it was a cyst and not to worry about it. But when the pain came at night, I decided to see a specialist. The orthopedic doctor also thought it was a cyst but took an x-ray. He came back into the exam room and his demeanor totally changed. The x-ray was “hot”, showed lots of activity, which is not what cysts do. He told me to take this quite seriously, only one doctor in Portland knew how to treat this. I was referred to Oregon Health and Sciences University. I had a biopsy, and surgery a couple weeks later. All told it was a month from discovery to surgery. It was a pretty stressful time. Read more

T.J.’s Story

Ewing’s Sarcoma at the Pelvis
With lung mets
Age at Diagnosis: 17
Date of Diagnosis: June 12, 2004
Location: Oklahoma

Diagnosis: I was a high school student athlete who had been receiving steroid shots, for two years, by my PCP for a supposed pinched nerve in my back. Finally enough was enough, and I asked for a MRI on my right hip. As soon as it came back they knew it wasn’t a pinched nerve. The tumor was the size of the ball of my favorite sport, Baseball. When I realized it was cancer, it felt like a warm blanket had been wrapped around all of my insides and I wasn’t scared at all of dying or anything. My family and friends took it a lot harder than I did. I just wanted to keep a smile on their faces to let them know that everything was going to be fine. Read more

Matt’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the tibia with lung mets
Age at Diagnosis: 17
Date of Diagnosis: 1988
Location: Ohio
Hospital: Harper Hospital in Detroit

Diagnosis: My diagnosis first came in October of 1988. I was a senior in high school, and developed a rather large lump on my left tibia just below my knee. After my family physician took several x-rays, he referred me to an orthopedic oncologist in Detroit. The presence of osteosarcoma was suspected, and a biopsy soon after confirmed the findings. Everything happened so fast right after the diagnosis, that I really didn’t have much time to take it all in. Read more

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