Kristin’s Story

When I was in 6th grade I was doing competitive dance and played soccer. I had bad pain in my left knee so my mother took me to the doctor. She said I was overly active and to take a break for 6 weeks. So I did. When the pain came back again the doctor told me to wear a knee brace while doing sports. That helped a little but not much. The pain would come and go, so I ignored it because so did the doctor. In 8th grade- 1996 I was on the high school track team, still dancing and playing soccer the pain in my knee was bad but I was not willing to give any of those up.

That summer I went to sleep over camp. I feel and hit my knee on a rock- no big deal until I got a bump that wouldn’t go away. I had my physical the week after I got home so I mentioned it to our NEW pediatrician. She felt it and kept her hand on it while talking to us. She sent me for an X-ray that day (a Wed), and that night I went to my friends summer home. The doctor called my mom the next day and said I needed an MRI and it needed to be done Friday. I had it done and we received a phone call around 7pm that night saying there was something on the MRI and whatever it was needed to be checked. Read more

Cari’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Proximal Tibia
Age at Diagnosis: 28
Year of Diagnosis: 2003
Location: California
Surgeon: Dr. Phil Wirganowicz, Oakland, CA

I actually knew I had a tumor in my leg, because when I was 12, I cracked it while I was running. The specialist at that time said that it was benign and not to worry about it, because something that is benign would not turn malignant; so life went on. In January of 2003, my shin and knee were extremely swollen and I began to have daily pain that would even wake me up at night, but being the stubborn person that I am, I didn’t actually go into the doctor and complain until June 2003. Eventually I was referred to a specialist who (in August) said the best thing to do was a biopsy so we know what we were dealing with. A week after the biopsy I was told it was Osteosarcoma. I was actually told on a Friday and by Monday I had an Oncologist, was in the hospital on Wednesday having a catheter placed in my chest and was to report on Monday morning for my first round of chemotherapy. The first day of chemo was September 19, 2004. WOW what a week! The initial tests done were an MRI, CT scan, Bone Scan and many different X-Rays. It all happened so fast – I actually don’t know how I handled it. Read more

Sally’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the distal femur
Age at Diagnosis: 27
Date of Diagnosis: 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Hospital: Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham

Diagnosis: I first started with knee pain in October 2004, but my GP put it down to a strain even though I couldn’t remember falling or injuring myself. The pain got gradually worse, and I was waking in the night feeling as though my leg was on fire. My knee was hot, red and swollen. I kept going back to my GP but he kept giving me painkillers and telling me to come back in two weeks. Eventually I insisted on being referred to a specialist and had an X-ray at the hospital in February 2005. The X-ray showed “something suspicious” and I was referred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham for a biopsy, chest CT and bone scan. I was finally diagnosed with osteosarcoma in March 2005. Read more

Jennifer’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Proximal Tibia
Age at Diagnosis: 13
Year of Diagnosis: 1989
Location: Florida, USA

Diagnosis: I was thirteen and active in dance and track without a worry in the world, until my right knee started aching. It continued and worsened and my parents thought I had torn a ligament, but unfortunately that wasn’t the situation. I had a MRI and they found a grey area, then I went to the hospital for a biopsy which showed it to be malignant, and almost instantly I was put in the hospital to start my chemo treatments. This was the most awful experience. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone, especially a teenager. I had no clue as to what was happening. I didn’t even know I would lose my hair until it started to fall out. I wasn’t the nicest child; I didn’t understand why this was happening to me and I was quite bitter at the time. Read more

Jessica’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Humerus
Age at Diagnosis: 15
Date of Diagnosis: 1988
Location: Washington D.C.
Hospital: Children’s Hospital

Diagnosis: In June of ‘88 (when I was 15 years old) I’d been having pain in my left arm — I thought I’d been hit by a softball and that’s what was causing the pain. Luckily, we were sent to Children’s Hospital pretty quickly and within just a couple of days I was diagnoses with osteosarcoma of the left humerus.

Treatment: I had 2 rounds of pre-op chemo (cisplatin and adriamyacin), following by an 8-hour limb-salvage operation where they removed almost my entire humerus and replaced it with a metal prosthesis. They rearranged all my muscles and removed the deltoid muscle. 4 more rounds of chemo followed. Read more

Laura’s Story

Ewing’s Sarcoma at the Scapula
Age at Diagnosis: 21
Year of Diagnosis: 1983

Diagnosis: Almost 1 year before diagnosis, I had pain in my left sholder (scapula). Eventually went to an orthopedic specialist who said it was bursitis. Had 2 cortizone shots. Didn’t go away. I was in my first trimester of pregnancy. Doctors continued to say bursitis. Seven weeks from due date, I went to family doctor asking if there was anyting else I could take for pain besides Tylenol. Well, to make a long story short, I had x-rays and biopsy locally. Doctors said it was cancer but didn’t know what kind. They sent me to Mayo Clinic. (Pregnancy complicated things!). On 2/14/83, I was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma (I was 21 years old). On 2/16/83 my son was born at Rochester Methodist Hospital in Minnesota. He was induced; 4 lbs. 1 oz. Healthy, just needed some fat on him. On 2/17/83, I had scans and bone marrow biopsy. On 2/18/83 I started my first chemo treatment. On 2/21/83, we headed home! This is a short version of a long story! Read more

Nicky’s Story

Ewing’s Sarcoma in soft tissue near the pelvis
Age at Diagnosis: 23
Year of Diagnosis: 2000
Location: New York State

Diagnosis: I found the lump in June and my doc told me it was nothing to worry about. So as it got bigger and started to hurt more I went back and then she sent me off for tests. I found out September 13 that it was cancer, and that they just didn’t know what kind. After losing my slides I finally found out what kind, and started chemo in December (Merry Christmas to me). What a present I got – I lost all my hair two days before Christmas.

Treatment: Well my surgery was scary. I had to learn how to walk all over again. And I had an 18 month old to take care of. I wonder many times why is this happening to me. I just was feeling better after having the baby, depression after having her, and now this. My treatment started in December, and it lasted for 6 months. I had to do two days of chemo with three weeks off, and then 5 days of chemo with three weeks off for six months or so. Read more

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