Julia’s Story

Osteosarcoma at the Humerus
Age at Diagnosis: 20
Year of Diagnosis: 1982
Location: South Dakota, USA

Diagnosis: In late 1981, I was working in a nursing home as an aide. I also had two small children at home and a marriage on the rocks. When I started to experience pain in my arm I assumed I’d strained a muscle and life goes on. As the pain became greater, I limited my activities.

The kids were not picked up as much, driving was difficult at best, and I requested-and was granted-second floor duty and grave yard shift at work where the patients were more ambulatory and self sufficient. My brother picked me up in early October, 1982 and we went to my sister’s house to help her move a dresser. As I lifted my end, I couldn’t suppress a groan. My brother insisted on a visit to the doctor or I was walking home.

My small town GP took an X-ray, and sent me to a larger city hospital the following day. The ortho I saw ordered a biopsy, which was performed October 28th. He told me he would look at the bone, and if he didn’t know what he was getting into, he’d either just close and send me elsewhere or remove the bone. He did neither. Instead, he took bone fragments and actually scraped marrow to be sent to the lab for diagnosis. I can’t tell you how angry this still makes me. Anyway, the lab here couldn’t make a diagnosis & sent the samples to Minneapolis. Finally on November 19, 1982 I got a call. Osteosarcoma.

Treatment: Treatment started the very next week, as time was of the essence. The doctor’s at the U of MN were the best available to me, and they literally saved my life. One young resident was very egotistical, as all of the surgeons seemed. The oncologist was a regular Joe, very interested in me as a whole. I love him! I was given four weeks of Methotrexate, followed by a surgery to remove the bone & tissue. What followed was a complete right arm amputation at the shoulder, which was completely unprepared for, and totally unexpected. Okay, I’m 20 years old, separated, two small children, and my life on the line. Unfortunately for me, they cut my leg from knee to ankle in preparation to harvest my fibula to use in my arm.

My surgeon woke me after nine hours trying unsuccessfully to graft the bone from my leg into my arm in surgery and told me himself. That smug young resident (remember the egotistical one) waited by my bedside for me to awaken enough to tell me how sorry he was that they couldn’t save my arm, but my life was more important. So much for judgments. He also said that they couldn’t save my arm because the doctor who performed the biopsy caused all of the tissue to be infused with cancer cells after scraping and mulling about in there. That was December 22nd, 1982. My oncologist told me I’d be in hospital at least two weeks, but my sister was coming for Christmas. He said BFD, and I said I’d go home for Christmas. In order to do so, I had to walk & take care of myself, and I did just that. I walked onto the plane, but had to be carried off. Four weeks after surgery, I was treated with Cysplatin, Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Leukovorin, and what seems a plethora of other drugs and medications.

Recovery: I was not receptive to any type of therapy, and have never received any training or prosthesis, although I highly recommend one to any amputee. I’ve experienced too much pain and posture problems from the lack of balance and weight on my right side, which would have been alleviated by the prosthesis.

Life Now: Of course there have been many obstacles in the almost 23 years since my amputation and treatment, but I have a rewarding career as an executive assistant and office manger in the transportation industry, and now have three grown children (one since treatment) and a new granddaughter, who lights up my life.

Thoughts and Hints for New Patients: Go with your gut, have faith in your doctors. If you don’t, find new doctors. Have faith in yourself, and never contemplate the negative. Please post a comment if you’d like to get in touch with me with questions or just to talk. The funny thing about all this is the treatment hasn’t changed much over the years, but “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. I’m living proof.