Her advice to others is to stay positive and focus on what you can do, not on what you have lost.
My symptoms started off with pain in my right leg, just below my knee. This was in November 2019. The pain was continuous and much worse at night. I then started to experience other symptoms like loss of appetite, losing weight, sickness, night sweats, and fatigue.
I was so exhausted I would have to go back to bed when I got in from school.
I had been suffering with these symptoms for about four months when my mum spotted the lump on my leg and took me to the local minor injuries unit. When I look back, I think the reason I did not ask for help sooner was because I was scared. I had a feeling that something wasn't quite right.
I was given an x-ray at the minor injuries unit, and following this I was told that I either had an injury that had not healed or a bone tumour. The next day I went to my GP who said to me:
You're young, you're fine. I can't imagine there is anything wrong with you.
We insisted that something was not right, so I was sent straight to my local hospital (Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth) where they were able to access the x-ray taken at the minor injuries unit. It was then I was told that I had a bone tumour.
I had an MRI and bloods taken at Queen Alexandra Hospital, and then a couple of weeks later I went to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore where I had a full body MRI and a biopsy. I then went to Universal Hospital, Southampton where I started MAP chemotherapy (methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin).
I was told at the beginning of my treatment that I may need an amputation, given the size and location of my tumour. I was given the option of limb salvage surgery, where my affected bone would be replaced with a metal implant, but I chose an amputation.
On 1st June 2020, after two cycles of chemotherapy, I had an above-the-knee amputation. I was 14 years old.
After my operation I had a further four cycles of chemotherapy and finished this in November 2020, followed by immunotherapy (mifamurtide) for six months.
I was given the all-clear in March 2021 but I still have six monthly follow-up appointments with my oncologist at University Hospital Southampton. I also visit the prosthetic rehabilitation unit at Stanmore every six months. I pretty much use my prosthetic leg all day, every day. In the beginning I struggled to walk again but am much more confident now.
Losing my leg was tough because I was a very sporty person, so coming to terms with the amputation was difficult. But now I use my disability as a strength.
What I have been through has made me change my attitude towards my life. Before my diagnosis I had bad social anxiety and was always worried about what people would think of me, but now I have much more confidence and I care less about what people think.
Going through treatment and being told I needed most of my leg amputated a couple of weeks before I had my surgery has shown me that I can do much more than I ever thought I was capable of. I had a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and I chose to go skydiving! It was totally out of my comfort zone but it was something I always wanted to do. It was an amazing experience and I would definitely do it again.
I became a very positive person during my treatment which gave me a lot of strength at the time. I would say to always have hope and never let this disease take away who you are. Focus on what you can do, and not on what you have lost.
It's so important to raise awareness of bone cancer as early diagnosis reduces the risk of complications, such as the disease spreading around the body and the loss of limbs.
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