Below she tells her story to help others and to raise awareness.
In December 2016, I started to experience a dull ache in my knee. The pain would be intermittent and just occur out of the blue. I remember the Christmas before my diagnosis, I struggled to bend my knee and get down on the floor.
The pain become continuous and started to get worse.
My partner, who is now my fiancé, kept telling me to go to the GP. I felt stupid ringing up and complaining about a sore knee when there are bigger and better things to be worrying about.
In February 2017 I caved in and made my appointment. The GP examined my leg and referred me for physiotherapy and an x-ray at my local hospital, Arrowe Park hospital. 45 minutes after the x-ray was taken, I received a phone call explaining that I needed to go back to my GP for a specialist referral as there was something on the x-ray, but they didn't really know what it was.
Five days later I returned home from college early due to my knee being sore. I went upstairs and as I reached the top of the stairs, my knee became really painful. I sat on the toilet seat to rest, and suddenly felt a popping sensation.
I screamed as the pain was agonising, it felt like fire radiating through my bones.
An ambulance was called, and I was taken back to Arrowe Park Hospital. The paramedics thought I had pulled a muscle and told me to straighten my leg whilst they fitted a leg brace. The pain was excruciating but I was told to just keep using gas and air.
Further x-rays were taken, and it was confirmed that I had broken a knee (a pathological fracture). I was at Arrowe Park for five days before I was transferred to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) in Oswestry. When I arrived there, I was taken to the Montgomery Unit and then transferred upstairs onto the Oswald Ward.
During my first night on the ward, things took a turn for the worst and an anaesthetist was called to give a nerve blocker to try and control my pain. I'll never forget the first night. Pip, who was my nurse, stayed beyond her shift hours just to make sure that I was comfortable and out of pain until my mum could get to me.
I had a biopsy the next day, and seven days later I was diagnosed with a Giant Cell Tumour of the Bone. My surgeon decided that I would have a knee and femur replacement, and it was the best outcome in such an awful situation.
As I have cochlear implants, I was unable to have an MRI to plan the surgery and was told by the surgeon that he would not know the full extent of the damage caused by the tumour until he started operating.
I was warned that the worst-case scenario would be an amputation. This was devestating to hear as a 19-year-old. Fortunately, the surgeon was able to go ahead with the knee and femur replacement.
Following surgery, I was given the all clear, and I'm now six years down the line. I still have annual check-ups at RJAH where they take x-rays of my chest and legs.
Scanxiety is a thing! I always get nervous in the run up to my check-ups, but it reassures me that they're keeping an eye on everything.
I just had my most recent check-up and the x-rays were clear. I was told by the registrar that 99% of patients who have the same surgery struggle with full mobility. I said 1% can have full mobility, and luckily, I am in that 1%.
I was so fortunate to have an amazing support network that surrounded me, which included the Macmillan team at RJAH and my family and friends. The care I received at RJAH was wonderful and I would not be where I am today without them.
If you need peer support, ask your hospital if they have a buddy system.
I am working with the Montgomery Unit to provide support to other patients. Knowing someone who knows exactly how you feel does help. They may not know all the answers to your questions, but they can be a shoulder to lean on.
The only reason why you should look back is to see how far you've come. Be proud of your journey. Life hands us a deck of cards and it's how we deal with those cards that makes the difference. It's hard when you can't see a way out and you don't know how your future looks, but if you have a positive mindset, it really does help.
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