He tells his story to help raise awareness of this rare cancer.
The only symptoms I had before being diagnosed were shooting pains in my leg, from the knee join down towards my ankle. There were no visible symptoms at all.
A few months after the pain started, I was suffering from severe earache. Whilst I was there, I mentioned to the GP about the pains in my leg. Fortunately, the GP suspected something was not right straight away and sent me for an x-ray and MRI scan of my leg at the local hospital. This was in January 2013. I had the x-ray on 5th February and an MRI scan on 7th March.
I met with an orthopaedic consultant at the local hospital on 26th March and he referred me to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) in Birmingham, where I had an open biopsy in May, and was diagnosed with chordoma in my left lower leg (proximal fibula).
The site of the chordoma was extremely unusual, as the majority of chordomas are found in the skull or the spine.
I has surgery on my leg on 6th June 2013 at ROH, less than six months after my visit to see the GP. During the surgery 10cm of the affected part of the bone was cut out (resected) and my lateral ligament and soft tissues were pinned in place. I was in hospital for three days before I was discharged.
Initially I has regular follow-up appointments at ROH for the first 2-3 months. Then, my follow-up appointments were six monthly, and for the past five years they have been once a year. At each follow-up appointment, my leg would be examined and x-rayed, and an x-ray taken of my chest. I am pleased to say that I was discharged from ROH on 10th August 2023. I have remained positive throughout my experiences and have carried on as normal.
As a result of the surgery, I experienced nerve damage which has resulted in drop-foot, and I must wear a leg brace. This enables me to walk normally with very little discomfort.
My friends and family have supported me all the way and have kept me going. My message to others would be if you are concerned about any pain, don't hesitate to make an appointment to see your GP.
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