She shares her story to offer hope to other young people facing primary bone cancer.
Prior to my diagnosis, I was 22 years old — working in marketing full-time, going on city breaks with my friends, and enjoying long walks.
I was like every other person in their early twenties balancing work with fun. My career was just getting started.
In late 2023, I noticed my hip would ache after long walks. I assumed that I'd just overdone it, but soon I started to experience pain after short 20-minute runs. I blamed this on not stretching properly. Around the same time, I began losing weight, but I didn't think much of it as my weight always fluctuated.
When my digestive issues started, I wondered if I might be gluten intolerant or even coeliac. I visited my GP in March 2024, voiced my concerns, and explained that something didn't feel right. My doctor ordered a blood test.
Looking back, the results should've raised questions, but my GP said everything was fine. One key indicator was my ESR levels. For women, a normal reading is between 0 - 10; mine was 21. No one raised the alarm.
In the following months, I struggled with food and tried to stick to a plant-based diet. I was still in pain, but working from home meant that I wasn't walking much.
In October 2024, I went to Poland with my friends. On the final day, we were queuing at passport control in Stansted Airport for one hour. I was struggling to stand because the pain in my hip was so intense.
I thought to myself: I recognise this feeling.
A few days later, I tried yoga for the first time. When laying on my left side, the pain was excruciating. I noticed that my left leg was visibly larger than my right.
I knew I needed to get this checked.
That weekend, in November 2024, I went to A&E. Initially, I was told that I didn't look unwell enough to be prioritised. Thankfully, one of the nurses insisted that I was seen by someone with orthopaedic experience.
Upon examination of my lump, the doctor suspected bursitis. But when he pressed on it, I was in excruciating pain. They sent me for a blood test followed by an x-ray. By this point, it was 2am.
My phone rang at 7am the next morning, just five hours after the scan. That's when I knew it was serious.
I was sent for an MRI under the two-week wait policy, from which I had to wait another two weeks for the results. I was then referred to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore, where I was told I had a tumour that was likely benign.
My surgical consultation wasn't scheduled until February 2025, but the tumour was growing quickly and so was the pain. Thankfully, I was given a cancellation slot in December around my 23rd birthday.
During the consultation, the doctor told me they suspected the tumour had undergone malignant transformation (turned cancerous), but they wouldn't know for definite until the biopsy.
My surgery was booked for January 2025, delayed for a few weeks whilst a custom tool was made. In the end, the tumour grew too large to use it.
On 14th February 2025, I was given my biopsy results: grade one chondrosarcoma.
I felt a mix of emotions. Most patients would receive their cancer diagnosis and then have treatment and become cancer-free. For me, I knew they had their suspicions, but I was told that I had cancer and now it's gone.
I was in hospital for three weeks after my operation. My mum was my rock during this time and didn't leave my side. Slowly, with the help of the nurses, I began to get back on my feet.
After leaving hospital, I was in a wheelchair for around a month. By May 2024, I was down to one crutch. My full recovery is two years, which came as a shock.
As soon as my doctor gave me my fit-to-fly, I booked two holidays in two weeks! I went to Morocco and Barcelona with my crutches in tow. I couldn't wait to get out of the country and get back to doing what I loved.
Raising awareness is so important, especially amongst young people. If I chose to ignore my pain, I could've lost my leg. I'm grateful that I went to A&E when I did and continued to push for answers.
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