My name is Katie, I’m 24 years old and live in the UK. I had been having pain in my knee for about a year, when I got to the point where it was affecting my everyday life and I was walking with a limp I went to my GP, this was January 2004 and he referred me directly to physio without doing any tests or x- rays, I tried that physio for about a year but due to moving house and the exercises not doing a thing I gave up. The pain was still getting worse so yet again I went to my GP who again referred me to physio in August 2005 (yet again without any tests) and was told basically to do the same exercises, which I stuck at for another year but again gave up due to moving house and stuff, plus it was still getting worse not better. Over Christmas 2006 it was getting worse, I could hardly bend it, was very swollen and extremely painful. I went back to my GP who I told I needed this sorting and he agreed to do blood tests to see which department to refer me to at the hospital. A few days later I phoned the hospital and they got me an appointment for the middle of March, a few days later I got a phone call and they said they had prioritised me and could I go next week, I saw the Specialist Physiotherapist and the Rheumatologist who examined me and asked me to go for an x- ray and blood tests and then to go back to see him, he was talking about drainage and biopsy’s, but it wasn’t his expertise and he would refer me to his colleague, A few days later I got a call from the hospital who said they had been ringing all day to try to get me in (this was a Thursday at 16:50) and wanted me in on Monday 5th February 2007 at 9am, they sent me straight for another x- ray of my whole leg and chest (which when questioned was a normality) then I went to see the Orthopedic surgeon who told me I had a malignant tumour in my knee and the best treatment was in Birmingham so they would refer me there to do further tests ASAP. Travelled to Birmingham Thursday 22nd February 2007 and had an MRI scan of my legs, which confirmed it was Osteosarcoma and I would have to have a knee replacement and about half of my thigh bone replaced. I had a biopsy on Wednesday 28th February 2007 to see if the cells were low (benign) or high (cancerous) grade and received a call from Birmingham on Tuesday 6th March 2007 to say the majority of cells found were low grade but some were high grade so I would be admitted to Leeds to start Chemotherapy ASAP!
My journey continues in My Blog!