Osteosarcoma at 26

cvillegas

I am 26 and was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in December 2002. I just finished my pre-op chemo and will have limb salvage surgery in two days for a total hip replacement and partial femur resection. My protocol calls for 15 cycles of chemo after my surgery. I'd love to hear from anyone willing to share their experiences about how to survive this cancer.

ibeattheodds

I am 13 turning 14 tomorrow I can say it is vryveryvery hard. I can also say been there done that and got the scar instead of the shirt.

beautiful20

I was dx with osteo when I was 15. I'm now 20 and cancer free. I also had limb salvage surgery. I would love to talk with you about your experience. write me at ringpopstj@hotmail.com

sml536

Dear cvillegas: My son had osteosarcoma at 13 in his upper arm and then again at 20 in his pelvis. He also had limb-salvage surgery both times. This last time in his pelvis was alot harder because of the length of time he was laid up because of the extensive procedure. He had the left half of his pelvis removed and his hip and upper femur and all were replaced with cadaver bones. It has been 2 years now and he is doing fantastic! Just try and take one day at a time. If you look too far down the road, it is too overwhelming to deal with. Let people around you help you as much as they want to. And just never, ever give up hope to a good recovery. Write to me if you have any other questions. Sml536@aol.com

rwebb

cvillegas, I was diagnosed with spindle-cell sarcoma (treated as osteo) in 1991 and received treatement at UVa. I would like to share experiences in more detail so feel free to e-mail me. My user id on this site is rwebb (see the webpage).

mdw67

sml536 said:

Dear cvillegas: My son had osteosarcoma at 13 in his upper arm and then again at 20 in his pelvis. He also had limb-salvage surgery both times. This last time in his pelvis was alot harder because of the length of time he was laid up because of the extensive procedure. He had the left half of his pelvis removed and his hip and upper femur and all were replaced with cadaver bones. It has been 2 years now and he is doing fantastic! Just try and take one day at a time. If you look too far down the road, it is too overwhelming to deal with. Let people around you help you as much as they want to. And just never, ever give up hope to a good recovery. Write to me if you have any other questions. Sml536@aol.com

Hello ya'll, I was diagnosised with osteosarcoma of the right pelvis in Oct 2001. I went through 3 months of chemo, then had an internal hemipelvectomy done in July 2002. It is now August 2003 and I am just now learning to walk without the pelvis on the right side. I am just now learning how to deal with it all. I have now started looking at everything and starting my life over. I worked in the medical profession for 15 years as a Medical Assistant, now I have to do something else.I went through Andimycin, C-splatin and Methatrexate chemo. I would be more than happy to speak with anyone about my experience or be there just to listen. misti0220@netzero.com

Survivor2001

Hi! I was diagnosed with bone cancer in December 2000. I was 21! It was the worst news I had ever gotten. I had a total Knee Replacement. The tumor had eaten a hole in my bone right above my knee. I had to spend a week each month, for ten months in the hospital to recieve the type of chemo I was getting. It'a been a little over 2 years now and I'm waiting now and praying that it doesn't come back. I feel for you. I hope everything goes well and if you want someone to talk to I'm here. MaryMc1979@yahoo.com

char1970

hi cvilleas: I am new to this website and saw your message. I was diagnosed in May 1996 at 25 with osteosarcoma of my right femur. I have had several surgeries, femur and patella replaced, total knee, and in 2/04 a revision to my total knee. But I'm still kicking. It's been a long battle but I won. I've been in remission for 7 years now. I'm curios how you are doing? How'd your limb salvage surgery go? Are you done with chemo? Let me know if you have any questions or just want chat. I'd love to hear from you. write me at char1970@nycap.rr.com

cathystelz

mdw67 said:

Hello ya'll, I was diagnosised with osteosarcoma of the right pelvis in Oct 2001. I went through 3 months of chemo, then had an internal hemipelvectomy done in July 2002. It is now August 2003 and I am just now learning to walk without the pelvis on the right side. I am just now learning how to deal with it all. I have now started looking at everything and starting my life over. I worked in the medical profession for 15 years as a Medical Assistant, now I have to do something else.I went through Andimycin, C-splatin and Methatrexate chemo. I would be more than happy to speak with anyone about my experience or be there just to listen. misti0220@netzero.com

Dear mdw67
Your story sounds almost exactly as my own. I had my internal hemipelvectomy on Feb. 2004 with before and after chemo. I am just now trying to walk on the walker and have been told my leg is already 2" shorter. I still spend a lot of time in the wheelchair, but mostly because of the anemia from chemo. I too am in the medical field as an RN, but was completely ignorant to this cancer. I also was very sick during the whole last year and unable really to participate in my care or decisions. Now that I am 6 weeks post chemo, in remission, and thinking a little clearer, the gavity of what I had done is now hitting me emotionally. I realize it will take a long time to fully recover. Would love to hear fom you. Sincerely, Cathy Stelzleni (cathystelz@aol.com)

marysorens

Survivor2001 said:

Hi! I was diagnosed with bone cancer in December 2000. I was 21! It was the worst news I had ever gotten. I had a total Knee Replacement. The tumor had eaten a hole in my bone right above my knee. I had to spend a week each month, for ten months in the hospital to recieve the type of chemo I was getting. It'a been a little over 2 years now and I'm waiting now and praying that it doesn't come back. I feel for you. I hope everything goes well and if you want someone to talk to I'm here. MaryMc1979@yahoo.com

Hi everyone, I was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma when I was 28. I started a website for adult bone cancer survivors...please stop by and share your story or join the support group. The address is http://abcsurvivors.net

Take care,
Mary

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