FAQs

What was your cancer diagnosis?

Ewing’s sarcoma in my right femur.

How old were you when you were diagnosed?

8; I turned 9 during chemotherapy.

Where were you treated?

My main treatment centre was the John Radcliffe in Oxford, UK. I had my leg surgeries at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, and my local hospital (where I was isolated and had all my routine appointments) was Wexham Park Hospital in Slough.

What treatment did you have?

I had 6 rounds of chemotherapy, then a total distal knee replacement, then a further 6 rounds of chemotherapy. My critical oncological treatment lasted a total of one year. I then had over a dozen surgeries on my legs as aftercare for my knee replacement. I had these surgeries every year or so for 10 years in total.

What surgeries did you have?

In chronological order (brace yourself):

April 2005 – Biopsy

April 2005 – Hickman line placement

September 2005 – Knee replacement

Spring 2006 – Hickman line retraction

2007 – 2010 – Lengthening procedures on knee replacement prosthesis every year or so

2011 – Removal of growth plates in knee and ankle of left leg

July 2012 – Illazrov frame fitted

December 2012 – Illazrov frame removed