"You CAN have a prosthetic leg that sparkles. You CAN love your body. You CAN show up."

Alice’s Story

Hi, my name is Alice, and my cancer journey began in 2017 when I was 29 years old. In February of that year I gave birth to the most beautiful little boy, Bertie. He was perfect, and my husband and I were so happy.

We were also exhausted , of course, and I had a number of post-natal aches and pains, with my knee seeming to suffer the most. I remember very vividly running to Bertie’s first Aqua Babies lesson and it starting to hurt, just a little. I thought nothing of it, but it slowly became more troublesome and I struggled with kneeling to change nappies. I was huge during my pregnancy, and Bertie was a very big baby for my usually petite frame, so I figured this must really have taken its toll on my joints. I went to see a physio, who gave me some exercises to help strengthen my muscles.

It was only when my knee started to buckle that I went to the GP, who referred me for an MRI. I had put this off a few times as the wait for a non-urgent appointment was so long, and I really didn’t think a muscular problem was something that warranted a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, before I had the scan, my knee suddenly gave way when walking down some steps. There was an awful snapping noise, and next thing I knew, I was on the floor and unable to stand up. That day was the last time I walked on two legs.

I visited A&E where I had an x-ray, and was told that it looked like I had ruptured my patella tendon. Thankfully I was able to arrange for a scan privately, and was seen the next day for an MRI. I was told that it wasn’t good news, there was a growth in my femur and it had broken through the bone. I remember my husband crying and I recall myself telling him and the consultant to cheer up. The consultant told me months later that a patient had never said that to him before!

From there I was referred for biopsies which confirmed Osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer which mostly affects children and young adults whose bones are still growing. It had also spread to my lungs. My treatment would be major reconstructive surgery and an aggressive chemotherapy regime.

The treatment was horrendous, I spent 3 weeks out of every 5 overnight on the ward at The Christie receiving the chemo, and in my 2 weeks off I usually landed back in hospital with sepsis. I missed my baby so much, but I knew I was doing it for him. Despite the chemo being incredibly strong, the tumour in my leg was too advanced, and the only surgical option to remove it was an above knee amputation. I had my leg amputated the week that Bertie turned 1, and we learnt to take our first steps together. We’ve been muddling through life ever since, and have had many highs and lows – mostly highs; though parenting through the terrible twos on one leg was no breeze! He’s starting school in September and I will be bursting with pride on that first day and so grateful that I will be there to see it.

Primary bone cancer is rare – only around 550 people a year in the UK receive a diagnosis. For that reason, it can feel very lonely, and hard to know where to look for a glimpse of life after treatment.  For those who are just about to start their treatment, particularly those undergoing an amputation like myself, I want to show you that you CAN adapt. You CAN walk. You CAN wear nice clothes. You CAN have a prosthetic leg that sparkles. You CAN love your body. You CAN show up. And I can’t wait to take part in Maggie’s on the Runway and do all of those things at once. Life may no longer be ordinary, but it can be extraordinary.