Mum diagnosed with a ‘one in a million’ tumour after her knee bones shattered
When activities coordinator Bethany Eason first started experiencing knee pain at the age of 19 she thought nothing of it.
As the pain continued to worsen she sought help from her GP who referred her for an x-ray and physiotherapy.
An X-ray confirmed there was “something there” but that doctors were unsure what the issue was.
But after returning from college one day Bethany, now 26, experienced severe pain while walking upstairs to get to her bedroom.
She sat down on the seat of the toilet to rest and as she did, her knee shattered.
“I had pain in my knee on and off intermittently but being 19 I was blasé and thought it would be fine,” said Bethany.
“It would get worse, then would go back to normal, then get worse again.
“I went to college one day, came home and my knee was sore when I got upstairs, so I sat down on the toilet seat, and it just shattered.
“I felt this immense pain and it was almost like a pop, it was really traumatic.”
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Her partner called an ambulance which took her to Arrowe Park hospital.
“I was transferred to The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital in Oswestry and had a really traumatic first night – they think my knee shattered again during the transfer,” Bethany said.
A biopsy confirmed the spontaneous fracture was caused by a giant cell tumour in her knee, which had weakened the bones and surrounding soft tissue.
Giant cell tumours are non-cancerous tumours typically found in long bones such as in the arms and legs. They affect around one in one million people.
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Although they are beginning they can grow aggressively and damage the affected bone, as well as spread to the soft tissue around it. In some cases they can become cancerous.
Bethany had to have her knee and thigh bone removed and replaced and was told she’d never wear heels, and probably never regain full mobility.
However, after seven weeks of intensive physio and nearly a year of strengthening and home exercises she did both.
She said: “I was heartbroken – I used to dance, run and swim and thought I would never be able to do those things again.
“At that moment in time you don’t see a way out – I was told when I had surgery that 99 percent of patients wouldn’t have full mobility after surgery.
“I said well, one percent can and I can be that one percent and prove you wrong and I did.
“I didn’t know what my life was going to look like, now I can do all those things they thought I wouldn’t be able to – I can kneel and run after my little boy.”
According to charity Sarcoma UK, common signs and symptoms of a giant cell tumour include:
- Pain
- Swelling around the tumour
- Fractures in the bone caused by bone weakness
- Restricted movement.
If you experience any symptoms you should speak to your GP.
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