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Angie 37, Female Oklahoma United States: Share

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How do GCTs affect you?

GCT patient

Location of primary tumor:

Left Proximal Tibia

Date of diagnosis of primary tumor:

May 24, 2004

Treatment of primary tumor:

June 2004 - removal of tumor and bone cement filling
May 2005 - removal of soft tissue recurrence above original site
April 2006 - removeal of bone tumor recurrence and bone cement filling
August 2006 - removal of bone tumor recurrence and bone cement filling
September 2006 - removal of bone tumor recurrence and surrounding bone. 1/3 of tibia replaced with titanium endoprosthesis and a total knee replacement

Facility treated at for primary tumor:

Mercy Hospital - Oklahoma Orthopaedic Oncology

Would you recommend this facility and it's Doctors to another GCT patient?

Absolutely! They are fantastic!

Recurrence? If so, where?

4 recurrences, all in the same spot. 3 were in the bone, one was soft tissue above the site.

Date of recurrence:

May 2005, April 2006, August 2006, September 2006

Treatment of recurrence:

4 surgeries
Doctor visits every 3 months for xrays of tibia and lungs while I was having surgeries and recurrences. After being tumor free for 1 year after my big surgery, I am on a 6 month schedule for xrays of my tibia and lungs.

Facility treated at for recurrence:

Mercy Hospital - Oklahoma Orthopaedic Oncology

Would you recommend this facility and it's Doctors to other GCT patients?

Absolutely! They are still fantastic!

Metastasis? If so, where?

Thankfully, no metastasis!

Tumor free?

Happy to say YES!

Current GCT Status:

I do not currently have any tumors. I go back for my 6 month check up in February 2008. After my surgery in September 2006, my leg was immobilized for 7 months and I could not bend my knee. During that time, my quadricep became extremely weak. After I got out of the brace, my knee buckled and I fell and broke my ankle. The break required surgery and 8 weeks of non-weight baring treatment. That set back my initial recovery a bit, but since the fall of 2007 I have been rebuilding my quadricep muscle and walking crutch free. I still limp and have weak muscles in that leg, but I am getting better with each day.

Website:

http://www.myspace.com/gigilaw

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Woo hoo!

Hello all - I am so excited to share some good news. I had my check up today (knee & lung xrays) and I am all clear. No tumors, no recurrences, nothing even remotely weird or suspicious! This is the 1.5 year mark and counting since my replacement surgery. Since summer of 2004, I have never gone this long without a recurrence or a surgery, so I am finally believing that it is really gone :) I still have those moments of terror when I am lying on the xray table, remembering all of the previous… Continue

Posted on February 19, 2008 at 9:44pm — 4 Comments

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At 6:49am on September 3, 2008, Jeanette said…: Hi, Angie. Thanks for asking about Heather. She's busy having pre-op stuff done. I'll fly down to Seattle this Saturday, and then her surgery is Thursday of next week.

Wow, reading through what you've been through sure helps. Congrats on being so long without recurrence. This tumor is so frustrating. I'll be glad when we can post that Heather's been tumor free for a year or two.

I'll post and keep everyone up on how she's doing after her surgery.

Jeanette

At 7:16am on August 30, 2008, Susen said…: Thanks for the response. I have seen the ortho oncologist now. Sounds like my plan of care will be the same as yours. I am scheduled for surgery sept 8th. He says I should be up and going, back at work around 6 weeks. I hope he is right. But I am on my feet for 12 hour shifts so I am not sure. I will keep you updated.

At 9:00am on August 25, 2008, Susen said…: Hi Angie, thanks for the add. I'm glad to see you are tumor free now. That is awesome. I now know that mine is in the same spot that yours was the first time. May I ask you what your initial treatment and recovery was like. I am very anxious for all kinds of reasons. I am worried about pain, recurrence, and about when I will be able to get back to work (RN). Please share if you can.

At 2:18pm on May 31, 2008, Emely said…: Hi Angie,
we shared some emails earlier on. Great to see you doing so well!
I have been so lucky, no recurrence.. After 2 years and rebuilding my quadriceps, I can finally walk and work like normal again. The leg is still a few degrees more bent than the other one but hardly noticeable..
Still got head ghosts scaring me ever now and then, but else all good.
How is your leg after the knee-replacement, are you still experiencing some pain?
Wagner MSM, glucosamine and chondroitin powder is something I really recommend against the aches.

Take care,
xoxo
Emely in Sweden

At 2:03pm on April 1, 2008, Theresa said…: Thank you so much for the well wishes. Surgery was a success now on to the waiting game and all the xrays to make sure the tumor is gone and the graft is taking.