Discovering I had bone cancer when I was only 12 forced me to mature very quickly. Doctors found a growth about the size of an orange in my pelvis, after a pain in my left leg got really bad over the summer of 2014.
The diagnosis was osteosarcoma. Surgery is usually a part of the treatment. But because the tumor was so close to some vital nerves, almost every doctor my parents consulted recommended amputation. If I’d stayed in...
Losing bone density is common as you age, when cells that help rebuild bones aren’t replaced as quickly. Because of this, your bones may become...
I’ve been an educator for 16 years and a high school librarian for eight. I teach kids how to do research, so I know how to find stuff online...
Although it's been 18 years, I still clearly remember how scared my family was when I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in my right femur at age 18. Looking back, I believe my youth and lack of understanding surrounding cancer kept my own anxiety in check. I’d noticed the bump above my knee but didn’t think much of it at the time. A family friend, who happened to be an orthopaedic surgeon, urged me to get an X-ray. After examining the...
Cancer doesn’t run in my family or my husband’s. Only one of my ancestors had it: my paternal grandmother died of lung cancer when I was 11...
In 2016, osteosarcoma was the last thing on my mind. I was a typical and active high-school junior playing sports and hanging out with my...
In early 2009, Hilary McQuiston-Fall was enjoying an active lifestyle full of outdoor activities in San Francisco, California. But when the...
After losing most of my right leg at age 14 in November 2010 due to osteosarcoma, it was really hard for me to give up gymnastics. It had...
If you — or your child — were diagnosed with cancer, what would you do? How would you handle the treatments and the side effects? How would...
Many cancer patients have mantras — or inspiring sayings — that they do their best to live by. Some are reminders that good things can come...