Type of Sarcoma: Synovial sarcoma
Date of Diagnosis: September 2017
Location: Foot
I lived a really typical life before my sarcoma diagnosis. I was married to my high school sweetheart and after a few married years, we got pregnant with our child, Francesca. In 2017, after giving birth, my sarcoma journey began.
I had very little symptoms prior to being diagnosed. I had a small bump (around the size of a dime) on my left foot. I had that for around 6 years and that bump did not move or change in size. If something directly touched the bump it would hurt for a few seconds but then it would dissipate. Everything started to change when I got pregnant. The bump started to grow rapidly, and it become more painful. It got to the point where I could only wear sandals to be comfortable when going out. I was repeatedly told by doctors that it was simply a cyst.
After giving birth, I found a podiatrist who took my foot bump seriously. I had a surgery to remove the “cyst.” A week after my surgery, I received a call from my podiatrist to come into the office to discuss my test results. He broke the news that it was cancer and not a cyst. He even told me before surgery that he was 99% sure it was a cyst. However, he submitted an order to get a CT of my chest to see if it had spread. He also had set me up with an orthopedic surgeon who was super well versed in sarcoma. Once I met with the surgeon, he introduced me to my oncologist. From the time I was diagnosed to starting chemo it was less than 3 weeks.
I did 6 rounds of chemo and had a below the knee amputation. In 2021, I relapsed and had two lung surgeries. In 2022, I relapsed again and did 2 more lung surgeries and radiation to my left lung. In the beginning of 2023, I had radiation to my right hip. I then started 6 more rounds of chemo. I had a few months off and then started a new chemo regimen towards the end of 2023. In 2024, I switched routes and did more radiation to my left lung. Currently I am a months out of radiation and continue to have PET scans to monitor my disease.
I have had a LOT of frustrating moments. It was so hard to muster up the mental strength to go into chemo round after chemo round. I would finally get myself out of the chemo haze to walk back into the infusion center to go through the whole process again. Cancer is more of a mind game than a physical game at most points. On the physical side of treatment, I was surprised how well side effects were managed. I am not saying I felt great during chemo, actually quite the contrary, but it wasn’t as horrific as I have seen depicted in movies.
During my treatment, my sister-in-law would come over and cook me dinner and clean up the living room/kitchen. It was something so simple but one of the most thoughtful things I could have asked for!
I encourage any to advocate harder for yourself. If something feels wrong in your body, it’s probably a sign something IS wrong.
