Liz’s Story

The doctors knew it was a secondary tumor on Liz’s hip but couldn’t pinpoint where it had come from.

LizIn May 2011 I was diagnosed with follicular thyroid cancer. I had had a pain in my left hip for some time but thought it was just an age thing. I eventually had an x-ray which showed up something on the roof of my hip. I work at the local surgery and was shocked when my doctor told me that I needed to be admitted to hospital straight away and I was not to put any weight on my left side at all.

I spent two weeks in my local hospital and had every test and scan imaginable. The doctors knew it was a secondary tumour on my hip but couldn’t pinpoint where it had come from. I had a biopsy and the results were that I had thyroid cancer and the tumour had come from there.

I had my thyroid gland removed in August 2011 followed by some radio active iodine treatment. I was then referred to The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in London to sort my hip out .It took until January 2012 to have the tumour removed in ROH in Stanmore.

The operation was a success, the tumour removed and the area packed with cement. I could not thank the staff at Stanmore enough for the treatment I had. I had walked with crutches for almost a year so I had to learn to walk again unaided which was difficult but with determination and the wonderful support of my family and work colleagues I got there.

I had three weeks of radiotherapy in July 2012 and have had some more radio active iodine treatment since then. The plan is to keep up with the iodine treatment every six months until the cells have gone. Everyone at my local hospital has been excellent. I could not have wished for better care.

I have been back to work for a year now which is good. I cannot walk as far as I did before my illness due to the operation on my hip but in 2011I never thought I would walk again and now I can.

Liz Johnson
June 2013