I am very pleased to recount the history and treatment of my leg tumor in the hope that it will give help and hope to others faced with similar afflictions.
In 1990, at age 67, I was presented with a huge swelling over my left hip area. A biopsy
revealed it to be a low-grade malignancy. Dr. Lewis performed a wide resection of the tumor. Recovery was swift and functioning restored to normal.
In 1997, seven years later, I had a recurrent ossifying fibromyxoid tumor. With the diagnosis, the pathologist sent a letter to my friend recommending a surgeon he would use if he had that diagnosis, Professor Samuel Kenan, who was then at the Hospital for Joint Diseases.
Professor Kenan revealed that the tumor had invaded much of the upper leg including major muscles and the femur. My fears that I would lose my left leg were put to rest by Professor Kenan. While he could not replace the muscles, Professor Kenan said, a titanium prosthesis would replace my femur. In my case, because of the extensive muscle loss, I should use a cane or a forearm crutch to support my leg. With that you will walk very well, he told me.
Today, seven years later, I use a forearm crutch and walk very well. I just spent seven days walking the streets of Amsterdam, almost keeping up with my wife, a vigorous athletic woman and a mean walker. I am a serious gardener and builder of stone walls. Thanks to Professor Kenan’s dedication and devotion, I had my life back. I have made a number of small adaptations but nothing that has diminished the quality of my life. I am just a few weeks short of my eighty-second birthday. It is my hope that the prosthesis lasts another eighteen years. If not, Professor Kenan, you will have to replace it for me.
I am very pleased to recount the history and treatment of my leg tumor in the hope that it will give help and hope to others faced with similar afflictions.
In 1997, seven years later, I had a recurrent ossifying fibromyxoid tumor. With the diagnosis, the pathologist sent a letter to my friend recommending a surgeon he would use if he had that diagnosis, Professor Samuel Kenan, who was then at the Hospital for Joint Diseases.
Today, seven years later, I use a forearm crutch and walk very well. I just spent seven days walking the streets of Amsterdam, almost keeping up with my wife, a vigorous athletic woman and a mean walker. I am a serious gardener and builder of stone walls. Thanks to Professor Kenan’s dedication and devotion, I had my life back. I have made a number of small adaptations but nothing that has diminished the quality of my life. I am just a few weeks short of my eighty-second birthday. It is my hope that the prosthesis lasts another eighteen years. If not, Professor Kenan, you will have to replace it for me.