A student whose persistent knee pain turned out to be a rare bone cancer had her leg amputated in a life-saving operation after her waist suddenly swelled.
Alicia Ortstad, a salad shop worker, began experiencing pain in her left knee in the summer of 2023, when she was 19 — pain she initially didn’t think about but eventually went away. proved to be a “huge wake-up call”.
In late August, the teenager from Uppsala, Sweden, said her leg was swollen to the size of a pétanque ball and she could no longer support her weight.
After doctors initially prescribed him rest and painkillers, an MRI performed in December 2023 revealed a rare and aggressive form of osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, and he was told that amputation was the only option for prevent the disease from spreading.
Supported by her boyfriend, Simon Pettersson, 21, an osteosarcoma amputee, Alicia’s leg was removed in January 2024 and she has since been fitted with a prosthesis.
Now she’s warning others about signs she “completely ignored.”
Alicia Ortstad, (pictured), a salad store employee, began experiencing pain in her left knee in the summer of 2023 – pain she initially didn’t think about, but which ultimately turned out to be a ” huge wake-up call.” In late August, the teenager (pictured right in hospital), from Uppsala, Sweden, said her leg was swollen to the size of a bocce ball and she was unable to bear weight above.
“Now that I look back, there are many signs that I completely ignored that I now know indicated something was wrong with me,” Ms. Ortstad said.
For example, his “dull knee pain” that started 18 months ago turned into excruciating pain within a few months.
Despite this, his complaints were rejected by several doctors in general clinics and hospitals.
“They just told me to rest and prescribed paracetamol,” she recalls.
“But it only got worse.”
She said her requests for an MRI were ignored and instead doctors gave her cortisone shots to manage pain, like a sports injury.
As her knee continued to swell, she began having frequent colds, blue veins on her knee, extreme fatigue, and difficulty concentrating in class.
Then there was significant swelling in the joint, as well as visible blue veins that seemed to be “popping out” of his knee.
Added to this were symptoms that did not appear to be related to his musculoskeletal problems, such as frequent colds, extreme fatigue and difficulty concentrating in class.
“I would fall asleep in the middle of class – that wasn’t my style,” she said.
In December 2023, after months of suffering, Ms. Ortstad finally had an MRI.
The results were devastating: she suffered from osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.
After the operation, she learned to stand up and then walk with crutches. In fact, Ms. Ortstad and her family thought the speed of recovery was a miracle.
Ms Ortstad’s boyfriend of 18 months, Simon Pettersson, is himself a survivor of childhood osteosarcoma, who has lived with an amputation since the age of 10. She said he had been her rock during diagnosis.
“I was in shock, I never thought it would come to this,” she said.
“I kept thinking it was something simple, not cancer.”
Ms Ortstad’s boyfriend of 18 months, Simon Pettersson, is himself a survivor of childhood osteosarcoma, who has lived with an amputation since the age of 10.
She said he had been her rock during diagnosis.
“We found a lot of strength in each other and inspired each other a lot,” Ms. Ortstad said.
“I think it brought us closer together; we understand each person’s challenges and strengths.
“He kept telling me that life doesn’t end there, anything is possible.”
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer and primarily affects children and young adults under the age of 20.
Ortstad said going through such an ordeal in her late teens shaped who she is today.
Persistent bone pain, swelling, and a visible bump on a bone are all telltale signs.
Around 550 new cases of rare bone cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK.
But for many, the survival rate is positive, with around six in ten patients living at least five years from the time of their diagnosis, according to the NHS.
Shortly after her diagnosis, Ms. Ortstad received life-changing news: Amputating her leg would be the only way to cure her of this deadly disease.
“I was in complete shock and I don’t think I really understood the news (of my amputation) at first,” she said.
“I was just happy to finally have an answer and to get rid of the pain and the cancer.”
Ms Ortstad described the post-operative period as the most difficult part, adding: “After the amputation it was a huge change; suddenly, I no longer had a leg.
“The first week was the worst.
“The pain was unbearable, especially from the phantom limb. I could still feel my leg even though it was gone.”
“That was the worst thing, constantly having pain in a limb that’s no longer there.”
After a few days, she learned to stand up and then walk on crutches with the help of a prosthesis. In fact, Ms. Ortstad and her family thought the speed of recovery was a miracle.
However, just a week later, she had to undergo a second surgery to remove a metastasis, the spread of cancer cells from the original tumor to her lungs.
“It was another setback, and I couldn’t walk anymore because of the pain in my upper and lower body, but a week later I was back on track,” he said. she declared.
Ms Ortstad would continue to study in the hospital and at home after her surgery and would graduate in June 2024.
She said going through such an ordeal in her late teens shaped who she is today.
She urges others in her situation to seek professional help as soon as they experience symptoms, adding: “I wish people would educate themselves more about the symptoms, especially pain at rest, because it is very common in cases of osteosarcoma.”
“Some doctors are not very knowledgeable about this rare disease, and I hope they eliminate the possibility of this disease by performing an MRI at the first symptoms.”
Ms. Ortstad has spent the last year recovering and getting used to her new prosthetic leg, and she now posts on TikTok, gaining more than 7.5 million likes for her videos so far.
