Terminal cancer gave me a broken back, says Chris Hoy
Sir Chris Hoy has revealed that he suffered a broken back as a result of his terminal cancer.
The six-time Olympic track cycling champion announced last year that he is dying from prostate cancer, adding that he had two to four years to live.
He said he suffered a spinal fracture because of secondary tumours spreading throughout his body.
The 48-year-old's doctors told him he could not lift up his young daughter, Chloe, because of the break.
Sir Chris said being told he could not pick up his child was 'horrendous' and that was the moment he felt like his diagnosis was 'really impacting my life'.
Doctors were ultimately able to fix his fractured vertebrae using a 'cement-like' material, he said.
Speaking to the Mid Point podcast, Hoy said: 'When I had the first diagnosis and scans, some of the secondary tumours in my spine had actually burrowed into the bone so badly it had fractured.
'When they saw it on the scan they were like 'we're going to have to be really careful here, you can't do any lifting, you can't pick up your kids, you can't do anything'.
'Being told not to pick up your six-year-old daughter, that was like, 'right, this is really impacting my life'.
'So I had some injections. They basically drill into your vertebrae, squirt this cement material in and it sets and it fuses and it makes the vertebrae as good as new again. So I'm back to lifting weights again.
'As soon as you're told this might be taken away from you, or it has been taken away, you suddenly appreciate everything, the basic things. It's like losing your wallet, when you find it... you're not in a net gain situation but you're so grateful for it.
'The thought of not being able to pick up your child, the thought of that not being a possibility was horrendous, and then for now I'm doing OK.'
When cancer cells spread they can cause bones to break as part of a process known as bone metastases. The spine is the most common site for bone metastasis but other common areas are the pelvis, upper leg bone, ribs and the skull, according to the American Cancer Society.
Sir Chris has been praised for discussing the challenges he has faced in living with the disease.
Last October, Prof Peter Johnson, the NHS clinical director for cancer progression, said the athlete's willingness to talk about his experience 'could save lives' by encouraging people to come forward if they spot symptoms.
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