I blamed my sore knee on a drunken injury – then my leg SNAPPED sitting on the sofa and I was left fighting for my life
But after physio failed to sort it out, she realised it was a killer condition hiding in plain sight - one which would see the 27-year-old snap her leg in half while she was sitting on the sofa.
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When Lucy Worthington got knee pain she blamed it on a drunken injury
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
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Months later her leg snapped as she sat on the sofa and she was rushed to hospital
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
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The 27-year-old from Bristol was left fighting for her life - begging doctors to save her
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
Lucy, from Bristol, UK, tells Sun Health: "I started getting pain in my right leg around my knee.
"So I went to my GP who referred me for an X-ray in February, and they told me the X-ray was clear and there was nothing to report.
"I thought I had just gotten drunk and hurt myself falling over.
"As time went on and the pain wasn't going away, I thought what I was told - that it was a
"I do a lot of
When the 'intense' pain did not get better after three physio sessions, the the talent acquisition recruiter went back to the GP who reportedly referred her for an MRI scan at Bristol Royal Infirmary in August 2024.
"The pain started getting worse and I got a lump,' Lucy said.
'It was a big lump that was growing just above my knee, so I went back to my doctor.
"It felt like someone was crushing my knee, or grabbing it and twisting it, it was a very intense horrible pain that no painkillers would help. I was prescribed codeine and morphine and none of it would work.
"I saw the physio three times, the pain wasn't getting any better and the lump kept growing.
The symptoms of sarcoma cancer including tummy pain
"On the third time I saw her, she said 'I'm not happy doing anything else with you until you've had some more imaging', so she urged me to go back to my GP.
"As soon as my GP felt the lump, her face dropped. She realised something was seriously wrong and referred me for an MRI scan.
"I was diagnosed with
There are more than 100 subtypes of
Soft tissue
My mum heard the earth-shattering scream and ran in... At first i thought i just dislocated my knee but i couldn't lift my leg up, it wasn't hanging on to anything.
Lucy Worthington
Bone sarcoma, which is much rarer, starts in the bone, most commonly affecting the legs.
say more than 5,100 people are diagnosed with the disease each year.
"The tumour was 14cm, around the size of a grapefruit," Lucy says.
"It was so scary to be told this all. It sounds silly because you always attribute this to older people, in your 20s it's not something you think about.
'I was Googling my symptoms but I never actually thought it would be cancer.
"I had a gut feeling it might be something serious but I was in shock, it didn't really set in.
'I was told it's likely curable depending on how my body reacts to the
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"I thought I had just gotten drunk and hurt myself falling over," says Lucy
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
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Lucy started to develop a lump above her knee so she went back to the doctor for answers
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
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It turned out the pain in her knee was caused by a tumour which was now breaking out the bone. "The tumour was 14cm, around the size of a grapefruit," says Lucy
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
The symptoms of sarcoma cancer
The most common symptom of soft tissue sarcoma is a lump somewhere on the body.
But this doesn't necessarily mean cancer - there are all sorts of reasons for lumps and swellings, but it must always be checked by a GP.
The lump is usually found deep under the skin and might be felt before it can be seen.
The lump is usually solid to the touch, painless and hard to move around under the skin.
It will continue to grow and as it does, it can become painful.
Other symptoms depend on where in the body the lump is.
These can include:
Tummy pain and constipation if there is a sarcoma near the tummy
A cough that does not go away if there is a sarcoma near the lungs
Source: NHS
But before her treatment could start, in September 2024, things would come to a head when Lucy would snap her leg due to
She says: "Because of the type of cancer, I had no bone density in my femur so I just sat on the sofa and broke my leg.
"I had been to the bathroom and I walked back to the sofa on a walking stick because they told me not to put all my weight on one leg.
"My femur just shattered and it split my tumour in half. The pain was horrific, I broke the strongest bone in the human body.
"My mum heard the earth-shattering scream and ran in, called 999 and the longer the ambulance was taking, the more pain I was in. She called them back and told them I have bone cancer.
"At first i thought i just dislocated my knee but i couldn't lift my leg up, it wasn't hanging on to anything.
At hospital, Lucy feared that she would die 'any minute'.
"I definitely thought I could die - when I broke my leg and was admitted to hospital, me and my family thought I could die any minute, I was really not well.
"They thought they were going to have to
"I had to sign an on-table decision that if he thought it was necessary, he could amputate.
"I went into this surgery not knowing if I would wake up with a leg or not. It was like a scene from Grey's Anatomy. I was crying and telling him he saved my leg.'
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'I was told it's likely curable depending on how my body reacts to the chemo," says Lucy. She is pictured having her hair shaved
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
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Lucy finished her chemotherapy in June and is looking forward to getting her life back on track
Credit: Kennedy News & Media
Thankfully, the surgeon was able to save her leg, but it wasn't plain sailing for Lucy afterwards.
She said: "I kept getting sepsis and wasn't responding to chemo very well so in the beginning it was very worrying.'
But she finished her chemo in June and is 'excited to get her life back on track'.
'I'm feeling amazing, so happy,' she says. 'I'm a bit scared of the scans to come in case it comes back or has gone anywhere else, but now I'm excited to get my life back on track.'
She wants to warn others to take symptoms seriously. Her pain and lump were the only signs, other than
'If the tumour hadn't grown out of the bone it could have been too late,' she says. 'So any aches or pains please get them checked because you never know."
What are the causes of knee pain and when is it serious?
Knee pain can arise from various sources, including injuries, medical conditions, and mechanical issues.
It can usually be treated at home, but you should get help if it's not getting better within a few weeks.
Causes can include:
Sprains and strains
These include ligament tears (e.g., ACL injuries), cartilage tears, fractures, dislocations, and sprains.
You might have pain after overstretching, overusing or twisting, often during exercise. Or, your knee is unstable or gives way when you try to stand, you are unable to straighten or heard a 'pop' during injury.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis is when a tendon in the knee becomes inflamed, causing pain usually between your kneecap and shin. It is often caused by repetitive running or jumping.
Arthritis
Some medical conditions can cause pain without obvious injury. Arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis) causes pain and stiffness in the knees that can make it difficult to move or walk.
There may also be swelling.
Gout
Gout causes pain and skin that is hot and red. The attacks are sudden and cause very bad pain.
When to Worry:
You should consult a healthcare professional if you experience:
Anything urgent: Severe pain, inability to bear weight, joint deformity, a sudden "popping" sound, sudden swelling, or signs of infection (e.g., redness, warmth, fever).
Persistent issues: Pain that disrupts daily life or sleep, reduced range of motion, knee instability, locking sensations, or persistent swelling, numbness, or worsening symptoms over time.
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The Irish Sun
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Advertisement "For sarcoma that's relatively fast - people wait years for a diagnosis and by that stage it's too late. "I remember lying there in silence in the bath one night. I turned off the taps and it was just quiet. There was no noise - I didn't put any music on. "I remember just saying 'please don't let me die, please don't let me die'. "At the time the chemo wasn't attacking the tumour, it wasn't getting smaller and it wasn't getting bigger, so they decided that surgery would be the best option." Advertisement On November 30 2023, Sara underwent surgery to have the tumour removed, along with her right eye. Sara said: "At the time I didn't care that my eye was going to be removed, I just wanted rid of the cancer. "I just needed it to be gone. "My son was two at the time so to see me one day with two eyes and then the next day with one was probably quite difficult for him, but he managed it extremely well. Advertisement "I'm very lucky, I've had my son, my husband Andrew, and my mum Mary, who's a nurse - if it wasn't for her then it would have been so much more difficult." 'INDESCRIBABLE RELIEF' Sara says that being there to see her son Michael McGarvey, now aged four, grow up was her main concern and she was 'overjoyed' when she was given the all-clear in May 2024. Sara said: "I can't even describe it. It's indescribable relief. "I think for me a lot of my fear and anxiety was around Michael. Advertisement "When I was first diagnosed, my head went to protecting him and making sure that he was impacted as little as possible by what was going to happen next. "The fact that I could just go home and hug him and kiss him and play with him and be happy and healthy and watch him grow up and go to primary school. "These are all of the things that for a period of time I didn't think I was going to be able to do. "I was overjoyed, I was excited about what the future held." Advertisement 'SAVING HER LIFE' Sara credits her colleagues with 'saving her life' - and each year on the anniversary of a diagnosis she thanks them over text for pushing her to go for the check-up. Sara said: "If my friends at work didn't make me go to be seen [at the eye clinic] things could have been so different. "The sarcoma had the potential to grow very quickly and spread very quickly and if it wasn't caught when it was caught, the outcome would have been very much worse. "Every year on the anniversary of my diagnosis I text them to say thank you. Advertisement "They did absolutely save my life, 100 per cent, it was massive." WHAT IS UNDIFFERENTIATED ROUND CELL SOFT TISSUE SARCOMA? Undifferentiated round cell soft tissue sarcoma is an extremely rare form of sarcoma. It can start almost anywhere inside the soft tissue of the body including muscles, fat, blood vessels, ligaments and tendons. The most common symptom is a lump somewhere on your body which is usually solid to the touch, painless and hard to move around under the skin. Soft tissue sarcomas are usually treated using surgery and radiotherapy. Sara, who is now in the process of seeing a specialist doctor to have a prosthetic eye fitted, is encouraging anyone else who finds a lump to go to their doctor. Sara said: "When I had the surgery to remove it I didn't want Michael to be afraid of how I looked. "They used the top eyelid to close it over but then in February it started to open, which is why I now have a big hole. Advertisement "I have my first plastics appointment next week. "Initially I was told I might not be eligible for a prosthetic but the consultant thinks they can make me one, which is exciting. "Michael starts primary school this year in September so being able to look normal for him going to school is something I'm really, really excited about. "If anyone has a lump I'd say see a doctor straight away. Don't wait because I would have waited and then it could have been so much worse." Advertisement 4 Sara is now in the process of seeing a specialist doctor to have a prosthetic eye fitted Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media 4 The cancer pushed her eye out of the socket Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media
