A MUM was diagnosed with a "one in a million" tumour after she sat on the toilet and her knee bones shattered.
Bethany Eason, 26, was in agony while walking up the stairs to her bedroom so perched on the loo seat to rest.
As she did this, she suffered a spontaneous breakage.
In hospital, a biopsy confirmed this was caused by a giant cell tumour which had weakened the bones and surrounding soft tissue.
Bethany, from the Wirral, Merseyside, had to have her knee and thigh bone replaced.
Doctors also told her she'd never wear heels, and probably never regain full mobility.
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But after seven weeks of intensive physio and nearly a year of strengthening and home exercises, she did both.
Bethany, an activities coordinator, is now urging others to take aches and pains – a symptom of giant cell tumours – seriously.
She said: "I had pain in my knee on and off intermittently but being 19 I was blasé and thought it would be fine.
"It would get worse, then would go back to normal, then get worse again.
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"I went to college one day, came home and my knee was sore when I got upstairs, so I sat down on the toilet seat, and it just shattered.
"I felt this immense pain and it was almost like a pop, it was really traumatic.
"My partner called an ambulance which took ages to come and I went to Arrowe Park hospital."
Thankfully, after treatment at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, she has made a full recovery.
Bethany, who now goes for annual scans and check-ups, said: "I was heartbroken – I used to dance, run and swim and thought I would never be able to do those things again.
"At that moment in time you don't see a way out – I was told when I had surgery that 99 per cent of patients wouldn't have full mobility after surgery.
"I said, 'well, one per cent can and I can be that one per cent and prove you wrong', and I did.
"I was told I couldn't wear heels again and I thought 'no one tells me I can't wear heels'.
"I had to have a knee and thigh bone replacement and learn to walk again – going from crutches to one crutch to doing it on my own.
"I didn't know what my life was going to look like, but now I can do all those things they thought I wouldn't be able to, like kneel and run after my little boy."
Giant cell tumours make up approximately four to five per cent of all tumours which start in the bone.
They occur in around one person in every 1,000,000 people per year, according to the Bone Cancer Research Trust.
The tumours are mostly found in the long bones of the arms and legs, growing quickly and damaging the affected bone, as well as potentially spreading to nearby soft tissue.
According to charity Sarcoma UK, common symptoms of a giant cell tumour include pain, swelling, fractures and restricted movement.
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Bethany said: "It's really important to raise awareness of rare tumours.
"You wouldn't think a pain in your knee would be something like that."
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