![\"Kirstie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/4f351907-f63c-421e-a233-7de02f3c5601.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKirstie Smyth was diagnosed with sarcoma \u2014 a type of cancer that can appear anywhere on the body.<\/p>\n
Approximately 15 people are diagnosed with the disease every day.<\/p>\n
Kirstie\u2019s journey began when she noticed a small, pea-sized lump behind her knee one night while sitting on her sofa.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to cross my legs and felt something unusual,\u201d the 39-year-old, who lives in Ballymartin, Co Down, said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI attended my GP, who initially thought it was a raised lymph node and nothing to be concerned about. But the lump began to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
In October 2023, following an appointment at the Ulster Hospital, Kirstie received the life-changing news that she had sarcoma cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a massive shock, it flipped my whole world upside down,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Her surgeon arranged a series of staging CT scans to check whether the cancer had spread.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was one of the hardest things to process,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy thoughts immediately went to my children and husband, wondering what was going to happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was very lucky to have Jill, the sarcoma nurse, with me that day. She held my hand and still does.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kirstie with her children Ollie, Amber-Rose & Ben.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting the news that it had not spread felt like winning the lottery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kirstie says she underwent three major surgeries over the course of 10 weeks.<\/p>\n
These included a wide excision and a skin graft, after the initial procedure failed to achieve clear margins.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest impact for me was my mobility,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cA large portion of the back of my knee was removed, right on the bend, so I woke up in a full leg cast and needed crutches.<\/p>\n
\u201cFive weeks later, I underwent further surgery for a wider incision and after that, I required further surgery again to get another skin graft put onto the back of my leg, so in 10 weeks, I had three big surgeries.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very, very tough. I had not realised how dependent I would become.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went from being totally independent to needing help with absolutely everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kirstie also underwent 30 sessions of radiotherapy, which presented additional challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I could not drive, I had to rely on others to get me to the hospital every day for six weeks,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was physically and mentally exhausting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the intense treatment, Kirstie continues to receive follow-up care.<\/p>\n
\u2018I now attend chest X-rays every three months, because if sarcoma comes back, it often goes to the lungs,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Yet Kirstie counts herself as one of the lucky ones.<\/p>\n
![\"Kirstie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/561df3bd-8842-4dfa-aabb-6b8afdb91afd.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Kirstie Smyth<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a mental burden, but I remind myself how lucky I am to be so closely monitored,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Kirstie dedicated her recovery to the team at Ulster Hospital, and praised consultant surgeon Harry Lewis and sarcoma clinical nurse specialist Jill Kennedy, as well as the staff on Ward 4C.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were amazing and with me every step of the way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople think when you ring the bell, the journey is over, but really, it is only just beginning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aftermath can be just as tough.\u201d<\/p>\n
She is sharing her story in the hope of spreading awareness of sarcoma, often known as the forgotten cancer.<\/p>\n
Kirstie added: \u201cMany people I have talked to had never even heard of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an aggressive cancer that can often go undetected until it has progressed. Early detection is vital and treatable.<\/p>\n
“If you notice a lump, even if it is painless like mine, get it checked. Ask the question. Do not be afraid to push for answers.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lump that is getting bigger should never be ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Kirstie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/9096c35c-3704-49c8-8a20-87c47ce34ba9.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Kirstie Smyth<\/p>\n
Cat found sheltering in Newry garden has ears removed after severe sun damage <\/p>\n
Ms Kennedy, the sarcoma clinical nurse specialist, emphasised the importance of early diagnosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany patients experience delayed diagnosis, and we are working with GPs and primary care professionals to improve symptom recognition and help patients get diagnosed earlier,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cSarcomas are rare cancers that develop in the body\u2019s connective tissues.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are two main types, bone sarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cSymptoms can include a lump or swelling, unexplained pain, or reduced mobility.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs with many cancers, early detection is key.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kirstie Smyth was diagnosed with sarcoma \u2014 a type of cancer that can appear anywhere on the body.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248628,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1384,105,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-248627","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-down-news","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114818958483046688","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}