When Megan FitzGerald was pregnant with her first child, she was told the pain in her left hip was just part of pregnancy.
The Peachtree Corners resident later learned it was an early sign of a rare bone cancer that upended her life.
"I didn't know I'd be alive," she said. "Then we didn't know if I'd even be able to have more children."
But three years later, Megan and her husband are preparing to welcome their second child this year, a little boy.
Megan was diagnosed with pelvic osteosarcoma in 2023 after more than a year of worsening pain that was repeatedly attributed to pregnancy, postpartum recovery and other orthopedic conditions.
Sarcomas are cancers that develop in the body's connective tissues, including muscles, fat, bones, the lining of joints or blood vessels. It's a rare type of cancer, accounting for just 1% of all cancers, so delays in diagnosis are common.
Because sarcoma is uncommon, many people have never heard of it and often dismiss or mistake symptoms for other conditions, especially among younger people.
For Megan, her pain began in early 2022 when she was 29 and gradually intensified until simple tasks became difficult or impossible. Even as she tried to carry her newborn daughter, she recalls shooting pain in her left hip. Returning to work was a challenge.
"I remember leaving work in tears because it hurt so much ... I was dragging my leg behind me," she said. "By the end, I was crawling up the stairs because I couldn't lift my leg."
In June 2023, an MRI finally revealed the real cause: a tumor in her pelvis.
Because sarcomas are rare, Megan was referred to orthopedic oncologist Dr. Nickolas Reimer, of the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute Bone & Soft Tissue Program, one of only four surgeons in Georgia who specialized in her disease. She also began treatment with medical oncologist Dr. Kamal Ummed, of Georgia Cancer Specialists.
Things moved quickly.
Within days, Megan had a biopsy, additional imaging and her first chemotherapy treatment scheduled.
"I think we saw my oncologist on a Tuesday, and he said, 'Monday, I need you to start chemo,'" she recalled.
With equal urgency, Megan's family stepped in. Her twin sister flew from California and stayed for months. Her parents, in-laws, husband, aunts and cousins all shared caregiving responsibilities, both for Megan and her daughter.
Megan's treatment required weeklong hospital stays every three weeks while receiving chemotherapy. It was a physically grueling experience, yet one of the hardest parts wasn't chemotherapy, she said.
"It would absolutely kill me hearing my daughter cry and knowing I couldn't walk in and pick her up," Megan said. "I had to watch a lot of other people taking care of my child."
After several rounds of chemotherapy and a waiting period for her immune system to recover, Megan underwent extensive surgery in December 2023. Dr. Reimer removed nearly half of her pelvis and reconstructed it using custom implants.
Recovery was long and difficult. She spent more than three weeks between the hospital and an inpatient rehabilitation facility before continuing additional chemotherapy and months of physical therapy.
Today, Megan still experiences daily pain and uses a cane as needed. She knows she'll never regain full function in her hip, but she also knows what she gained.
"I'm not dead," she said simply.
Looking back, Megan says her daughter became the greatest source of strength throughout her treatment.
"We always said God gave us our daughter because He knew we were about to go through something really hard," she said. "She is this happy little girl who helped us get through it."
Months after surgery, Megan was finally strong enough to lift her daughter from her crib.
"I picked her up, and she just had this huge smile on her face," Megan said. "It was so precious."
Those small moments became the milestones that mattered most, fundamentally changing how she views life.
"You don't take the little things for granted," she said. "When our daughter wakes up in the middle of the night and we're just so tired, I remind myself that I'm able to get out of bed and hold her if I need to. I'm not stuck in a hospital."
Now expecting her second child, Megan says the future that once seemed impossible now feels full of possibilities.
"Yes, some things are harder now," she said. "But we have each other. We have this amazing life. When you've gone through something like this, you realize how precious the little things really are."
LEARN MORE ABOUT SARCOMA CARE AT NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL CANCER INSTITUTE.
*The health story shared here is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult with their own physician before making medical decisions.
