Janis Ollson suffered from debilitating pain for years but no one was able to offer her a solution for relief.
“I [felt] very alone and misunderstood. I didn’t think people believed me. I knew it was a whole lot worse than anyone thought.”
The young mother was pregnant with her second child when she hit rock bottom. After seeking relief from a machine that sent electric pulses through her body and applying hot packs and cold packs to relieve the pain, she eventually started sleeping at her kitchen table because it was more comfortable than trying to lie down.
She was kept up all night by the pain and found herself crawling across the floor to get her daughter a drink. That was the moment when she thought, “I can’t take another day, another minute. I’m done.”
Oilson was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and agreed to an experimental surgery where she would be cut in half so the doctors could remove the cancer, part of her pelvis, her lower spine, and a leg.
Fortunately, the procedure was a success and Oilson is enjoying life with her young family. She stays active with snowboarding and riding ATVs and is confident enough to get around by sliding down the stairs or on the floor.
Read her story here: Winnipeg Free Press
