A mum diagnosed with a rare bone cancer after doctors initially suspected kidney stones were making her ill has revealed a tumour on her spine doubled in size in just a few weeks.
Debbie Forey, 37, from Drumchapel, Glasgow, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma – a rare form of bone cancer that accounts for just one per cent of cancers diagnosed in adults – after searching for answers over persistent abdominal pain.
The senior support worker is now preparing to travel to Newcastle for two specialist major operations after the tumour, which started in her spine, rapidly grew and spread towards her lung.
She and her family are now fundraising to help cover accommodation costs so her husband Chris and their 18-year-old son can stay close to her during the six weeks she is expected to spend in hospital.
Debbie first noticed a nagging pain in her lower abdomen in December last year. She said: “It was like having a stitch so it wasn’t bad, just annoying.”
View 4 ImagesDebbie was referred to spine specialists in Newcastle.(Image: Supplied)
Her GP initially believed the pain could be linked to her reproductive organs and referred her for an ultrasound scan and smear test, but both came back clear.
As the pain continued, doctors began investigating whether it could be related to her stomach. Debbie had privately undergone gastric sleeve surgery in January 2025, losing an incredible 10 stone, but had experienced no complications from the procedure.
Everything changed when she forgot to take her painkillers while working a shift. She said: “One day when I was on shift and I became so unwell from the pain that my boss took me to A&E.”
Doctors initially suspected kidney stones and sent her for an MRI scan. While medics found a harmless growth on her hip, further investigations revealed something far more sinister – a tumour on her spine.
View 4 ImagesDebbie with her son Jay and husband Chris.(Image: Supplied)
After more scans and tests, Debbie was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in April and referred to spinal specialists in Newcastle because of the tumour’s location.
She was told she would need treatment despite the cancer initially being classed as low grade. But when she returned for further imaging in June, doctors discovered the tumour had doubled in size in the space of just six weeks.
She explained: “The tumour is still testing as low grade but behaving like an aggressive cancer. It has now encroached on my lung and spine.”
Debbie will begin treatment next month, undergoing two major surgeries before spending around six weeks recovering in the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
View 4 ImagesDebbie and Chris.
She said: “It has just been a complete shock what was found. I just had a pain in my stomach. I didn’t expect cancer.
“I have an active and manual job, and was just getting on with life as usual. It’s likely that the tumour was pressing on a nerve and that was causing the pain.”
Because osteosarcoma is so uncommon in adults, Debbie said she had never even heard of the disease before her diagnosis.
She said: “I had never heard of osteosarcoma before. There has been a lot of Googling but as they aren’t able to tell me what stage the cancer is, it’s not helped at all. I don’t really know what’s happening and we won’t know until I have the surgery.
“Doctors have been very honest with me that they might not be able to remove all of the tumour or what will happen after the surgery.
“All the uncertainty is quite terrifying, for me and my family.”
A fundraiser has been launched to help support Debbie and her family during the ordeal, particularly with accommodation costs for any loved ones visiting her in Newcastle during her recovery. To donate, click HERE.
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