(Part 1/5) A few months ago, I turned 30 and exactly 10 years before that, I lost my limb to osteogenic sarcoma aka cancer of the bone.

I was in my 2nd year of university. I went home for the weekend to spend some time with my parents because I was studying outside of Lagos. Their home had been without water for a while and during my stay, I wanted to help them pump water during a short window when power was briefly restored.

I had finished filling all the barrels with water and as I was about to lift the last one, I slipped and fell. It was a very grand fall. My dad was in the living room with a friend of his and both of them came running out after hearing how loudly I screamed. It was a bad fall but with their help, and after taking painkillers, I felt fine. It was a Sunday so I went back to school on the same day.

I was fine for most of the week but by Thursday, something just didn’t feel right. I was in so much pain and couldn’t get out of bed. My house mates thought I was kidding and everyone left me. I kept telling them, ‘I’m not joking, I can’t get out of the bed.’

When it was almost time for lectures, my flatmates noticed that I still hadn’t gotten out of bed. Then they knew it was for real that I couldn’t stand up. My friend, Tayo Akindele picked me up and brought me back to Lagos.

I had to go to my neighbour’s because my parents weren’t home. My folks got back and I still couldn’t stand up or walk. So I had to stay the night at my neighbour’s house.

The next day, I went to the hospital and doctors told me that due to the fall I had, blood had not been flowing through my leg properly and that was why I couldn’t move my knee. They did a minor drainage. After that, there was an opening in my leg, so they told me I had to dress the opening every other day. At the time, I was in so much excruciating pain.

(Read the concluding parts of this story on our website.)