Michael Currie served in the Marine Corps for over five years where he primarily worked on Harrier jets. He left the Marine Corps in August 2020 and moved to the Albany area, where his wife is originally from. Toward the end of his service, he startednoticed knee pain, which he attributed to working on his kneesall the time.
Once back in Albany, Michael began working as a roofer. By March 2021, he had to take leave from his job due to increasingly severe knee pain. He made an appointment with OrthoNY, but the earliest time he could get was eight weeks out. Within two days of making that appointment, the pain was so debilitating that he could no longer move independently. Michael describes himself as someone who normally “grits things out,” but he knew the situation was “an emergency.” He called the Bone and Joint Center and they were able to offer anappointment within two weeks with a knee specialist. After X-ray imaging, the knee surgeon immediately referred Michael to Dr. DiCaprio. Dr. DiCaprio stated there was nothing wrong with the joint itself, but there was an area of “clouding” at the distal femur. This was “at best” irritation related to his time in the Marines, or “at worst” osteosarcoma or Ewing’s sarcoma. Shortly thereafter, on May 24th 2021, Michael had a biopsy completed, which confirmed his diagnosis: Stage 2A osteosarcoma. This day also marked his 28th birthday.
Three days later, Michael started a difficult chemotherapy regimen of cisplatin and doxorubicin with intermittent high-dose methotrexate. He took a short hiatus from the chemo regimen in October 2021, at which point he had a surgery with Dr. DiCaprio to remove the lower portion of his femur containing the cancer cells, and the bone and knee were reconstructed with a metal implant. He continued with chemotherapy until completion in January 2022. For the next year, he worked diligently with physical therapy to improve mobility and had no signs of cancer recurrence.
Unfortunately, at follow-up in January 2023, several lung nodules were noted. He had a resection of the nodules, but a month later, the other lung showed new nodules. Throughout 2023, Michael had four lung resections and two separate chemotherapy regimens. In May 2024, Michael had the entire right lower lobe of his lung removed after CT imaging showed new large nodules once again. Despite the right lower lobectomy, nodules continued to arise, and surgical resection was no longer feasible.
Two months ago, Michael started a new chemotherapeutic drug called Cabometyx. He was pleased to share that his latest CT scan showed shrinkage of all his lung nodules, and he is hopeful that the cancer will continue to respond to this drug.
When asked what the hardest part of his journey has been, he described not the physical but the emotional toll that these experiences have elicited over the last several years. He describes his experience as roller-coaster like: There are “good days and bad days;” the situation is “stressful but manageable.” He describes his family as a vital support system, particularly his wife and two young children at home. In addition, he is thankful to his incredible care team, namely Dr. DiCaprio, Dr. Evangelist, Dr. Fabian, and the NYOH palliative care team.
Looking back on his experience, Michael tells all his closest friends and family – no matter their age – to “get health insurance, get a will, and see the doctor if you’re having pain. If I had waited a few months longer, I might not be here right now.”
The Sarcoma Strong Team thanks Michael for courageously sharing the story of his journey with osteosarcoma. Michael hopes his story will spread awareness about sarcomas and encourage people to see a medical professional when things don’t seem right. The most common symptoms for bone sarcomas are pain and/or a growing mass.
By Aidan O’Brien, 2nd year medical student, Albany Medical College