Latest news with #sciatica
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
I was days away from being paralysed after blaming back pain on being pregnant – a killer disease was eating my spine
SHEEMA Patel was just weeks into motherhood when agonising back pain left her screaming in the street. Doctors told the now 42-year-old from Harlow, Essex it was sciatica, but the truth was far worse: an incurable disease was eating holes in her spine. 4 4 By the time the disease was diagnosed as cancer, Sheema, who had just given birth to son Mason two months before, was told she was only three to four days away from being paralysed. She tells Sun Health: 'I thought, I'm just too young. I've not had enough time with my son. 'The message that was delivered made me feel I only had weeks to live.' Sheema, who works in HR, had first felt something was wrong when her back cracked while she was making her bed in April 2023, aged 40. It immediately started to hurt, but she put the pain down to her pregnancy. As the pain worsened, she went to the hospital, where she was given a low dose of morphine. She says: 'My whole body went into a kind of spasm. 'But they couldn't do much because I was pregnant, so I decided to leave the hospital.' After giving birth on July 30, her symptoms worsened. Three weeks later, she started experiencing severe leg pain. At this point, her pain was dismissed as sciatica - an irritated nerve - and the discomfort of post-partum recovery. Her GP prescribed codeine, and she tried acupuncture, but nothing helped. Then one day in late September, she was forced to cut short a walk near her house. 'I was three houses down and screaming in pain,' she recalls. 'My husband had to carry me, push the baby and walk the dog home. It was really bad.' A few days later, in late September, Sheema saw a new GP at her practice. The doctor suspected deep vein thrombosis, when a blood clot gets stuck in a vein, and sent her to A&E for more tests. After a series of scans and some back and forth, Sheema was told in October that she had lesions - holes in her spine, ribs and sternum - caused by myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. The disease affects around 33,000 people in the UK. 'Don't ignore pain' She says: 'I was an odd case because I wasn't over 60, or a man, and I didn't fit the criteria for myeloma. 'But nobody should go through so much pain. It took months to be diagnosed, as it was just put down to sciatic pain.' She adds: 'My advice would be, don't ignore pain and keep pushing. Nothing was showing up in my bloods. "Back pain shouldn't go on for months, even if you're pregnant or have a new baby. "Ask for some X-rays or an MRI. You don't think you're going to get cancer at 40, but cancer doesn't discriminate.' Dr Sophie Castell, chief executive at Myeloma UK, the blood cancer charity, says: 'Myeloma has one of the longest times to diagnosis of any cancer. "One of the biggest barriers remains identifying and piecing together the symptoms quickly and before too much damage is done. "Myeloma symptoms, back pain, fatigue, infections, are often vague and can be mistaken for ageing or minor conditions." This is partly because, unlike many cancers, myeloma doesn't form lumps or tumours. Instead, it attacks the bone marrow, the spongy material inside bones such as the spine, pelvis, ribs, and long bones, causing lesions that weaken bones and can lead to fractures. 'I thought was going to die there and then' Over a third of patients see their GP at least three times before diagnosis, and a quarter wait more than 10 months. Sheema recalls her diagnosis: 'I was upset. It was like I was going to die there and then. 'They didn't explain anything. You just don't want to believe it. It didn't make sense. 'The only thing I kept thinking about was that I wanted to take my son to Disneyland.' She sought a second opinion privately, where she was told the damage was so severe that any pressure could leave her paralysed. 'He confirmed that I needed to remain bedbound as any pressure to my spine was going to result in me being paralysed,' she says. 'It took a few days to process," she adds. "My mum had to move in with us because I wasn't able to do anything for my baby. 'I couldn't even carry him. It was awful.' In March 2024, following her fourth round of chemotherapy, one of Sheema's spinal discs collapsed. Living with incurable cancer She required urgent surgery to stabilise her back, and in May, she underwent a stem cell transplant. She says: 'It was difficult. 'I feel like I missed out on the experience of being a new mum. "My son became very close to my mum because I wasn't able to carry him or care for him as I wanted to. 'But we've become much closer now, and we share a strong bond. I do everything I can for him now, taking him to soft play, to the zoo, and more.' Sheema is now in remission, though she knows the cancer is incurable. She adds: 'I know myeloma isn't curable and that it will likely return, but I'm a positive person. 'I'm focused on moving forward, going on holidays, taking my son to Disneyland when he's three or four, and building lasting memories. I'm incredibly fortunate to have such a supportive family. 'Mason and my husband are what keep me going.' If you're worried you might have myeloma, it can be hard to explain vague symptoms in a way that gets taken seriously. To help with this, Myeloma UK has created a simple Symptom Translator, a downloadable guide that puts common symptoms into medical language your GP will understand.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
GPs told mother-of-one back pain was normal for 10 years - it was a spine tumour and now she's paralysed: 'I knew something was wrong'
A mother-of-one who spent a decade in agony with lower back pain has been left paralysed—after doctors finally discovered a tumour growing in her spine. Julie Coleman, 33, from Glasgow, first experienced the 'shooting' pain in her back and legs when she was pregnant with her now 10-year-old son, Connor, in 2014. She was repeatedly told it was simply sciatica—a common condition where the nerve running from the lower back to the feet becomes compressed. Doctors reassured her that back pain was common during pregnancy and that the discomfort would subside after she gave birth. However the problems continued, and Ms Coleman was later prescribed physiotherapy and painkillers. Recalling her ordeal, she said: 'I was told it was sciatica, and there was no point sending me for any scans because back surgery was too dangerous. 'It was extremely frustrating and it got to the point where I probably lost trust in my GP because I knew they weren't going to do anything. 'I was going to several different GPs within the same practice and they were all saying the same thing. I just thought this is me for the rest of my life.' The bride-to-be also complained of numbness in her right foot, which started in her toes and began 'creeping' into her foot in 2022. And after 10 years of failed treatments, Ms Coleman, who used to work for Alzheimer's Scotland before her injury, was finally referred for an MRI scan. The scan, which she had at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow on 24 December 2024, revealed a massive tumour growing inside her spinal cord. On January 9, Ms Coleman saw a neurosurgeon at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, who delivered the life-changing diagnosis. 'I was really shocked as I had been trying to say something was wrong the whole time,' Ms Coleman recalled. Determined to walk down the aisle on her wedding day in July, Ms Coleman decided to go ahead with the surgery to remove the tumour. Despite being told that this was her best option, because the nerve damage caused by the tumour could result in paralysis, doctors warned her that there were some risks associated with the surgery, and that it may not reverse her symptoms. Ms Coleman underwent surgery on January 28, where most of the tumour was removed. The tumour was confirmed to be a schwannoma, a rare non-cancerous tumour that covers the nerves. According to Cancer Research UK, symptoms include general aching, shooting pains, feeling weak, pins and needles or a tingling sensation and numbness. Despite successfully removing the majority of the tumour, doctors are concerned that some of the nerve damage may be irreversible, as Ms Coleman was left paralysed from the right knee down. She said: 'I have random patches on my legs and stomach that are completely numb. Most of my pain was down my right leg so that obviously had the most damage to the nerves.' It could take up to two years to determine whether her symptoms will be permanent. Ms Coleman returned home to her son and fiancé, Stephen, 35, on February 18 where she now has to use a walking frame and wheelchair to move around. The couple are due to tie the knot in July—where she will walk down the aisle using crutches and her son for support. The family have set up a GoFundMe page to help with any unexpected costs due to her condition. The new bride will have to have another MRI scan in August to confirm whether the tumour has been fully removed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Woman's Mother-in-Law Accused Her of Being a ‘Neglectful' Parent for Taking a Bath: Internet Comes to Her Defense
A woman — who is currently "heavily pregnant" with her second child — says she occasionally takes a bath to ease her "awful sciatica," leaving her toddler to play independently during that time She says her mother-in-law has taken issue with the situation, and even texted her husband to say she is being "neglectful" The woman shared her story on the community site and it sparked much debate over whether or not the mother-in-law crossed a lineA woman — who is currently "heavily pregnant" with her second child — says she occasionally takes a bath to ease her "awful sciatica," while her 2-year-old plays independently. She says her mother-in-law has taken issue with the situation, and even texted her husband to say she is being "neglectful." In a Mumsnet post, entitled, 'Am I a neglectful parent for this?' the woman explains that she is her toddler's primary caretaker during the day, as her husband owns his own business and must be out of the house from about '7 a.m. to 6 p.m.' Additionally, she notes she's been 'suffering with awful sciatica' and intense pain around her pubic area — for which she attends physical therapy. 'Once or twice a week, the pain gets too much and by 2 p.m. I go and lay in the bath,' she says. The mom clarifies that she always makes sure everything is set up for her toddler to safely play on her own during this time. 'I go around and close any open windows,' she says, adding that all their kitchen cabinets have safety locks. She also shuts all necessary doors to non-essential rooms, meaning her daughter 'can literally either sit on the sofas, play with toys or go into her bedroom and play with toys in there' — noting that her daughter's bedroom is directly across from the bathroom where she takes the bath. She says that the final step is to 'put Ms. Rachel or Peppa Pig' on and then soak in the water for 30 minutes. The mom says that her bath routine recently came up in a conversation with her mother-in-law — and it apparently didn't go over well. While the mother-in-law didn't say anything in the moment, the OP (original poster) says she texted her son — the OP's husband — shortly thereafter to say she thought the baths were 'neglectful,' and that 'anything could happen' during that time. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The woman says that her husband quickly defended her, telling his mother that she is an 'excellent' mom and that 'he won't have my choices questioned.' However, the OP says she is still feeling upset by all this. 'I've never had my parenting questioned so this has naturally upset me,' she explains, adding, 'Hormones are probably not helping.' 'AIBU [am I being unreasonable] for doing this or do people think there is no harm in it? ' the OP asks at the end of her post. Opinions were mixed regarding whether or not the OP should feel stressed about leaving her toddler relatively unsupervised — though some commenters said they saw zero problem with the current situation. 'It's absolutely fine. You are literally there with your toddler,' said one person, adding, 'Your mother-in-law needs to mind her own, and good for your husband for sticking up for you.' "It's fine. MIL [mother-in-law] needs to butt out," agreed someone else. However, someone else admitted she personally would not feel comfortable leaving her own toddler alone for that long. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'I could not relax knowing I'm heavily pregnant with sciatica in the bath and my 2 year old is roaming freely. What happens if you hear her cry … Surely getting out of the bath being heavily pregnant with severe sciatica is not something done quickly,' they wrote. A commenter provided a potential practical solution — while also noting they thought the woman's mother-in-law could do better. 'I would buy a playpen and have the child in the bathroom with me,' they said. 'I also had to be a 24/7 mom because their dad was out from 5 a.m. until late. I used a playpen for times I needed a break or a shower or whatever. It's none of your MIL's business. She can always offer to come and help of course, rather than criticize.' Read the original article on People
