A mum-of-two's incurable blood cancer was 'dismissed' as back pain by medics which left her unable to walk and having to sleep in a chair. She is now campaigning to ensure others are diagnosed with the condition more quickly.
Karen Smith's troubles started when she broke her spine in two places and 'shrank' five inches before being diagnosed with myeloma. The 55-year-old, who lives in Newcastle, Staffordshire, was finally diagnosed in January 2020, two months after the fall, reports Stoke on Trent Live.
She says she repeatedly visited her GP at Newcastle's Higherland Surgery in agony but her symptoms were thought to be down to 'mechanical back pain' due to her job in a pharmacy. Keen gym-goer Karen was advised to take over-the-counter painkillers and referred for physiotherapy.
