"Large Breasts Weren't the Cause of My Severe Back Pain – The True Reason Was Far More Alarming"

A hair extension technician who suffered from severe back pain for two years, which she attributed to her E cup breast size and the demands of motherhood, was stunned to find out it was actually cancer. Rebecca Dorman initially dismissed her excruciating back pain as a result of her large bust and the physical strain of her job, self-medicating with over-the-counter painkillers.

However, after enduring 'unbearable' itching and discovering swollen lymph nodes, she sought medical advice in July 2024 but was initially told not to worry. It wasn't until persistent symptoms led to further investigation that the 33 year old mum from Raunds, Northamptonshire, was diagnosed with stage four classical Hodgkin's lymphoma in October. She immediately started chemotherapy and is set to continue treatment until March. Now, Rebecca is using TikTok to encourage others to get checked if they experience similar issues, sharing her own harrowing experience.

She recalls, 'In the beginning the back pain would keep me up at night. I would have chills with it as well but I thought that was my back going into spasm. It's actually a completely separate symptom.'

Reflecting on a holiday in April 2023, she said, 'I can remember going to Tenerife in April 2023 and being awake every single night with back pain but then during the day I'd be fine. I thought having a larger chest could have been behind it. I had sports massages, remedial massages, I'd been to see an osteopath and they put it down to tight muscles.', reports the Mirror.

Rebecca, a busy mum and hair extension specialist, has opened up about the health struggles she faced before her cancer diagnosis. She explained, 'I felt really poorly but I tried to justify it all of the time because I was a busy mum. When my back pain first started in November 2022 I was working at a showing yard so I had to muck out quite a few ponies.'

She continued, 'I fit hair extensions for a living so I was on my feet every working day and then I'm quite an active person so I'd be walking the dog, down at the horses, always on the go so I justified it as other things. You never think it's going to be cancer.'

Despite initial reassurances from her GP in July, Rebecca's condition worsened, leading to multiple hospital visits and tests that eventually confirmed her cancer diagnosis.

Reflecting on the journey, she said, 'For my blood test results from AandE to come back all clear when I actually had a blood cancer. It's so bizarre.'

She also highlighted the challenges of getting back pain taken seriously by GPs.

'I was in the shower washing myself and that's when I discovered a swollen area in my groin which is where I was getting a lot of pain as well. Before that I just had the itching, the back pain and the fevers but having the swollen lymph node as well that was what actually made me go to the GP.'

'I cried with relief when the nurse said your lymph nodes are all swollen. It made me know that it wasn't my health anxiety, there was actually something wrong with me. When I got the diagnosis in October, because this had been going on for so long, it wasn't a shock.'

'I was just grateful to be in hospital and receiving the treatment and care.'

Rebecca's pain became so debilitating that she stopped working on 15 July 2024 but she is hoping she will be able to return after her treatment.

In addition to fitting hair extensions, she also makes wigs but could not make her own after the chemotherapy caused her to lose sensation in her fingers. Rebecca said: 'The cancer had spread to my bone marrow so the pain was excruciating. The chills, the fevers, all of the other symptoms they'd gotten so bad that I was admitted to hospital in the middle of October and I actually spent 26 nights in total in hospital.'

'It went from a little bit itchy to unbearably itchy where I've got cuts and scars and bruises all over my legs and my arms, even my face was itchy, my hands were itchy. My whole body was itchy all of the time.'

Rebecca bravely opened up about her health struggle, saying: 'I had my own business, I didn't really have time to be ill. I was getting on with it and I was self-medicating with paracetamol and ibuprofen to try and keep the symptoms at bay and keep on top of the pain.'

She also stressed the importance of seeking medical attention: 'I was so poorly and I wished I'd done something about it sooner so that is why I have started a TikTok and have spoken about it because there might be women or even men out there that are justifying their back pain.'

Rebecca emphasised, 'But they should get it looked at and their health is just as much a priority as anyone else.'

Thankfully, she's starting to see light at the end of the tunnel: 'I'm just really grateful to be getting the chemotherapy and to be on the road to remission hopefully. I wasn't actually able to make my own wig because a symptom of the chemotherapy is you lose the sensation in your fingers. Luckily my friends came to the rescue and made it for me.'

Due to chemotherapy side effects, Rebecca shared, 'I'm just really grateful to be getting the chemotherapy and to be on the road to remission hopefully. I wasn't actually able to make my own wig because a symptom of the chemotherapy is you lose the sensation in your fingers. Luckily my friends came to the rescue and made it for me.'

Discussing her fears about treatment, she said, 'I was so scared and so worried about having chemotherapy and it does come with its risks because you're at risk of infection. Your immune system is so low but actually I don't feel as bad as I thought I was going to feel.'

Her treatment journey has been marked with hope as an interim PET scan after her first two cycles of chemotherapy showed that her cancer had completely gone from her bone marrow, stomach and chest. Although some cancer remains in her groin area, Rebecca continues her treatment and is hopeful to know more about her progress by April or May.