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Mother's Mattress Woes Hide Aggressive Cancer
18 Feb
Summary
- Gabrielle Altoft suffered severe back pain, initially blaming a mattress.
- Doctors missed signs of aggressive leukaemia in early blood tests.
- She urges others to push for answers when feeling unwell.
A mother's severe lower back pain, initially attributed to a mattress, masked a devastating diagnosis of aggressive leukaemia. Gabrielle Altoft, 32, began experiencing debilitating discomfort in November 2025, along with extreme tiredness and shortness of breath. She believed the symptoms stemmed from her mattress, but the pain worsened significantly.
Despite consulting her GP, Ms Altoft's condition was initially dismissed as an injury and later as a viral infection. Even with low white blood cell counts noted in early tests, the abnormalities were not recognized as indicative of leukaemia. A separate gynaecology appointment in December 2025 led to further blood tests, prompting an urgent A&E referral the next day.
On December 17, 2025, Ms Altoft received the devastating diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia. Reflecting on the ordeal, she expressed disappointment at the delayed diagnosis and emphasized the urgency of AML, urging others to persistently seek medical answers when they feel something is wrong. She began intensive chemotherapy treatment on December 28, 2025.
