What symptoms did Gabrielle Altoft initially experience?

Gabrielle Altoft initially experienced severe lower back pain, shoulder and neck pain, extreme tiredness, and shortness of breath.

How was Gabrielle Altoft diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia?

Gabrielle Altoft was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia after further blood tests were conducted during a gynaecology appointment in December 2025.

What does Gabrielle Altoft advise others regarding their health concerns?

Gabrielle Altoft advises others to persistently push for medical answers if they feel something is wrong with their health, as they know their body best.

Home / Health / Back Pain Misdiagnosis: Mum's Shock Leukaemia Diagnosis

Back Pain Misdiagnosis: Mum's Shock Leukaemia Diagnosis

11 Feb

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Summary

Gabrielle Altoft's back pain was initially attributed to a mattress swap.
Doctors initially dismissed severe symptoms as an injury or viral infection.
An urgent A&E visit led to a life-changing acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis.

Back Pain Misdiagnosis: Mum's Shock Leukaemia Diagnosis

Gabrielle Altoft, a 32-year-old mother of three, initially experienced severe lower back and shoulder pain in November 2025, which she attributed to swapping mattresses with her son. Her symptoms, including extreme tiredness and shortness of breath, were not immediately alarming to medical professionals. After initial consultations, her pain was dismissed as a potential injury, with physiotherapy suggested.

Despite purchasing a new mattress, Gabrielle's pain worsened significantly, rendering her nearly immobile. A subsequent visit to her GP at the end of November for symptoms she believed were flu-like also did not lead to a cancer diagnosis. It was during a separate gynaecology appointment in December 2025 that a doctor ordered further blood tests.

These tests, conducted on December 16, 2025, prompted an urgent referral to A&E the following day, December 17, 2025. There, Gabrielle received the devastating news that she had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), an aggressive form of blood cancer. She was admitted to the hospital by December 18, 2025, and began intensive chemotherapy treatment on December 28, 2025.