a woman's severe back pain was misdiagnosed until urgent tests revealed aggressive acute myeloid leukaemia; separately, a large study links lifelong mentally stimulating activities to a substantially lower risk of dementia.
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How a stubborn backache turned out to be something far more serious
Gabrielle Altoft, 32, of King’s Lynn first thought her worsening lower back pain was down to an old memory-foam mattress she’d swapped with her son. What began as a household nuisance soon snowballed into a frightening medical emergency.
At first, GP visits and a referral to physiotherapy seemed to fit a straightforward musculoskeletal problem. But routine blood tests and an unsettling decline in her condition changed the story. Alongside the pain, Gabrielle developed relentless fatigue and shortness of breath — symptoms that didn’t respond to the usual treatments and that worried her family.
By mid-December the picture had sharpened. New blood work taken on 16 December prompted an urgent trip to A&E the next day. After further tests and close monitoring, doctors diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer that can advance rapidly.
Gabrielle was admitted on 18 December and began intensive chemotherapy on 28 December. Her care plan includes at least two cycles of chemotherapy, with the possibility of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant if needed. Haematology and gynaecology teams are working together to manage treatment and address fertility considerations before cytotoxic therapy continues.
Lessons from Gabrielle’s experience
Gabrielle says she felt certain she might die at times — a stark reminder of how quickly things can turn. Her message to others is simple and urgent: keep pushing when something feels wrong. She believes earlier scrutiny of full blood results might have revealed the problem sooner and warns that youth is not a safeguard against serious illness.
Clinicians highlight three practical takeaways from her case:
– Unexplained, persistent deterioration — especially when pain is combined with breathlessness and severe fatigue — needs prompt, coordinated investigation.
– Early conversations about treatment pathways help patients prepare emotionally and practically for intensive therapies, including possible transplants.
– Involving gynaecology early allows timely discussion of fertility preservation before treatments that may affect reproductive health.
The NHS reminds the public that acute leukaemia can progress quickly. Common warning signs include ongoing tiredness, breathlessness, frequent infections and unusual bruising or bleeding — all reasons to seek prompt medical attention.
Lifelong mental activity and lower dementia risk
A separate, large observational study published in Neurology adds a very different but complementary message about long-term brain health. Researchers followed 1,939 people (average starting age 80) for about eight years to explore whether mentally stimulating activities across life affect the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment.
They measured cognitive engagement at three stages — childhood, midlife and later life — using markers such as being read to as a child, access to books and libraries in midlife, and regular reading, writing or games in older age. Participants with the highest lifetime enrichment scores (the top 10%) had substantially lower rates of Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment than those in the bottom 10%. After adjusting for age, sex and education, higher enrichment was linked to a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. On average, the most mentally engaged developed Alzheimer’s about six years later than the least engaged.
What this means and what it doesn’t
Because this research is observational, it shows association rather than direct cause and effect. Other unmeasured factors might influence both lifelong engagement and later dementia risk. Still, the findings reinforce a plausible and low-risk public-health approach: broaden access to education, cultural institutions and adult-learning opportunities so people from all backgrounds can stay mentally active across their lives.
For individuals, simple habits matter. Reading, learning a new language, playing games or doing puzzles are inexpensive ways to build cognitive resilience and may delay the onset of symptoms. For policymakers, the study supports investment in early childhood education, libraries and lifelong-learning programs — interventions that could yield population-level benefits for brain health.
Two priorities for health
At first, GP visits and a referral to physiotherapy seemed to fit a straightforward musculoskeletal problem. But routine blood tests and an unsettling decline in her condition changed the story. Alongside the pain, Gabrielle developed relentless fatigue and shortness of breath — symptoms that didn’t respond to the usual treatments and that worried her family.0
