When Jennifer McNeill’s back began to hurt, she thought she had strained a muscle after picking up her young children.
“The doctors said I probably strained it while lifting them,” said mom Millie, now 6, and Aidan, now 4. South West News Servicethrough The Daily Mail.
She was told to seek physical therapy, but as the pain continued, McNeill, 34, went to private treatment. An MRI showed two fractures in her spine.
But the Gourock, Scotland, mum says her condition has continued to deteriorate. Soon she could not urinate, and the pain “became so bad that I could hardly walk.”
Jennifer McNeill with her husband Kevin.
Jennifer McNeill/SWNS
She was denied a mammogram twice — then diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Now her cancer is back: ‘I can’t imagine not fighting’
In July 2021, she sought treatment at Inverclyde Royal Infirmary, where a CT scan revealed a cancerous tumor on her spine.
Doctors discovered she had stage IV breast cancer that had spread to her spine.
“I was devastated and in shock – I never thought I had cancer – because apparently it never showed up when I had the scan,” she said. SWNS.
“I just couldn’t believe that after many visits to the hospital and many doctors, it was terminal cancer and it was too late to do anything — it had already spread to my back and I had no breast problems.”
She was referred to Ardgowan Hospital, where her pain was better controlled. As McNeill explains, “I left in a wheelchair and I left walking through the door, and that was because of the daily physiotherapy and support from the doctors and nurses.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(561x0:563x2)/mom-of-2-breast-cancer-1-101624-8278d5cfbd1646f58dd77d880fe42cf8.jpg)
Jennifer McNeill’s back pain turns out to be terminal breast cancer.
Jennifer McNeill/SWNS
BFFs launch podcast series to help women with breast cancer navigate dating, sex and more
The family have raised £30,000 (almost $40,000) for her hospital care – and the fundraising continues.
Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, McNeill is sharing her story to raise awareness about the importance of getting regular mammograms.
“I want to live every day to the fullest for my children, but I can’t because of pain and mobility. It kills me,” she said. “They expect me to be in bed, to be in pain and unable to walk. This is our life now.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to comp.
“I have so many wonderful people in my life who have supported me so much. Honestly if love [could] save me, I would already be healed.”
New guidelines say women should start getting regular mammograms at age 40. Although most insurance plans cover routine mammograms, the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program (NBCCEDP) offers screenings and other services to women who are below the federal poverty line or uninsured. (Click here to find a screening provider in your area.}
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education