I couldn’t dance at my work Christmas party because of back pain, but then I was diagnosed with cancer and my world turned upside down

A woman who couldn’t dance at her work Christmas party has told of her shock after discovering her back pain was actually cancer.

Gynecologist Ellissa Baskind initially thought women’s bending over for surgery was the cause of her discomfort when she couldn’t take part in the festive jives.

But the persistent pain and its impact on her daily life prompted the 46-year-old to seek medical attention, after which abnormalities were discovered in her blood tests.

Mrs Baskind, a mother of two, had a clear X-ray but was asked to come to hospital after doctors’ findings.

She was subsequently given a shock diagnosis of leukemia and told to undergo further tests.

The Leeds local said she was in ‘disbelief’ at the results as the only symptoms she had experienced were back pain between her shoulder blades.

Ms Baskind added: ‘At the time (I was diagnosed) I was doing a lot of operations and you find yourself in a lot of awkward positions. It’s just the nature of the job.

‘It is not uncommon in my field to have back pain. I started having pain in my shoulder blades that kept me awake at night.

‘Even as a doctor you don’t think about the worst things. I really thought it had to do with my work.

‘I never thought it was anything sinister.

‘I wasn’t sure if I would make it to Christmas because I was in so much pain. It was at the forefront of my mind.

‘The pain kept me from dancing and enjoying it to the fullest.’

Speaking about the doctors’ first order for her, Mrs Baskind said: ‘I remember the conversation very well. He told me it could be two types of leukemia and talked about the different treatments for both.

‘There was a lot of disbelief. I felt completely fine, it was just the back pain. I felt very good and worked more than full time.

‘All I was thinking about was how long it would take before I could live normally again and go back to work.

‘It never occurred to me that it would be anything more serious than chemotherapy. I think I was a little naive.

“I stopped myself from thinking anything bad. I didn’t let it come to the fore.’

After a failed round of chemotherapy, Ms Baskind was given an emergency stem cell transplant which she underwent during the pandemic before discovering a lump in her breast 18 months later.

Tragically, the mother even resorted to researching hospice care after discovering she had myeloid sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Fortunately, a new stem cell transplant and further chemotherapy was ultimately successful.

As a result of the tumor – a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells – Ms Baskind had to undergo two rounds of chemotherapy.

She said: ‘As I lay alone in the hospital room, the realization dawned that this was real and actually happening to me.

‘It was strange to go from working in this hospital to becoming a patient. I lived in the hospital.

‘Not a day went by without a colleague coming to visit me. I was very lucky.

“If you look at the literature, there is no cure for myeloid sarcoma. I thought it was palliative. That evening I researched hospice care and thought this was the end of the road.

‘The doctors asked me how much fight I had left in me and I said I was only interested in a cure.

“They said there is a chance of a cure, but it is very small and you would still need a stem cell transplant.”

She underwent another stem cell transplant in 2022, which was successful, before completing two more rounds of chemotherapy in June.

Now the gynecologist is pleased to say that she is in ‘the best of health’ and that she is now five years old, which is ‘a real milestone’.

She added: ‘I’m very happy.

‘The best advice I have for people undergoing cancer treatment is to take each day individually.

‘I feel so lucky to be alive. And it has changed the way I approach patients, having been one myself.

‘Looking back, I felt really good, apart from the back pain. I could so easily have just gone on with my life and missed it. Please listen to your body and don’t ignore your symptoms; keep looking for answers and persevere until you find out what’s going on.’