Claire Williams, 30, felt her spine snap as she bent down. But it never occurred to the doctor she went to that it might be anything serious. Only eight months after this incident did the pain in her back become so severe that the woman had to go back to the doctor. After the MRI examination, it turned out that … his spine was broken.
Claire suffers from a very rare disease that causes a tumor to develop inside her vertebrae. As a consequence of this deformation, the spine was fractured. The condition of the British is so rare that it does not yet have a medical name.
Claire’s problems began in May 2011. The woman was bending down to remove the items from the bottom shelf of the refrigerator when she heard a crack in her spine. Despite the great pain, the doctor only prescribed her medications to relieve her, and recommended that she visit a chiropractor.
For several months, Claire went to therapy, but the symptoms did not subside, and in February last year it intensified so much that the woman decided to go to the doctor again. This time it was concluded that an MRI examination was absolutely necessary. The test showed Claire had a broken spine! The injury resulted from the development of a large mass inside the vertebrae. Surgery was necessary.
The procedure was not performed until September 2012. The operation lasted over six hours. During the procedure, the British woman had several damaged vertebrae removed and replaced with a metal cage, inside which the spinal cord was placed.
From childhood, I had backaches that came and went, but we thought it was, for example, from carrying books or exercising, says the woman.
I want to raise awareness about this rare disease. It happens once in a million people, but there probably are people out there who suffer from it and they don’t know it. If I can ensure that at least one person doesn’t have to go through what I do, I want to do it, adds Claire.
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