Auckland dental receptionist Rebecca Gilbert suffered excruciating daily back pain for five years before she was given a scan that showed a tumour on her spine.
Despite being told surgery might leave her paralysed, the 37-year-old bravely went ahead with an operation, where the tumour was successfully removed and declared non-cancerous. But a week later, Rebecca experienced a medical nightmare that left her on the brink of death.
“When I first started getting back pain, I figured it was part of my job as a dental assistant, which I did for 12 years before I got sick, because you’re always leaning to the side,”
