I was told my 'shooting' back pain was normal for 10 years - it was cancer and now I'm paralysed

A mother-of-one who spent a decade in agony with lower back pain has been left paralysed—after doctors finally discovered a tumour growing in her spine. 

Julie Coleman, 33, from Glasgow, first experienced the 'shooting' pain in her back and legs when she was pregnant with her now 10-year-old son, Connor, in 2014. 

She was repeatedly told it was simply sciatica—a common condition where the nerve running from the lower back to the feet becomes compressed. 

Doctors reassured her that back pain was common during pregnancy and that the discomfort would subside after she gave birth.

However the problems continued, and Ms Coleman was later prescribed physiotherapy and painkillers. 

Recalling her ordeal, she said: 'I was told it was sciatica, and there was no point sending me for any scans because back surgery was too dangerous.

'It was extremely frustrating and it got to the point where I probably lost trust in my GP because I knew they weren't going to do anything.

'I was going to several different GPs within the same practice and they were all saying the same thing. I just thought this is me for the rest of my life.' 

Julie Coleman pictured with her son, Connor, and her fiancé Stephen 

Ms Coleman's symptoms were overlooked by doctors for ten years until an MRI scan finally revealed the cause of her back pain, which would leave her paralysed 

The MRI scans revealed a massive tumour that was growing in her spinal cord 

The bride-to-be also complained of numbness in her right foot, which started in her toes and began 'creeping' into her foot in 2022. 

And after 10 years of failed treatments, Ms Coleman, who used to work for Alzheimer's Scotland before her injury, was finally referred for an MRI scan.

The scan, which she had at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow on 24 December 2024, revealed a massive tumour growing inside her spinal cord.

On January 9, Ms Coleman saw a neurosurgeon at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, who delivered the life-changing diagnosis. 

'I was really shocked as I had been trying to say something was wrong the whole time,' Ms Coleman recalled. 

Determined to walk down the aisle on her wedding day in July, Ms Coleman decided to go ahead with the surgery to remove the tumour. 

Despite being told that this was her best option, because the nerve damage caused by the tumour could result in paralysis, doctors warned her that there were some risks associated with the surgery, and that it may not reverse her symptoms.

Ms Coleman underwent surgery on January 28, where most of the tumour was removed. 

Ms Coleman spent the last six months of her pregnancy sitting up in bed, because it was too painful to lie down 

Ms Coleman now has to use a wheelchair for long distances, after her symptoms were dismissed by doctors for a decade 

The tumour was confirmed to be a schwannoma, a rare non-cancerous tumour that covers the nerves. 

According to Cancer Research UK, symptoms include general aching, shooting pains, feeling weak, pins and needles or a tingling sensation and numbness.  

Despite successfully removing the majority of the tumour, doctors are concerned that some of the nerve damage may be irreversible, as Ms Coleman was left paralysed from the right knee down. 

She said: 'I have random patches on my legs and stomach that are completely numb. Most of my pain was down my right leg so that obviously had the most damage to the nerves.' 

It could take up to two years to determine whether her symptoms will be permanent.

Ms Coleman returned home to her son and fiancé, Stephen, 35, on February 18 where she now has to use a walking frame and wheelchair to move around. 

The couple are due to tie the knot in July—where she will walk down the aisle using crutches and her son for support. 

The new bride will have to have another MRI scan in August to confirm whether the tumour has been fully removed.