A lawyer who complained of a ‘pulled muscle’ was stunned when doctors revealed he’d had a broken back for 40 years – but discovering the injury saved his life.
David Cook, from Rochester, New York, consulted the help of a physiotherapist after struggling with lower back pain in May, which he had put down to a ‘pulled muscle from the gym’.
The 66-year-old was referred to a spinal specialist after his symptoms failed to improve – when his doctor spotted something alarming on his scan.
The dad-of-four was shocked to learn he had unknowingly broken his back 40 years ago, most likely during one of his adventurous skiing holidays.
Luckily, the break had healed without medical intervention, however even more concerningly medics spotted a ‘baseball-sized’ mass on David’s kidney that required further testing.
MR COOK THROUGHOUT PLEASE David underwent a successful operation to remove the tumor – which was later determined as cancerous.
DELETE. REPETITION David never suspected his months of back pain would have resulted in a cancer diagnosis – blaming his symptoms on old age or a pulled muscle from working out.
David Cook, pictured with his wife Kathleen, consulted the help of a physiotherapist after struggling with lower back pain in May
David said: ‘Before I went to the doctor about it, I thought the back pain was just a pulled muscle. I thought it was something that just needed massage therapy.
‘Over a period of about a month-and-a-half, there was no relief. I was stretching and what not but there was no relief.
‘I thought it was age or a pulled muscle. After three sessions with a physiotherapist, he told me to go see a spinal specialist.’
After undergoing an x-ray, David’s doctor spotted two causes for concern on his scan.
David said: ‘He looked at the scan and the first thing he said was “when did you break your back?” I said I never knew I’d broken my back and he told me I’d definitely broken my back.
‘I played a lot of sports as a kid and skied a lot so it could’ve been from a number of spectacular ski crashes.
‘He told me the break had healed on its own but there was another problem which was causing this pain.
‘He said there was something on my kidney and we need to get that looked at. The doctor said I probably wasn’t feeling the pain earlier in life because I’m quite active.’
Further tests revealed a baseball-sized tumor suspected to be growing in David’s kidney for the last ten years, which was likely to be CANCEROUS.
DOCS BELIEVE THE UNTRATED BACK BREAK MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF THE TUMOR
EXPLAIN HOW TRAUMATIC INJURY CAN LEAD TO CANCER HERE PLEASE
David said: ‘I was prepared to be told I had six months. Me and my wife have this goal to see every continent and all the national parks, and my greatest anguish would be not being able to do that.
‘We still want to do that. I was anguished at the thought of my wife being alone. She was very supportive.
David, pictured with his sons Jared and Dallon, was shocked to learn he had unknowingly broken his back 40 years ago, most likely during one of his adventurous skiing holidays
Luckily, the break had healed without medical intervention, however even more concerningly medics spotted a ‘baseball-sized’ mass on David’s kidney that required further testing
‘I never expected when I first experienced back pain that this was the cause. It was the furthest thing from my mind.
‘I’m in good shape, I never smoke or drink. I live a very healthy lifestyle so I thought why me? I was doing all the right things.’
The dad underwent an operation where the cancerous tumor was removed and his kidney was luckily saved.
David was told the pain was caused by both the tumor and a condition known as cardiac amyloidosis.
This is a condition that occurs when plaques of a protein byproduct known as amyloids build up in the heart muscle.
The heart becomes stiff and is unable to pump blood, effectively putting someone in the early stages of heart failure.
David said: ‘The back pain helped save my life. I really thought it was just a pulled muscle. The doctor actually told me that the back pain had saved my life.
‘Without that pain, the tumor would’ve just kept growing and it would’ve been a very different conversation. I feel great and very grateful and lucky.’
