Rebecca initially dismissed her sickness as being a result of her Christmas work meal – but months later discovered she had a rare form of cancer.
12:54, 23 May 2025Updated 12:54, 23 May 2025
Rebecca Hind, 39, contracted food poisoning at a work Christmas meal – but her sickness never went away (Image: Courtesy Rebecca Hind / SWNS)
A woman was left needing 13 organs removed after what she thought was food poisoning was actually a rare but aggressive form of cancer. Rebecca Hind initially dismissed her symptoms as food poisoning after falling ill following a Christmas work meal.
Several of her colleagues were also unwell, leading her to believe it was nothing serious. However, two months later, while everyone else had recovered, Rebecca remained ill.
Earlier that year, the now-39 year old had also noticed unusual weight gain around her stomach but simply continued exercising in an attempt to lose it. With no improvement in her symptoms, she sought help from her GP and made multiple visits.
Rebecca, from Eden Valley, Cumbria, said: “After our Christmas 2018 work meal, a few of us were unwell – but whilst others recovered quickly, I remained ill eight weeks later. The GP had given me several rounds of antibiotics, but nothing worked.”
She had to have 13 organs removed after cancerous masses had fused to the surface of several abdominal organs (Image: Courtesy Rebecca Hind / SWNS)
She was eventually referred to hospital where a CT scan revealed cancerous masses in her abdomen. These were later identified as pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), a rare type of cancer that killed film star Audrey Hepburn. Rebecca learned it had spread widely to other organs by a jelly-like cancerous liquid called mucin.
Rebecca’s stomach swelling had been the characteristic “jelly belly'” associated with PMP as the mucin gathered in her abdomen. Mucin had fused to the surface of many of her organs to form hard masses, limiting their ability to function.
“By the time they found it, I was pretty much riddled with it,” Rebecca recalled. April 2019 saw her undergo a complex operation at The Christie Hospital in Manchester, where surgeons removed her appendix and umbilicus, along with the lesser omentum, and six litres of mucin.
Upon discovering that her cancer was an aggressive, high-grade variant of PMP affecting multiple organs, Rebecca undertook eight rounds of chemotherapy, which sadly failed to sufficiently diminish the tumour.
Determined, she travelled to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital in November 2019 for what is referred to as “the mother of all surgeries” by specialists eager to eradicate all abnormal tissue.
The extensive 12-hour procedure led to the removal of several of Rebecca’s organs: her greater omentum, gall bladder, spleen, large bowel, womb, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and rectum were all excised. Her stomach and small bowel were partially removed, the liver’s surface layer was stripped, and both sides of her diaphragm were taken out.
Reflecting on her ordeal, Rebecca said: “I went through a surgical menopause aged 35 – it was an assault on the body. As part of the surgery I had a heated liquid form of chemotherapy – known as HIPEC – to target any remaining cancer cells and they formed an ileostomy.”
Rebecca doesn’t know how long she will live, but is trying to experience as much as she can and live a fulfilling, happy and enjoyable life. (Image: Courtesy Rebecca Hind / SWNS)
Post-operation recovery meant extended hospital stays for Rebecca, who now lives with a restricted diet and the necessity of taking an electrolyte fluid solution alongside her food supplements.
She relies on a daily regimen of 50 to 60 tablets, including codeine, Imodium, and hormone replacement therapy. However, in the summer of 2020, Rebecca discovered that her cancer had not been eradicated.
She took part in a clinical trial in 2022 designed to target the genetic mutation linked to her cancer, but it left her too ill to continue. Subsequently, she exhausted all treatment options and her condition was deemed incurable.
Rebecca, who previously worked as an outdoor instructor, is now focused on living life to the fullest. She explained: “I’m trying to do things to have a ‘normal’ life – but with modifications.
“I turn 40 this year and I want to say yes to everything – I’ve been surfing, in a hot air balloon and dog sledding so far.
“My latest challenge is Chris Hoy’s ‘Tour de 4’ 90km cycle to raise money for Pseudomyxoma Survivor, a specific PMP charity, the patron of which is Audrey Hepburn’s son.
“The message I want to get across is when you have a stoma or an incurable diagnosis, things will be incredibly difficult. My daily life is a rollercoaster – but with the right attitude, you can still achieve a lot. And more importantly, enjoy whatever time you have.”
To support Rebecca’s fundraising efforts, visit gofundme.com/f/BexH-Tourde4.