We’ve all seen cases where vague symptoms spiral into something serious, but this one takes it to a new level.

Rebecca Hind, 39, from Cumbria, England, first felt sick after her office holiday party in 2018. Like anyone would, she chalked it up to food poisoning.

Sheffield, T. Woman, 39, Thought She Had Food Poisoning. Turned Out It Was a Rare Form of Cancer and She Had to Have 13 Organs Removed. People. May 24, 2025.

But when the nausea and GI discomfort didn’t clear up after a couple of weeks, and then dragged on for months, she knew something wasn’t right.

Diagnosis and treatment

Eventually, Hind was diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP)—a rare cancer that causes mucus to build up in the abdomen, often from a tumour in the appendix.

Hind had two major surgeries. The first removed her appendix and omentum—and 1.6 gallons of mucus. Chemo didn’t work.

So in round two, surgeons performed a massive debulking surgery, removing 13 organs: her uterus, ovaries, gallbladder, spleen, large bowel, part of her stomach, part of her liver, rectum, diaphragm, and more.

What doctors can take away from this

Hind, who said she has “essentially run out of treatment options,” now lives without most of her GI tract and depends on medications and fluid nutrition to stay functional. Still, she’s defying expectations—surfing, dog sledding, and planning a 90km charity bike ride to raise money for PMP research.

Sheffield, T. Woman, 39, Thought She Had Food Poisoning. Turned Out It Was a Rare Form of Cancer and She Had to Have 13 Organs Removed. People. May 24, 2025.

If symptoms don’t go away, dig deeper

“It’s just food poisoning” doesn’t hold up if a patient’s still symptomatic 2 months later.

PMP is rare—but real

You’re unlikely to see it, but it’s a good reminder of what can hide behind chronic abdominal symptoms.

Quality of life matters

Despite her intense medical history, Rebecca’s pushing forward and making the most of it. She’s not just surviving—she’s living.