A woman's incurable blood cancer left her back broken in 13 places and caused her to lose three inches in height.

Antoinette Carr, 50, from Enfield, was diagnosed with myeloma in 2012 after suffering from continuing fatigue following maternity leave.

Over the years since, her cancer has returned seven times and caused her spine to fracture in 13 places.

Myeloma cells grow in the bone marrow and bone - causing local bone damage or generalised thinning of the bone - reducing Antionette's height from 5ft 2ins to 4ft 9ins.

After reaching her seventh round of chemotherapy and exhausting all other treatment options, Antionette signed up to a new drug trial - belantamab mafodotin - which treats multiple myeloma.

She was then told she was in remission in December 2022 - where the signs and symptoms of your cancer are reduced.

Antoinette, a former support worker, said: "After maternity leave, I kept feeling more tired than usual.

"I thought it might be postnatal depression then I just put it down to being a working mum with a young baby.

"I had a bone marrow biopsy and they told me I had myeloma - it was really, really hard."

For Myeloma Awareness Week (June 19-25), Antoinette teamed up with charity Myeloma UK to highlight the fact that there are currently 851 people living with undiagnosed myeloma in the UK.

As part of the campaign, the 50-year-old is urging the public to learn the tell-tale symptoms, rule themselves out and spread the word about myeloma.

After lockdown started, Antoinette's cancer started to eat away at her vertebrae - causing her spine to fracture in four places.

She spent three weeks in hospital and was sent home in a back brace.

Despite being on strong painkillers and eventually begging her orthopaedic doctor in Whitechapel to see her in person, she was told – over the phone – that her pain would eventually subside.

But, by the time she was rushed to St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, less than a week later, she had nine more back fractures.

She then had to undergo kyphoplasty surgery - which injects cement into broken bones - but the damage to her spine has left her in constant pain and with limited mobility.

Antoinette said: “It’s only when my back fractured that it really started affecting my family because it affected my mobility.

“It’s when it kind of hit me. I had to stay in the hospital a lot more.

“I can’t wash my hair myself; I’ve lost three inches in height, and I can’t drive. My husband had to give up work to look after me. I have a permanent curve in my spine.

“But I just deal with the here and now. What’s the point in worrying?

"Worrying is like carrying an umbrella with you all the time in case it rains. I just try to live for the moment.”

Antoinette had reached her seventh round of chemotherapy and exhausted all treatment avenues when she signed up to a clinical trial for a new drug - belantamab mafodotin - in November 2021.

Antoinette said: “This is the only treatment that’s kept me stable for this long.

“Up until I was put on this trial, I had run out of all standard treatment options, and I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot by being on this treatment.

"I’m glad to have got this far.

"It’s saving lives and it’s giving me more time - until, hopefully, they find a cure.”