I had a frustrating month and a bit looking for answers about the sharp pain I was experiencing in my middle spine. I saw a physiotherapist and a GP (filling in for my regular doctor, who was on maternity leave) and had an x-ray, and no one thought it was anything serious even when I started having significant balance issues.

Finally, when my feet started to go numb, I limped into the ER one morning and came out of hospital 3 1/2 months later in a wheel chair, after having a tumour cut off my spine in emergency surgery, augmented by radiation therapy (I can walk again now, two years later, and my cancer is fully under control).

Most of the time unexplained pains are nothing, but sometimes they're something. Healthcare professionals are competent and hardworking, but outliers (like me) can slip through the holes.