Rare Condition Causes 27-Year-Old Woman To Vomit 30 Times A Day

A 27-year-old woman suffers from a rare condition that causes her to vomit 30 times a day. The illness called gastroparesis also left her in "agonizing and debilitating" pain, said reports.

Emily Webster, 27, from Leeds, U.K., says she began showing symptoms in 2016. She started to experience physical pain and vomiting. Webster then consulted a doctor who misdiagnosed her condition as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a common disorder that affects the large intestine, reported Leeds Live.

However, her condition worsened and she missed several days at work for nine months. She added that not a day went by without her feeling physical pain or vomiting. She also experienced sudden weight loss and at one stage, she weighed just 70 pounds, which is the average weight of a 10-year-old girl.

"It was so difficult, I was just sick every day. I went misdiagnosed for so long. I spent most of the time in bed not being able to do anything. I kept losing weight as well. I remember being so scared and worried how I would cope in life, even financially," Webster said.

Tests could not tell what caused her condition and doctors suggested her illness was caused by mental health issues. She was admitted to a mental health hospital where she underwent therapy in 2018.

"I knew in my heart there was something wrong, but I felt so helpless because the tests were showing I was fine," Webster explained.

Finally, in 2019, a staff member of the hospital noticed Webster vomiting and realized that she was throwing up undigested food. That's when she was diagnosed with gastroparesis, a disease in which the stomach cannot empty itself of food in a normal fashion.

In a normal human being, strong muscular contractions propel food through the digestive tract. But, for someone with gastroparesis, the stomach's motility is slowed down or doesn't work at all, preventing the stomach from emptying properly.

"It was the biggest relief of my whole life that there was a name to it, it wasn’t something I made up or something in my head," said Webster.

Doctors have suggested she undergo surgery to implant a gastric pacemaker, which is inserted into the abdomen.

According to Webster, "It’s considered a success if it improves the situation by 50 percent, but any improvement I would be happy with. It would make my life better, and it would improve the quality of my life."

Webster needs approximately $12,977 for the surgery and has launched a fundraiser to help meet the expense.