A woman’s crippling condition caused her to vomit up to 100 times a day.
Rebecca Griffiths, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, suffered from a severe case of cyclical vomiting syndrome.
The 31-year-old started vomiting uncontrollably five years ago, with her life then consisting of ‘just lying down on the sofa with a sick bowl’.
The former management consultant was left unable to hold down a job or eat a meal, with her condition even landing her in A&E as often as once a week.
After being forced to rely on her parents to act as her full-time carers, Ms Griffiths’ luck may have finally changed after a surgeon in Germany performed a ‘make or break’ operation.
Six weeks on, Ms Griffiths’ vomiting episodes have reduced dramatically, with her looking forward to a brighter future.
Rebecca Griffiths suffered from a severe case of cyclical vomiting syndrome
The former management consultant would vomit up to 100 times a day, with her being unable to hold down a job or eat a meal. She would even have to go to A&E up to once a week
Ms Griffiths’ condition was thought to be caused by blood vessels in her stomach being compressed, which led to inflammation, pain and retching. She is pictured six weeks ago with her mother Caroline after undergoing surgery in Germany to relieve the compression
Speaking of her condition, Ms Griffiths said: ‘I can’t eat, I can’t drink, I am basically just lying down on the sofa, with a blanket and a sick bowl and that has been my life, every other day for the last five years.
‘It has completely stopped my life.’
Ms Griffiths, who also suffers from type 1 diabetes, used to love outdoor sports and was full of energy growing up.
But in November 2013, she suddenly started to experience mysterious vomiting episodes.
‘I started to really struggle with a bout of horrendous nausea and vomiting, and it lasted five days and the doctors didn’t know what to do,’ Ms Griffiths said.
‘I have always just wanted to be successful at whatever I do – it doesn’t matter what that is, I just want to do it well and I feel now that I can’t do anything well. I can’t do anything at all.’
After being prescribed anti-nausea medication, which did little to ease her suffering, Ms Griffiths was eventually diagnosed with CVS.
The near-constant vomiting made Ms Griffiths so dehydrated that she was left lethargic and unresponsive.
The combination of her CVS and diabetes even made Ms Griffiths so dehydrated that her mother Caroline was forced to feed saline solution through her daughter’s main vein.
Since her condition developed five years ago, Ms Griffiths claimed her life consisted of ‘just lying down on the sofa with a blanket and a sick bowl’. She now hopes for a brighter future
Ms Griffiths, who also suffers from type 1 diabetes, would often be left lethargic and unresponsive after vomiting episodes made her develop severe dehydration. She relied on her parents to be her full-time carers, with Caroline even feeding her saline solution via an IV drip
But Ms Griffiths’ luck may have changed after a specialist in complex vascular diseases, from Germany, performed surgery on her.
Her doctor, known only as Professor Sandmann, believes Ms Griffiths’ vomiting was caused by the compression of her major blood vessels.
She thinks Ms Griffiths’ blood vessels were being squeezed shut by a ligament, which was restricting her blood flow.
The area around these blood vessels is made up of a cluster of sensitive nerve endings, with Ms Griffiths’ becoming irritated & inflamed due to the compression.
Subsequent pain in this area can make a person wretch and vomit.
Professor Sandmann performed complex surgery to open up Ms Griffiths’ blood vessels.
And 24 hours after the operation, Ms Griffiths’ still had not vomited.
Six weeks on, she said: ‘I have had more good days than bad days, so I really do feel like we’re getting somewhere.
‘But I know it’s going to take time and when I have bad days I have to remember not to be disheartened and not to think that it hasn’t worked, but just remember that I am having more good days.
‘And that I can do more and more as time goes on.’
Ms Griffiths features on Body Bizarre, which airs on Saturdays at 10pm on TLC UK.