It started back in October of last year. I’d been admitted to hospital following an asthma attack and after being stabilised for a bit had become very acutely unwell and had to be transferred to high dependency. 2 days later when I was brought back to the respiratory ward I began to vomit after anything I ate or drank. I was sent home with the thought that it was a simple stomach bug I had picked up in the hospital, boy were they wrong. What followed was 2 weeks straight of vomiting everything I would try to take by mouth. I went back and forth for days between my old GP (as I have a new GP due to being in student accommodation) during the day, Out of Hours at the hospital at night. I’d get tablet after tablet to try and day after day I would come back with the vomiting still persistent. After a week and 2 days of vomiting I decided enough was enough. I attended my own GP who then referred me onto the hospital. I spent 5 days as an inpatient in the hospital until the vomiting began to settle. The diagnosis of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome came about. On researching the condition it came to light that this could be what I was suffering from.
Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome is a condition that you would truly not wish upon your worst enemy. It is where you go through episodes of vomiting and severe nausea with absolutely nothing seeming to help. There is no cure for the condition, only treatment.
Months passed before my second episode of vomiting occurred in February of this year. Again I had been admitted to hospital following an asthma attack and I started to vomit. I was hospitalised for 5 days until, again, the vomiting began to subside. This was a different hospital to my previous admission and they doubted the diagnosis of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. I was sent home with anti-sickness tablets and it just went away as quickly as it had started.
My third episode of vomiting started at the beginning of March of this year. A couple of days into the vomiting I began to vomit up coffee ground vomit which is a sign that you are vomiting up blood. After attending Out of Hours I was advised to attend the hospital. The hospital I had attended during my first admission was closest so I was sent there. I was kept in hospital until the vomiting again began to subside. Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome was once again brought up and it was thought that the vomiting blood was caused by a Mallory-Weise tear which is a tear to the oesophagus which can occur with vomiting and retching.
I went nearly 3 weeks before my current episode of vomiting started. It started during March of this year and now, nearly 4 weeks on, it has not subsided. I have been hospitalised for 3 weeks now and I finally am getting home. I still cannot keep anything orally down including my very vital medication for my other conditions. After nearly 3 weeks of vomiting a decision was made to place an NG tube into my stomach. An NG tube is what is more commonly known as a feeding tube. It goes down your nose into your stomach and you are given feed through it. I was exhausted, had no energy and could barely walk because I was so tired all the time. I am now beginning to feel more energetic thanks to the feeding tube. Unfortunately I am being discharged from the hospital with the NG tube in place and until further notice will be receiving tube feeds overnight.
The doctors are clueless about what is causing my bizarre vomiting. Many tests have been conducted to rule out various conditions but the reality I am having to face is I may never know what is causing my vomiting.
