Mum with rare condition can only eat fruit and veg or will be 'violently ill'
A mum who has been diagnosed with multiple conditions cannot eat anything other than fruit or veg without becoming severely unwell.
Manpreet Arora, 49, went to see a specialist doctor when she began spitting out blood three years ago - but she claims the otolaryngologist told her nothing was wrong.
Then in December last year, her symptoms worsened after catching Covid and she rapidly started to lose weight.
The mum-of-two has now been diagnosed with gastritis and oesophagitis - inflammatory conditions of the stomach and throat.
As a result, she can only eat basic fruit and vegetables - otherwise she falls "violently ill".
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The mum-of-two began spitting out blood and suffering with a dry throat in 2020 (Manpreet Arora / SWNS)Manpreet, from Stanwell, Surrey, said: "Originally the otolaryngologist kept saying that I would never find out where the blood was coming from.
"It wasn't till I caught Covid and lost 7kg that I was given an endoscopy and finally diagnosed.
"But in the time its taken, my conditions have got so bad I can only eat vegetables without becoming violently ill."
Manpreet had previously struggled with reoccurring stomach infections before she started having problems with her throat in February 2020.
The mum began spitting up blood and developed a dry, red throat which was causing her substantial discomfort.
Her GP referred her to the ear nose and throat department at Ashford Hospital, but due to the pandemic, it took months to get an appointment.
When she was finally seen, Manpreet claims her concerns were dismissed by the specialist doctor.
She can only eat basic fruit and vegetables or else she feels severely unwell (stock photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)"The blood started and I knew something wasn't right, but after seeing the otolaryngologist, I was very disheartened," she said.
"He told me that there was nothing wrong with me and that his throat was more red than mine.
"I went back and saw three or four different GPs over the next two years, who prescribed antibiotics, but nothing was working. I was left to suffer."
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Manpreet's symptoms became drastically worse when she got Covid for the second time in December 2022.
Her throat was drier than ever, she was struggling to catch her breath and she started to get intense chest pains.
After losing weight, she finally qualified to have an endoscopy - and the results revealed she'd been suffering with gastritis and oesophagitis for many months.
She's been prescribed tablets to reduce the acid in her stomach but Manpreet says they're only making her conditions worse.
And, as a result, she's now stuck on a diet of basic vegetables - and even those can trigger severe illness.
She eats a variety of meals using courgettes, bok choy and bottle gourd, eating small portions twice a day.
She was finally diagnosed with gastritis and oesophagitis after catching Covid (Manpreet Arora / SWNS)The customer services assistant said: "I was fobbed off and ignored for years until Covid made me extremely unwell.
"All the symptoms I'd been suffering up until that point became so much worse, and after doctors saw how much weight I lost, I was then referred to have an endoscopy.
"I was diagnosed with gastritis and oesophagitis, but because the results showed I've had it for a long time, damage to the inner stomach lining may be permanent.
"I'm stuck on a diet of veg, and even last week when I ate a carrot it triggered a horrendous reaction.
"The frustrating thing is, if this was caught earlier, I'd have a chance at getting better. But as things stand, I could be stuck with these health issues forever."
A spokesperson at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are sorry that Mrs Arora feels like she hasn't received the level of care she expected.
"We have spoken to Mrs Arora and are in the process of investigating her complaint."
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