This Woman Can’t Sit Down to Eat Without Facing a Life-Threatening Struggle

A woman with achalasia, vomiting 60 times daily, must eat standing up to survive, highlighting rare condition struggles.
By Buddhima Sandaruwni
January 21, 2025
3:02 GMT-0830

A 25-year-old woman from Dover, Kent, has shared her harrowing journey of living with achalasia, a rare and debilitating condition that has turned everyday eating into a life-threatening ordeal. Elise Baynard, a healthcare worker, has been battling this condition, which prevents her from eating or drinking while sitting down. Instead, she must stand to allow food to pass into her stomach, a method that barely mitigates her relentless symptoms.

A Daily Battle Against Her Body

Elise’s struggles began unexpectedly in January 2020 when she experienced difficulty swallowing and a tight pressure in her chest. Initially misdiagnosed with acid reflux, she was prescribed medication that failed to alleviate her symptoms. Over time, her condition worsened, leaving her unable to swallow solid foods like bread or pasta and eventually even liquids.

I never had any problems with swallowing before, But now, I can’t sit down to eat without risking food getting stuck or being sick multiple times a day.

Elise

Her daily life is dominated by the condition, with episodes of regurgitation occurring up to 60 times a day. At her worst, she vomited 63 times in a single day, leading to rapid weight loss and a growing fear of eating. “I can’t eat things like bread or pasta because it gets stuck, and I end up regurgitating it,” Elise explained. “One day, I was sick about 63 times.”

Image Credit : SWNS

The Long Road to Diagnosis

Elise’s struggle with the healthcare system added to her ordeal. Despite undergoing an endoscopy in 2021, the results came back normal, and she felt dismissed by specialists who only consulted with her over the phone. “I never met the specialist in person, it was all over the phone,” she said. “All the while, my condition kept getting worse.”

It wasn’t until November 2024, after being referred to a specialist in London, that she finally received a diagnosis of achalasia. A manometry test confirmed that the muscles in her oesophagus no longer functioned, making it nearly impossible for food to move toward her stomach.

“There is no activity in my throat – it’s basically broken,” Elise said. “They don’t know why it developed. It could have been genetic or stress, or a dormant virus. There’s no way of really knowing.”

She experienced significant weight loss due to developing a fear of food
Image credit : SWNS

A Life-Altering Condition

The impact of achalasia on Elise’s life has been profound. She relies on a limited diet of soft foods like milky cereal and crisps to avoid choking or regurgitating. Esophageal spasms, a common symptom, often leave her doubled over in pain, mimicking the sensation of a heart attack.

One side effect is an oesophageal spasm – pain in my jaw, neck, and back. It literally feels like having a heart attack. Some days I’m sobbing on the floor in pain.

Elise

The social implications have been equally severe. Elise avoids eating out with friends, fearing public embarrassment or the need to rush to a bathroom. “It affects every part of my life. I can’t go out for food and drinks with friends in case I’m sick, or I have to make sure I’m always near a bathroom,” she said.

A Glimmer of Hope

Elise is now awaiting a referral for a procedure called peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), which involves widening the lower oesophagus to allow food to pass more easily. However, after years of delays in her diagnosis, she fears how long the process will take.

“I have to wait for my specialist to refer me for the procedure,” Elise explained. “But it took years to get a diagnosis – I don’t know how long this will take. I’m desperate. It’s always on my mind, and I’m developing a fear of eating.”

Raising Awareness

By sharing her story, Elise hopes to raise awareness about achalasia, which is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood. “I really want to shine a light on this condition because it’s hard to diagnose,” she said. Elise urges the medical community to act faster in recognizing and treating rare conditions like hers to prevent others from enduring similar struggles.