Anneliese Alarcon is a 36 year old mother of two who has been battling illness since she was 16 years old. She lives with a condition called Gastroparesis, which is a complication of her Type 1 diabetes.

‘’My condition – gastroparesis – is caused by damage to the vagus nerve in my stomach which causes the stomach muscles to stop working, or become paralysed,’’ she said.

‘’During flare-ups, the usual signals from the stomach to the brain stop connecting, so the brain doesn’t know there’s nothing left to throw up.

So I can vomit for hours, days, for over a week. It’s exhausting – it gets to the point where I don’t know what day it is, whether it’s night or day.

It’s almost like you are in purgatory.’’

Although she has tried many ways to improve her quality of life through diet, medication and alternate therapy, nothing has worked with regards to her debilitating condition, gastroparesis, at this point in time.

‘’I have two gorgeous girls and a supportive husband but this has been very hard for us,’’ she said.

‘’I can’t make plans or go on holiday and I miss out on so many family events – taking the kids to soccer or dancing, going out to dinner, or going shopping.”

‘’I never know when it’s going to hit – I’m fine one moment and the next I’m vomiting into a shopping bag.’’

During her latest hospital stay, a feeding tube was installed in order to give her stomach a break. Her liquid feeds are $350 a month plus pump supplies which are $90 a month, plus all other medications on top of all other medical expenses.

‘’The liquid goes straight into the small intestine at 100 mls an hour because my body can’t handle any more than that,’’ she said.

‘’I’ve chosen to attach it from 8pm to 8am so at least I’m not attached to a feeding machine all day.

I’m trialling this for six weeks to give my stomach a rest as it’s so inflamed from all the vomiting and constant irritation.

I’m hoping after that I will be able to start introducing some food though it will have to be a slow process.’’

In a further blow, Anneliese was informed that she didn’t qualify for a healthcare card, so these would be all out of pocket expenses.

“I don’t qualify for a healthcare card or any card that can help me with making my $500 a month expense of tube feeding and insulin pump a lot cheaper. To qualify you have to be earning no more that $800 a week net total. Now for a family of 4 how is this even possible? The average rent is $400 a week so that’s half gone. Then you have electricity, water, car expenses, insurances, forget health fund, food, etc. Where has reality gone? A family of 4 to sustain the necessities needed require more than $800 per week! I don’t understand and I wasn’t even asking for money, just a card to make my monthly necessities cheaper and I just don’t have the energy right now to fight and justify. It’s really sad what they justify as a “low income earner”.Seriously have these people been grocery shopping or seen the cost of private health? ?”

In a recent visit with her doctor, she was told that her feeding tube may become more of a permanent fixture if things don’t improve sooner rather than later.

“Today I was told that I may not eat again and that I have to accept the tube and even one day a peg which is being fed via a hole they surgically create in my stomach. I’m not ready for that, I’m not ready to give up. If people have cured illnesses as serious as cancer I have to believe I can do the same. Today was a blow but I’ll get back up and keep trying and I may not eat cake this birthday but I’m hoping to next one.”

Anneliese’s family have set up a GO FUND ME page to help with expenses while she is unable to work due to her fight with Gastroparesis.

Throughout all of this, Anneliese has chosen to be happy as it is good for her health. She is determined to return to the job she loves and the quality of life she deserves.

Read the full story here.