My Condition Means I'll Never Eat Again | BORN DIFFERENT 

This is my gorgeous friend Liv - she’s absolutely amazing 🩷 We share some of the same diagnoses, and her support has helped me through some incredibly rough patches. Despite everything she’s going through, she’s always there for others. I love you so much sunshine - unbelievably proud of you angel. You deserve the world xx

I had gastroparesis for about 6 years. Between age of 31-37. Was on a jejunum feeding tube for 4 years. Dr's don't know how, but by a miracle I was able to eat again and live a normal life.

Praying for everyone battling this horrible chronic illness ☹️🤎

Most social activities as an adult revolve around food -- inviting people for dinner, coffee, drinks etc etc People are ALWAYS eating 😑 You can go along and not eat but it makes others uncomfortable and can bring up feelings of anger and jealousy for the person not eating. It's an ongoing struggle and her situation is more extreme than my own. I love how she brings awareness.

My best friend has gastroparaesis and 18 months ago she was given a gastric pacemaker and she now lives a virtually normal life she goes to Essex and has the voltage increased there is one surgeon in the whole country that does these pacemakers and its amazing what its done for my best friend

I have Gastroparesis and mental conditions. I'm fighting to eat until the day I can't. I had throwing up episodes recently and I get more and more scared I will need TPN and a heart pump one day. Beautiful humans like her make my future seem a little brighter. Thank you love we can do it. We are stronger than our illnesses.

Very inspirational! I hope she knows that she doesn’t have to justify her chronic illness to anyone!

As a Nigerian I must say You have inspired me To hold on through current times🥹

Her gastroparesis must be extremely severe if she is on TPN instead of being on a PEJ (post stomach variant of tube feed)

It sounds incredibly hard to live like that. You have very good internal strength to go through all that and still be a positive.

What an incredible young woman you are, Liv. One of my friends has a diagnosis of GP amongst other things and is NJ fed. Unfortunately for her, she had to go private for a diagnosis and treatment. She’s had to spend a huge amount of thousands of pounds to treat this condition. It just shouldn’t be like that. It’s a valid illness and you should be able to receive treatment from the NHS. Keep speaking out, Lovely. You’re making SUCH a difference 😊

Such a beautiful young lady, I'm glad she has her mum, who's very supportive. She has a positive attitude and can inspire so many others going through this disease. God bless her and her mum 🙏🩷🙏

As soon as I saw the video title and thumbnail, I was like, "Omg, Gastroparesis?" 😁 Cuz I have it, too -- though mine is related to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that tends to cause a bunch of other disorders. A lot of those are neurological, like Gastroparesis. Mine was diagnosed 16 years ago, when I was 19yo (I'm 35yo now). I was really lucky, in that my EDS specialist knew that a lot of EDS patients develop it, so he referred me to a gastroenterologist who treats a lot of his EDS patients. My Gastroparesis is "moderate", in that I can eat a small amount of a very limited selection of foods, so long as I take a ton of meds throughout the day. Along with a lot of supplementation, monitoring electrolytes and vitamin/mineral levels, blood sugar, etc. I'm thankfully able to get by. It's been a massive adjustment and there are times when it gets worse for a while, but I'm conscious of how good things are now, compared to how much worse they may get in the future. I have a friend with GP who got a gastric pacemaker a few years ago and has had great results with that, so I'm hopeful about future treatment options. But I know what you mean about the toll it all can take on a person's mental health. Thank you so much for the work you're doing, Liv. It is absolutely vital and you're making a difference for all of us 💜

As someone who loves food, I don't know how I'd be able to live with that condition. I'd also be terrified of getting an infection from the tube system

😢God I pray that one day her Illness reverses and she can live and normal life if there ever is one ❤️🙏

Hi Olivia from Australia!! Love your strength and positive attitude. To all those people who are cruel and stupid, you can inform them that 70% of disabilities are invisible!! Wishing you sunshine, peace and happiness for your future.🌻🌻🐞🐞

I'm also going through multiple chronic illnesses that weren't diagnosed until my last year of college, some new ones I'm still being diagnosed with, and I have the same mental health issues. I also totally get the feeling of her having to rely on the support of her mom and having to deal with people not understanding that she's sick or disabled because I have to do the same and I don't look disabled. And it's hard because it just seems like there's always more and more issues and no one else is going through them and will never get what it's like for me to have them and suffer with them, but here is this girl suffering with 90% of the same stuff as me. She seems cool. I'd be her friend.

I couldn't imagine not being able to eat or drink 😢 this is so sad but she's very inspiring and doesn't let it get to her , I hope one day she will be able to eat and drink again

I met a lovely 13 year old girl with Gastroparesis. I learned all I could about her condition. How sad Olivia was suffering symptoms quite some time before she was diagnosed. When a condition is explained, most people accept it as just a small part of a person's life. I was diagnosed with stage 4 Lymphoma after many years of pain and other symptoms.

I love her spirit and attitude. It’s hard to be someone that could eat and drink one day and the next find out you can’t anymore possibly the rest of your life. Most would break and be severely depressed by this. I work in the health care field and one of my clients is a peg. She use to eat and drink but do to her condition she was placed on it. There be times that she would get very depressed and beg me for even just a cup of water. Honestly it breaks my heart because I know food is so much more than just substance for us. It is a pillar of being alive and Human even. Keep going strong and don’t ever give up!

She's a sweetheart tho its crazy that people that goes through life haps are always the bigger than life people

Thank you for doing this, I didn't know this condition existed and raising awareness is really important. My best wishes for you, I hope you live a long and happy life.

I was diagnosed with this 3 years ago I’m no where near as sick as she is I pray it doesn’t get worse but it’s slowly going down hill I’m sorry you have to deal with this I feel your pain

Bless her heart. Beautiful young lady . Super mum too.xx❤❤

As someone who has GP, never feel like you have to ever justify it! And thank you for sharing as it's something that needs awareness.

I was medicated for this illness for over a year before doctors said I didn’t even have it, it was chucked at me and medicated for no reason. I feel so bad for this beautiful girl. I hope she knows how awesome you are. ❤

I was diagnosis with gastro paresis quiet a few years back. I would get what I called "stealth nausea attacks". I would be feeling absolutely fine and then find myself vomiting. I am much better, but I can't eat a lot at one time anymore. I hope your life goes well and perhaps you may have some natural healing. I know I am better than I was, thankfully since I have enough other things wrong.

I have OCD and Depression. I hope you're able to treat yours, so you can enjoy the life you have and not feel as much anxiety. I'm glad that you've found positive outlets to help you cope, like social media, outreach, your mom, knitting, and your dog. I'm sorry that parents aren't telling their kids that it's rude to stare and that even adults are making you uncomfortable with their rudeness. One thread I've seen throughout the videos on this channel is that as hard as living with a chronic medical condition can be, the negative reactions from strangers can make things feel much worse. Thank you for doing this video. I had no idea that Gastroparesis existed.

I have Gastroparesis and I am a bad diabetic on an insulin pump both conditions make it hard to control the other. I have other health issues as well I have been denied SSI and now I am losing Medicaid. Just one of my prescriptions is over 3,000 a month. I have 27 prescriptions in all. There definitely needs to be a change in the health-care system for those who have chronic illnesses. Unless you're a millionaire you can't afford health-care

We love you liv. Thanks for all you do 🩷

I really feel for the situation you're in. It must be tough, and it's courageous to get up every day and keep on living. However, there are many many things in life which are great, comforting, and beautiful to stay a happy person. With love!

Young lady, my heart and prayers go out to you. I have not ever heard of this condition. Thank you for your courage to explain it and talk about it. I have my own disabilities that are not visible to others. Mine disabilities are a walk in the park compared to yours. May Yahweh show favor on you and bless you with healing! Keep your chin up and know that you are loved.

Thank you for bringing awareness to hidden chronic conditions. Due to multiple stomach surgeries my ability to eat normal quantities of food and absorb nutrients has been greatly diminished. Due to this I also had the same feeding system (though they put the port leading to my heart in my arm which was super annoying). I eventually had it removed after several infections. During all of this I was diagnosed with a chronic degenerative pain disorder. I understand that to strangers I do not look sick. I try to act normal by doing physical activities even though I know it could leave me in bed for days afterwards. What hurts me the most, even nine years on, is family members that still continue to make comments about me being cranky and lazy despite the fact that I have been completely honest about how my body responds to these two different conditions. They do not know what I have to do to prep myself for a scheduled event. They do not know the loneliness of being at a gathering that focuses on food and all I do is grab a plate to mindlessly push around its contents because they do not want me hiding in my room.

I’ve been following you for years and got so excited when I saw you in the thumbnail

I have Gastroparesis too, Ive had it since i was three, i have a feeding tube (a GJ specifically) and am lucky enough to be able to eat still. its a constant struggle but its awsome to see olivia doing so well. GP patients can really be seen as people with eating disorders when its totally not, i personally have been treated as having an eating disorder and it was horrible. ironically i LOVE FOOD so much (i had a running joke that if highschool didnt work out i'd be a food critic). I hope she is able to continue being so amazing and incredible

I also have gastroparesis (and POTS)! Thankfully, I'm still able to eat but it is quite painful. I'm currently in the middle of a flare with both conditions so it's been a lot of vomiting/dry-heaving and fainting. Right now, we're trying to treat it with medications and IV fluids but you're right; treatment options are slim. It's definitely hard to keep high spirits when you're constantly fighting not only the world but yourself as well. Stay strong, Liv!

Totally aside the point of Liv's video but girl, i really love your pink checkered jacket, so cute! :) Thanks for sharing your story! I learned so much and I hope the positivity keeps coming through for you and all your followers !

No matter how good or bad you think life is,wake up each day and be thankful for life. Someone somewhere else is fighting to survive. 🙏🏻

It sounds like she still managed to survive before she got her diagnosis even if she was doing poorly which would be preferable to me but what do I know. I'm glad that they don't know for sure that she will never be able to eat again which is better than no hope at all !

My heart goes out to this young lady.

Did they edit out the part where she explains how the feeding-line direct to the heart works? She said it’s what most people were curious about and then they cut to something else….. would have been nice for more info, I’m sure she talked about that to the interviewers.

A very brave girl. I don't think a lot of us would have the strength to live like that, myself included.

I'm so glad you have such a healthy relationship with your mom and have her support. Embrace that.

What a brave young woman!!!!!

I hope one day there will be a cure for this I can't imagine going 7 years and not eating and drinking. I want to cry right now. No one deserves this illness. I hope research is going on right now.

I have this and it’s horrible, the unknown daily is hard to live and be outside the home.

Whoa, I didn't know stomachs could get paralyzed. Thanks for sharing Olivia's story!

As a follower of Liv for a while, she is incredible. She shows the reality of what she goes through and is a light in our community❤

I have Gastroparesis also but can still eat. Not that I don't still have problems. 😢. I'm sorry hun

Breaks my heart she's such a sweet girl. With all the technology and everything out there you would think that we'd have a cure for this. I hope one day we do. God bless her.

Liv you are brave bold and beautiful ❤❤ I feel you mum. Life in your hands. ❤ my son is multi conditioned and peg feed. Fortunately Liv is full aware of her condition and can fight with your loving support. ❤ Anyone saying it’s tax dollars wasted needs to work with the disabled community 😢

I hope doctors can do a stomach transplant to help her. They have used transplanted faces,livers,lung, etc.i hope they discover a way to help herxxx

God bless you ❤

My prayers sweetheart and blessings 🙏

Very interesting. I never would have thought there was such a condition.

She is really strong. I just got one issue, kids are going to be pointing or staring because she’s different and different brings up curiosity in children. Yes it is rude to point but a lot of times it does stem from an urge to understand why it’s a different thing they are seeing. She’s doing great raising awareness, I just wish she’d understand why children point or stare.

Congratulations on being such a wonderful, strong young woman. More power to you girl 🎉. Thank you for sharing to teach us acceptance in this world. And we are all different. Much love to you Liv. I understand about the stares you get. I'm on 24/7 oxygen, so when I go out l get the stares and pointing, but that happens to everyone who is different. It keeps you strong. 😊

I miss Amy lee fisher 😢 I followed her before she passed away recently..I also need feeding tubes because of dysphagia, got NG then may get PEG .. it's also because of my aspirations on food...as a result of general dystonia.. I hope you will see a cure in your life time or any new trails for this 🙏🏽

I hope she lived a better life ,Live u Olivia ❤❤❤

U would never know u had this problem u look healthy… hope your doing well 👍👍👍👍

Thanks for sharing. I wish you all the best!

I watch liv every evening ,she is such a beautiful, funny, courageous young woman ,well done liv so proud of you , I know this was very hard for you , silent watchers love ❤️ liv so much xx

😢 4:40 I'm so sorry angel 👼🏽 medical trauma is a real thing I know what that feels like 😢 hugs

I don't know why some people are saying she is faking it; unless she is asking for money from people, like i have seen in the past... I hope she can get better and be able to some day get the chance to try food again. But, if she doesn't, she is still a pretty girl and she looks happy and have the best support from her mom and friends, which is great. God bless her and is good that she talks about this; that way she helps others with the same condition and also educates people that never heard about it, like me. Thank you for sharing. 🙏❤🤔😊

GP is awful. I hate having it. Here is hoping that some day they can cure this disease. Keep your head up love, you are amazing!

I have an eating disorder, so I get going from doctor to doctor and not getting anywhere. I wasn't diagnosed until i was 25. Honestly, I almost died. I was 95 lbs back then. I also have OCD and other things. Stay strong!

Never even knew this condition existed. As a big eater myself I can't imagine never eating again, but its better than dying. Also not drinking any water you could imagine your mouth getting very dry... Wish her all the best ❤

I have gastroparesis, but only fairly mildly. I’m having heart bypass surgery soon and I’m worried about my nutrition - as I know all hospitals won’t let you leave until you’ve had a bowel movement (after a major operation). I’m already envisioning vomiting from my intestines and lower before I’ll be able to pass anything like a normal person. Gastroparesis of any sort just sucks! Thanks for sharing your story!

I've had grade 3 gastroparesis since I was 17 but luckily for me I've never gotten to the level of needing a feeding tube. I sometimes have to depend on ensure or other protein shakes if I can't get anything in

I’ve had Gastroparesis for the past 20 years after esophagus surgery. My stomach works at about a 30% flow. Food, water, and even air is a labored process. You need a working/ pumping stomach to process all 3 of these things. After my surgery they started me on Reglan. It caused horrible side effects, so I had to stop taking it. For the next 15 years I suffered. I reached out to an older doctor who said that there was an old medicine that could be compounded for me. The medicine is called Donnatal. I still have to eat and drink very cautiously, but for some reason this medicine helps it move out of my stomach. I hope this helps someone.

So strong!

I have friends and family members with gastroparesis, and one of them has been on TPN for years just like her. I wonder if Olivia has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome? Obviously disabled people do not exist to be other people's public service announcements, but honestly, if this scares you, covid-19 can cause this condition!!! It is so important to wear a mask in public places whenever and wherever you are able to. Both to protect disabled people from becoming (more) disabled or dying, and to protect yourself from (further) severe disability or death.

I have it too although no where near as severely. It sucks.

Your story is inspiring. I understand what you mean by wanting to eat and drink like everyone else. I have had Gastroparesis my whole life. It took 21 years to get a diagnosis, which was frustrating. Doctors believed I was anorexic and it was all in my head. My family started to believe that. My mom pushed harder than I did to get the diagnosis when I was in the ER close to dying for the second time that year. I found out earlier this year that my stomach is completely paralyzed… I have no muscle contractions at the bottom and very little at the top of my stomach. Doctors believe I will lose all movement in my stomach before I reach my 30s (I am currently 25). They also told me I have a delay emptying in my small bowel transit time, which makes absorbing food harder for my body and I am constantly deficient in vitamins, minerals, proteins, and the list goes on. I missed eating for a long time, but after I learned how I would not get sick by not eating, I was able to somewhat accept that. I have been on TPN three times within four years. My body went into shock the last time that I lost my vision and have permanent liver damage. I have been on tube feeds for almost four years now. I have had both a PEG-J and separate G and J tubes. People stare when I go out in public. It is hard to socialize, especially when I get kicked out of stores because of my backpack or people make rude comments. I get tired of people thinking I am contagious or I have these tubes because of a “eating disorder” (which I have never had one). I had a gastric stimulator/pacemaker implanted for almost five months now, and I have failed it. Medical professionals believe a g poem or pyloroplasty would help, but I am unsure about another surgery.

I would say my digestive issues are about 50% of Liv's, and I am proud of her for all she has accomplished.

oh my I'm so sry she has do go thru this but she is so strong! I once had a very scary experince after an emergency surgery on my gut. When I was allowed to go back home after 3 weeks hospital stay, first time I ate actual food. But the moment I ate the food I vomited everything. Every 2 hrs I would vomit pure stomach acid. When I was back at the hospital, they didnt know why it happens. They feeded me per tube that went directly to my gut, while they observed the stomach acid that came out from another tube. Until that stopped I stayed. I was able to go home after a week & eat normal food again. Until now i dont know what it was & god thanks never happend again since (already 13 ´yrs since)

I still remember perhaps one of the first chronically ill RU-vidrs, Amy. She was living with TPN like you.

Keep fighting! You are terrific!

❤ you're a beautiful soul!

YOU ARE ONE COURAGEOUS YOUNG WOMAN!!!!!! I HAD A NEPHEW WHO HAD AN INTESTINAL DISEASE, WHERE HE COULDN'T EAT EITHER. HE WAS FED THROUGH A TUBE AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, HE PASSED AWAY SHORTLY AFTER HE TURNED 2 YEARS OLD OF A MEDICATION MIX UP. SO, KUDOS TO YOU❤❤🙏🙏🤗🤗!!!!!!!!

Everybody has some problems but some has more. Wish you happy long life. My disease is not this one but another which is Ménière and it is also very debilitating. We are not alone ❤

Omg I see Eeyore on her bed! I LOVE him!

I love you, you are amazing and so cool! You are the bravest person, this makes me very thankful for the fact I can eat and desperately hope you can eat again!!!! ❤️

Feel so bad for her😢😢😢😢

Just found you. I had gastroparesis. I want to give you hope. There is hope. I suffered for years. God healed me where the Dr's couldn't. My prayers have always been that He will wipe this disease from the earth. I'm not 100% well but I can eat again in small portions. My gastroparesis caused me to develope SMA (superior mesenteric artery syndrome) currently working with that and dreading the feeding tube again because I can't gain my weight back. You are beautiful. Thank you for spreading the awareness of a rare disease. Stay strong.

I have gastroparesis too, but mine is only moderate. I can eat some food at least 75% of the time. ❤

I have gastroparesis too .

She’s very beautiful and sweet.

I am so sorry

I suffered with a vomiting disorder for over 20 years. My digestive issues were triggered by exposure to chemicals in my environment (airborne and ingested). I wonder if she’s been tested for MS or other nervous system disorders. Her shaky voice is a cue that there’s nervous system involvement. Also, the vagus nerve is involved in stomach muscle contraction. It’s is sensitive to stress and anxiety. PTSD will likely exacerbate symptoms, so it’s important to treat trauma in the body through somatic release therapies and EMDR.

She looks healthier than I would expect.

Bless her

❤❤ I luv this amazing girl. Her mum is an ❤absolute champ🎉🎉

I am such a foodie, and I love cooking. I don't think that I could ever give up being able to taste things, even if I couldn't swallow them. I think that I would have to take a bite of food, chew it really well to get all the flavor from it, and then spit the solids into a napkin.

I have gastroparesis as well. I have a GJ feeding tube. The tube feeds go directly into my intestines. And I can vent out gas and bile. Or drinks I’ve had. TPN also gives me so much of my nutrition needs. I was blessed with Jake my medical service dog for 14 years. And a wise person matched my with a service dog in training, several months before Jake passed. I feel like Jakes spirit is in Linkin. (Named after my favorite band ever, Linkin Park. I hops maybe you could benefit from having a medical service dog???

Never feel like you need to defend your illness (I know easier said than done lol). The people that matter will understand. The people who are negative or hateful about it are t worth your time.

I have Gastroparesis and it is horrible. Food is no longer a source of joy, it is a source of stress. It’s a devastating condition with no cure- I’ve had it for most of my life but it’s hard to get the diagnosis.

When I was little a younger, I couldn’t eat, either. It’s hard for me to eat healthy foods at home, at school or in the hospital. I lost 67 pounds in the past years ago. But then I ate healthy foods and the milkshake and others!! I weighed 72 pounds sometimes.

My great niece has this condition as well, took ages for doctors to finally diagnose her condition.

I am 40 years old I have this .