A woman feels she looks like she's 'pregnant with twins' due to her struggle to go to the loo.
Cherine Docherty has been left in extreme agony and breathlessness after her body suddenly stopped being able to complete normal bowel movements in February.
The 39-year-old, from Glasgow, has only been able go seven times since with the help of laxatives in hospital.
Cherine has been left in agony
But now she is unable to swallow anymore of them after claiming they made her start to vomit up her own waste instead of it coming out naturally.
Then last week, Cherine was admitted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary with extreme pain, for the third time, and was tube-fed laxatives as x-rays showed a huge mass of faeces build-up in her bowel.
The discovery made her fear for her life in case her growing stomach ruptured and led to sepsis, leaving her begging medics for more intense treatment.
Cherine felt like she looked pregnant with twins
She was rushed for emergency surgery and had a stoma bag fitted to help drain her system.
Doctors have referred her to a waiting list to undergo surgery that will allow her to go to the toilet normally again.
Cherine has since been discharged from Glasgow Royal Infirmary and has less intense bloating, but is still battling severe pain as doctors try to investigate the cause.
Cherine had a very bloated stomach
Cherine wants to get back to her normal life
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, she said: “I am in so much pain.
“I look nine-months pregnant carrying twins because I am so bloated.
“I have only pooed seven times since February.
“Doctors had to start tube-feeding me laxatives because I was physically being sick and bringing up poo from my throat as I had drank so much of them.
Cherine was tube-fed laxatives
“I never had any problems until five months ago. I woke up and couldn’t go to the toilet and it just continued which gave me tummy cramps and aches.”
Cherine is now determined to use her health issues to spread awareness and remove the stigma and embarrassment around the topic.
She has started a TikTok account, @Cherineandcathydoll, where she shares her journey and opens up about her search for answers.
Her page has 236.4k followers and 6.4 million likes as social media users flood her comment section with support.
Cherine added: “I'm trying to normalise talking about poo because people are scared or embarrassed to talk about it.
“That is why I use TikTok and now thousands of people are interested in my story and invested.
“People have contacted me telling me it has even helped them go to the doctors for their own issues.”
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