Now, through her regular blogs, she is reaching out to other people living with LGMD and other types of muscle-wasting conditions who face similar challenges. Gemma didn’t expect her condition to result in such profound issues with her esophagus.
I started to write about it because I thought it would be beneficial to help others notice signs and symptoms of this so they can get the help they need.
Head of Clinical Development at Muscular Dystrophy UK, Sunitha Narayan said:
Some people with muscle conditions do have oesophageal dismotility, others can have issues with swallowing, and others can have issues with delayed emptying and increased effort of eating. All these may benefit from having a PEG.
Gemma is still adjusting to life with a feeding tube but it has not stopped her from planning the trip of a lifetime. She is fundraising to pay for a trip to Bali. She wants to see some of the world before it becomes too difficult for her and her plan is really coming together.
As part of the fundraising, a friend will push Gemma round Goodwood Race Circuit in her manual wheelchair on Sunday 8 December in the Goodwood half marathon event. She said:
“I blog about body image and daily life and write about how I feel with a tube to help others who are maybe experiencing similar issues – so they don’t feel alone. That has helped me to cope with it all, as if it helps just one person struggling, then a positive has come out of a negative.”