Former Emmerdale star Gemma Oaten has shared the horrifying details of a recent health scare which left her close to death. The actress, who played Rachel Breckle in the ITV soap, had been struck down with coronavirus when her health took a turn for the worse back in April.
After informing them of her hospital stay, Gemma told her fans that she had been diagnosed with a rare condition called Milk-alkali syndrome following a "scary" trip to A&E after suffering problems with her kidney while also dealing with Covid.
Milk-alkali syndrome is a rare condition where there is a high level of calcium in the body, otherwise known as hypercalcemia. It causes an imbalance of acid and base toward alkaline (metabolis alkalosis) and can lead to the loss of kidney functions. At the time of her hospital dash, Gemma had "dangerously high" calcium levels in her body with only eight percent kidney function.
"I had not been feeling well for a while to be honest but I didn't practice what I preached and I just put it down to one side," the 37-year-old told Carol Vorderman on ITV's Lorraine on Thursday (July 14). "We'd had a big funding cut for the charity that I am CEO of and I'd put it down to stress and the pressure of that. I was also doing a morning breakfast radio show so I was getting up early at half past four and doing my full time job and then auditions so I just put it down to nausea, feeling tired."
Also experiencing stomach cramps, Gemma told her concerned mum that it 'would pass' but agreed to phone 111 for advice. But her situation soon escalated and by the time an ambulance had arrived she discovered her the extent of her illness. "My body had been poisoning itself and I had no idea," she said.
Gemma says she found out in hospital that her condition was due to years of taking too much calcium carbonate via Rennie tablets due to acid reflux. When asked why she was taking so many Rennie tablets, the soap star, who recently appeared in Coronation Street said: "I was poorly from the age of 10 with anorexia. That anorexia then led into bulimia and I was struggling for 13 years."
Despite being in a good place now, Gemma highlighted how her previous issues have followed her in life. "I found out I might not be able to have kids even though I've been well for 15 years," she revealed before telling Carol: "I share my story because I don't want anyone to go through what I am."
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