A Leeds model has opened up about her health condition after discovering she has holes in her heart.
The mum-of-two and wife of Geordie Shore star Gaz Beadle found out about the holes in her heart last year after falling ill shortly before her wedding to the reality TV star. The 29-year-old has spoken out about the condition, which causes her to faint, be thin and lose blood, Emma was also diagnosed with a condition called Colitis in October last year.
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In an interview with Fabulous magazine, Emma discussed how the diagnosis and her ill health has impacted her life.
She said: ""The past year has been a whirlwind. I’m still trying to get my head around this latest health issue.
"Two weeks ago, I had another flare-up — I lose a lot of blood and feel really tired — so I’ve recently had my medication doubled and steroids reintroduced.
"I did lose a lot of confidence. One health issue after another gets you down and I was so thin, my face looked gaunt, which made me feel insecure.”
However, Emma, who boasts 910k Instagram followers, has been using her platform to raise awareness of her condition.
The NHS website describes colitis as: "A long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed. The colon is the large intestine (bowel) and the rectum is the end of the bowel where stools are stored. Small ulcers can develop on the colon's lining, and can bleed and produce pus.”
In one of her most recent Instagram posts Emma penned: "Colitis is an awkward topic. Some people end up having surgery and stoma bags fitted to drain waste. I get messages from people saying they’ve done it and never looked back, so I’ll judge where I am in a couple of years.
"It’s common for sufferers to end up depressed, because living with a long-term condition like colitis can take a considerable toll on your mental wellbeing, and the stigma means people often don’t feel comfortable speaking out. I don’t want to hide and pretend this isn’t happening.”
Emma was rushed to hospital last year and put on a drip after the condition left her "losing blood, nutrients and weight."
At the time Emma posted to her Instagram Stories explaining the situation, she said: "Emails/ work/ DMs, I will get back to everyone when I am out of hospital. We weren't prepared for this as much as we've been panicking about preparing the kids for when I go into hospital."
She later followed up with: “So sorry guys, poor Gary has just been bombarded.
“I’m not having my heart surgery yet," she continued. "I’m losing a lot of blood, nutrients & weight unintentionally which is making me really poorly.
“I just need to stay in hospital on a drip, have steroids and get nutrients in me. Once my body starts responding I’ll be allowed home with medications but probably not until next week so I’ll most likely be quiet on here.”
She added: "Thank you for all the messages” alongside a heart emoji.
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