Mystery 'Human Waterbed' Illness Makes Woman Double In Size In Six Months | HuffPost Life

Mystery Illness Makes Woman Double In Size

Tom Belcher— SWNS

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A mystery health problem caused a make-up artist became a "human waterbed" after she doubled in size in just six months.

Petite Laura Pell, 34, weighed nine stone (57kg) last summer and kept herself in shape by going to gym three times a week and eating a sensible diet.

But after being struck down with an illness which has baffled doctors, she began to retain fluid which caused her body to swell in size.

She put on more than a stone in weight in just 24 hours and now weighs 17 stone. She is putting on an average of one and a half stone every month.

Pell, who lives with boyfriend Mark Appleby, 30, in Kingsthorpe, Northants, has also had to splash out on a completely new set of clothes after going from size 10 to size 22.

On top of that she's been forced to give up her job as a wedding make-up artist because she struggles to walk and fears she will end up in a wheelchair if a cure is not found.

"I am in absolute agony and I am struggling to move. The last six months have been hell, and I just have no quality of life," Pell said.

"When you’re fat you’re supposed to be flabby and wobbly, but my skin is just completely tort and tight.

"I know that some people who look at me in the street must be thinking I’ve just let myself go and eat too much but I actually eat less than I did before I had this condition.

"I joke to my boyfriend Mark that I’m like Violet from Willy Wonka when she turns into a blueberry – I need to be sent to the juicing room.

"I’m a bit like a human waterbed, I’m just so full of liquid, you can see it in my skin.

"I've lost all my confidence and hardly ever see my friends anymore because I can’t leave the house without sweating and hurting."

Pell said her heart rate now goes up to about 180 bpm whenever she tries to do any form of exercise.

Doctors have told her she's a "complicated case", but are yet to find a solution.

"My boyfriend and my mum are basically my carers now. I’m 34 years old, but I feel like I‘m 90.

"I don’t fit into any of my old clothes and it’s costing a fortune to buy a whole new wardrobe of clothes.

"I have two Jack Russell dogs called Sam and Millie and they are often the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning, but I can’t even walk them so Mark has to do that."

Pell has been with her boyfriend for 18 months. He has supported her from day one.

"He has stuck by me through all this," she said. "I am very lucky he is with me because he loves me, not for how I look.

"When I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of a window or mirror I don’t recognise myself.

"I'm used to being ill because of my immune problems, but this has been so tough."

SEE ALSO:
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Pell, who does not have any children, has suffered from Primary Immune Deficiency for years and needs regular injections to replenish plasma levels in her blood.

Last August doctors discovered a benign tumour on her pituitary gland but this was dismissed as a cause to her rapid fluid retention.

She was prescribed powerful diuretics and steroids in an attempt to drain the excess fluid from her body but all treatments have so far failed.

Pell is now planning to see an neurologist and an endocrinologist at a private clinic in Manchester in a desperate bid to find a cure.

Her friends have also rallied round and set up a Facebook group called Laura Needs Our Help which already has hundreds of supporters from around the world.

She added: "It was really embarrassing the last time I went for an MRI scan because the machine is quite small and they were afraid that if I went in I would get stuck, so I had to have an alternative CT scan instead.

"No one seems to have any idea what is causing this and I’m genuinely scared I’ll soon end up too large to walk."

21 Rare Diseases

Gigantism(01 of21)

This disease, which according to the NIH is most often caused by a begnin tumor in the pituitary gland, results in an excess of GH, or growth hormone. This causes sufferers to grow abnormally large, not just in terms of height, weight but also organ size. It results in complications like delayed puberty, increased sweating, and secretion of breast milk.

Pica(02 of21)

Characterized as an eating disorder, Pica causes people to eat what the National Organization for Rare Disorders describes as "non-nutritive" things. That umbrella term can include (but isn't limited to) dirt, clay, paper, and paint. Interestingly, it's not unusual for young kids to experience transient pica as a kind of phase, and pregnant women are also known to develop temporary pica cravings. The cause? Unknown. But in order to be diagnosed with full-blown Pica, a person's symptoms must last for more than a month.

Maple Syrup Urine Disease(03 of21)

MSUD, which is passed down through families, is a life-threatening metabolic disorder passed down through families that stems from the body's inability to process certain amino acids, leading to a build-up of them in the body. According to the NIH, symptoms usually surface in early infancy and can include vomiting, lack of energy, seizures, and developmental delays. MSUD takes its name from another symptom -- the urine in affected infants smells like caramel or maple syrup.

Situs Inversus(04 of21)

Situs Inversus is a congential condition in which internal organs of stomach and chest lie in mirror image of their normal body position -- something many sufferers aren't aware of until they seek medical help for an unrelated problem. People with Situs Inversus typically wear some form of identification to help doctors in the case of a medical emergency.

Trigger Thumb(05 of21)

Trigger thumb, or trigger finger as it's sometimes known, causes a person's finger or thumb to get caught in a locked position. According to the Mayo Clinic, it can then stay stuck or straighten with a painful "snap." The cause? It depends. Trigger Thumb is the result of a narrowing of the sheath around the tendon in the problem figure, but that can be caused by a lot of things, including any activity that requires people to grip things frequently. Trigger Thumb is also more frequent in women.

Scurvy(06 of21)

Once the disease of sailors and pirates, scurvy does still exist in the United States, though predominantly in older, malnourished adults. It usually stems from a Vitamin C deficiency, which can result in gum disease, skin leisons, and swelling of the joints. (credit:Getty )

Wilson's Disease(07 of21)

This progressive genetic disorder causes sufferers to store excess copper in tissues, including the brain and liver. Though the Mayo Clinic says that the body depends on copper in order to use iron and sugar, too much of it in the body can have real consequences. Which is why sufferers of Wilson's Disease are prone to liver failure.

Foreign Accent Syndrome(08 of21)

According to researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas, this speech disorder causes people to experience a sudden shift in their accents and though it is known to be caused by things like brain trauma, conversion disorder, or multiple sclerosis, an exact reason behind the syndrome is unknown. Sufferers of FAS dramatically shift their speech in terms of timing and intonation, which often causes them to sound foreign, but they remain totally comprehensible. Documented accent shifts include from American English to British and from British to French.

Stiff Person Syndrome(09 of21)

People who suffer from this acquired neurological disorder experience repeated, often painful, muscle spasms as well as muscular rigidity and stiffness. According to the National Organization of Rare Diseases, spasms can occur at random or they can be caused by something as seemingly benign as light physical contact or an unexpected noise. The cause of Stiff Person Syndrome isn't yet known, but symptoms can be stabilized with medication. Left untreated, however, a person can lose the ability to walk.

Carcinoid Syndrome(10 of21)

According to the National Organization of Rare Diseases, about 10 percent of people with carcinoid tumors -- which the Mayo Clinic says are slow growing tumors that produce excess serotonin and usually appear in the gastrointestinal tract or lungs -- get this syndrome. It occurs only in patients whose tumors have metastasized to the liver. The symptoms? Wheezing, hotness, and extreme facial blushing.

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome(11 of21)

Children and adults afflicted with CVS experience recurrent episodes of severe vomiting, which can last for days, followed by sudden periods of no vomiting. While kids are likely to experience more frequent attacks, adults's often last longer. To date, the cause of CVS is unknown.

Peeling Skin Syndrome(12 of21)

This obscure, genetic skin disorder does exactly what its name implies: causes sufferers to experience constant shedding of their skin. (In some patients, peeling is limited to the feet and hands.) Along with that, sufferers often feel itching and redness -- symptoms that can appear from birth or develop later in life. Although the exact cause is unknown, a mutation in the TGM5 gene has been identified in many sufferers.

Platelet Storage Pool Deficiency(13 of21)

This is a blanket designation for several rare platelet abnormalities, most of which lead to mild or moderate bleeding disorders. According to the NIH, the problem stems having limited granules -- the parts of platelets that, among other things, store ADP -- the energy released when a molecular bond is broken. That reduction in storage space inhibits the platelets' ability to secrete ADP in a speedy fashion, which is thought to be what causes the bleeding. Classic symptoms of a Platelet Storage Pool Deficiency are nosebleeds, excessive bruising, and profuse bleeding in surgery.·

ACDC(14 of21)

Only nine people in the United States are known to have this disease, which was just given a name in a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine. ACDC, or arterial calcification due to CD73 deficiency, results in calcium build-ups in the arteries below the waist of sufferers and in the joints of their hands and feet. According to the NIH, the breakthrough discovery found that the disease is related to a variant in the NT5E gene.3

Conversion Disorder(15 of21)

This condition, which typically occurs after an extremely stressful emotional event, causes a person to experience sudden blindness or paralysis that can't be otherwise explained. People with mental illlnesses are at particularly high risk and psychological treatment can help lessen the symptoms.·

Ochronosis(16 of21)

Ochronosis results in black or blue external tissues, often the ear cartilage or eye, though it can occur throughout the body. It affects people who suffer from certain metabolic disorders, but it can also be caused by exposure, though scientists aren't exactly sure to what. Not just a cosmetic issue, the affected areas can become brittle and degenerate over time.

VLCAD Deficiency(17 of21)

This condition, which is caused by genetic mutations in the so-called ACADVL gene, keeps people from converting certain fats to energy. According to the NIH, the deficiency often presents during infancy in symptoms including low blood sugar, weakness, and lethargy.

Hairy Tongue(18 of21)

As the name suggests, Hairy Tongue is a condition in which the tongue develops a black, hairy texture. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease is "harmless" and is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth, which can be treated with antibiotics. The NIH reports that hairy Tongue can also present as brown, yellow, or green discoloration. ·

Ochoa (Urofacial) Syndrome, or, Peculiar Facial Expression(19 of21)

This obscure, inherited disorder presents at birth and causes infants to grimace when, in fact, they are attempting to smile. The disorder also includes an extreme urinary abnormality: an obstruction that interrupts the connection between nerve signals in the spinal cord and bladder, leading to incontinence. Though treatment does exist in the form of antibiotics and bladder re-education, some patients can develop renal failure in their teens and 20's, which can be life-threatening.

Eagle Syndrome(20 of21)

This syndrome, caused by a particular calcified ligament or elongated bone, frequently causes sufferers to feel that something is stuck in their throat. (Scientists don't know the reason behind said elongation/calcification.) Other symptoms can include ear and throat pain as well as difficulty swallowing. According to the NIH, it can be treated surgically or non-surgically with steroid injections and other anti-inflammatories.

Progeria(21 of21)

According to the Mayo Clinic, only around 130 cases of this devastating genetic disorder have been documented since it was discovered in 1886. Affected babies normally appear normal at birth, but within 12 months begin to have symptoms like hair loss and wrinkles. According to the Mayo Clinic, progeria is caused by a genetic mutation, but not one that's passed down through families; it's a chance event that affects only one egg or sperm. The average life expectancy for sufferers is 13.

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