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Two years ago, 24-year-old Katie Gillespie was diagnosed with achalasia, a medical condition that tightens the muscles in the esophagus. The body then has a much harder time allowing food to travel from the mouth into the stomach.
For Gillespie specifically, this meant that she would throw up after every meal because her food would get stuck in her esophagus. The only way she could get food down was by drinking about two liters of water with each meal.
Gillespie’s doctors scheduled for her to undergo surgery that would loosen the muscles in her esophagus and stomach – but then they discovered that she was pregnant.
“I was throwing up food, so I assume my [contraceptive] pill didn’t stay down,” Gillespie explained. “[My partner and I] weren’t trying for children, but were really excited anyway.”
Unfortunately, Gillespie and her partner, Joe Igoe, were the only ones who were. Gillespie’s doctors didn’t express the same sentiments because they feared that Gillespie’s constant vomiting wouldn’t allow her baby to receive enough food and nutrients during the pregnancy.
Gillespie, however, insisted that she continue the pregnancy, so doctors promised to closely monitor her and her baby’s health over the next nine months.
In August, after a successful pregnancy (without any morning sickness even), Gillespie gave birth to a happy and healthy son, Charlie. He weighed in at almost nine pounds.
Now, Charlie is 15 months old and Gillespie has finally been able to undergo her life-changing surgery to help with her achalasia. After doctors cut some of the fibers in her stomach to allow food to always enter – rather than get stuck in her esophagus, waiting to be passed down – Gillespie no longer feels the urge to throw up after every meal.
The family is currently doing well and looks forward to watching Charlie grow up, with everyone happy and healthy together.
