Activin Magazine: Health

Woman who just thought cereal was 'off' is now 'starving to death' after stomach stopped working

A mum-of-three has been told that she's 'starving to death' after a devastating health diagnosis. Emile Cullum's health problems first began back in November 2024, believing that she'd simply eaten a bowel of cereal with 'off' milk when she vomited for the first time after eating.

However, over a year on and the 36-year-old has been told that her stomach has stopped working completely and that she's at serious risk of 'starving to death'. Emile headed to work as normal after throwing up the first time but found herself admitted to hospital after 10 straight days of vomiting, where doctors revealed that she had Crohn's disease.

The NHS explains that Crohn's is a long-term condition where part of your gut becomes inflamed. Sadly, it cannot currently be cured, but there are treatments that can help prevent or manage the symptoms. Symptoms include diarrhoea, blood or mucus in your poo, stomach pain, constipation, pain in your bottom (anus), feeling very tired or generally unwell, and loss of appetite and losing weight.

Emile has now been placed on palliative care (Kennedy News and Media)

Emile consulted a specialist in February 2025 as she was still struggling to keep food down, and it was there that she was told that she has gastroparesis, a chronic condition that means her stomach is partially paralysed.

She said: "When I saw the specialist he was like 'it's your stomach that's hurting, not your rib'. He said 'your stomach is completely broken and nothing is going through' and that's when I got the diagnosis. "It was fine because I just thought they could fix it but then I was losing more and more weight and people were commenting.

"While I was in hospital they scanned me and they said if I don't get some weight on me, essentially I'm 'forced' anorexic, so I probably haven't got much longer than a year." By the end of the summer of 2025, her weight had plummeted from 8st 5lb to 4st 8lb, and the NHS have now put her on palliative care as she is unable to gain weight.

She is raising money to fund private treatment that will allow her to spend more time with her children, some of whom are going through school exams while their mother struggles so much.

Emile wants to spend more time with her three kids (Kennedy News and Media)

Emile said: "The thought of having to leave my children is horrific, it's unthinkable. "It's hard, the children are growing up and we thought we were going to have all these years, we did it young and it's just not worked out that way.

"I don't want to go into hospital knowing that I don't have that much time left and not spending it with my family." There is still hope after a permanent tube was fitted in her bowel and allowed her to put on 14lbs, but its only through private Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) treatment that she has any real chance of long-term survival. She needs to gain weight in order to undergo the treatment, which sadly would only prolong her life rather than providing a cure.

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Health

Mum spent £18,000 on Turkey teeth procedure but left with no teeth and unable to eat

A British mum-of-one had to travel to Turkey three times after what should have been simple dental work left her in 'absolute agony' - eventually resulting in her having to have all her teeth taken out.

Jackie Lynn, 38, from Norwich, became one of many Brits who flew out to Turkey for dental work, after a drop in hormones had left her with 'crumbling' teeth.

However, Jackie had no idea that a procedure she estimated would cost a couple of thousand would end up totalling close to £20k and leave her with life-threatening complications and unable to eat solid food.

The mother-of-one had recently undergone an operation to have her ovaries removed following a Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) diagnosis, resulting in a chemical menopause and loss of estrogen, a hormone crucial to maintaining dental health.

Jackie initially settled on composite bonding, a non-invasive procedure in which resin is applied to the existing teeth to fix up her smile, costing a total of £3,000, and she was initially very happy with her work.

Jackie wanted to get her teeth fixed after suffering dental issues from a chemical menopause, not realising she'd spend £18,000 on a months-long ordeal (Kennedy News and Media)
'I was in absolute agony'

However, the bonding applied to the 38-year-old's new smile would soon start 'cracking off', leaving her back at square one. Jackie decided to fly out to Turkey once again, this time paying £6,000 to get a series of crowns at a different clinic. She agreed to have root canals performed as part of the procedure, only to wake up and find the dentist had actually given her a total of 15 root canals.

Jackie's shock didn't end there either, as the individual crowns she was expecting turned out to be crown bridges. "I got sedated, and when I awoke, I was in absolute agony," the Norwich-based mum explained.

"I was in horrendous pain; it was a pain that shot through your whole body," she continued, explaining that the pressure from the crown bridges left her mouth in agony. "The two end teeth were taking the pressure of the bridge and the pain was unreal," she added. "Within a week, I was back [in Turkey]."

After the initial composite bonding failed, Jackie was given dental crowns before ending up needing her teeth removed (Kennedy News and Media)
'I'm 38 years old, I shouldn't be losing all my teeth'

Jackie's ordeal didn't end there either, as another dentist said her teeth had been shaved down too much and recommended she have them removed and replaced with implants – bringing her dental fees to a total of £18,000, which she had to borrow from her dad. "I was thinking 'what the hell have I done?'. I was so upset," Jackie recalled, thinking of the news. "I'm 38 years old, I shouldn't be losing all my teeth."

The extensive procedures also came with numerous complications, including a potentially life-threatening blood infection caused by a dental abscess. "All of the side of my face had swollen up, and I couldn't see out of my eye as it was swollen and black," Jackie said, adding that she was admitted and put on the drip while doctors treated the infection.

"The infection had started in two abscesses at the bottom of the teeth, and then it has spread through my face into my sinuses and into my blood." Jackie has now been left with a set of temporary teeth while she waits for a permanent pair to be fitted later this year, however, the extensive procedures have taken an extensive toll on her health.

Complications from the procedures also left her fighting a potentially life-threatening blood infection (Kennedy News and Media)
'It's just not worth it'

"I'm sure I've got PTSD. I've lost months of time with my daughter, and I lost my job," she said of the process. "I've just been really down and depressed and it's just been too much. "I now owe my dad £18,000. I can only eat very soft food while the implants heal and you can't put any pressure on them."

Despite the ordeal she's been through, Jackie does not blame the Turkish clinics, saying that a dental crisis in the UK was forcing people to seek cheaper treatment options. "My treatment wasn't purely cosmetic, I did it as I had problems with my teeth," she said. "I think people that are wanting purely cosmetic really need to do their research as it's just not worth it."

Responding to Jackie's case, Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said: "Dentists are aware that many people are struggling to access care and may be tempted to go overseas for cut-price treatment.

Jackie is now waiting for a permanent set of false teeth, but the ordeal has taken a toll on her mental health (Kennedy News and Media)

"We advise people to think carefully before booking any treatment abroad and to do their research. "Patients need to provide informed consent for any treatment they have and be wary of a hard sell, as the reality is rarely as simple as it appears on Instagram. "Sadly, many UK dentists are now picking up the pieces when things go wrong."

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Health

Signs of throat cancer caused by oral sex after Michael Douglas shared what he noticed first

The signs and symptoms of throat cancer have been explained, with many unaware of its link to oral sex. Actor Michael Douglas went public with his cancer diagnosis back in 2010, but only revealed that it was caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) three years later.

He also revealed that it was caused by oral sex and said that he can 'remember the look' on his doctor's face when a 'walnut-size tumour' was found at the base of his tongue. Douglas first sought medical help in 2010 after experiencing a sore throat which stuck around for a prolonged period of time, with health experts determining that he had stage IV squamous cell carcinoma oral cancer.

The Basic Instinct star underwent an eight-week course of extreme treatment, which included radiation and chemotherapy. While Douglas has been cancer-free for years, he admitted that the treatment 'takes it out of you', managing to lose 20kg while on a water-only diet. As he claimed that oral sex was the cause of his condition, here are all the symptoms of HPV to look out for, as early screening could save a life.

Michael Douglas is now cancer-free after discovering he had a tumour which he said was caused by oral sex (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Symptoms of oral HPV

It is important that you see a doctor if you notice these symptoms persisting, or if they are starting to worry you: Long-lasting sore throat, Hoarseness, Ear aches, Swollen lymph nodes, Pain when swallowing, Unexplained weight loss.

Some people have no symptoms, according to the US Centres For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though serious cases of HPV can cause warts or cancer.

Having swollen lymph nodes can be a sign of throat cancer (Getty Stock Image)

How severe can HPV be?

HPV is the single most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. There are over 100 types of the virus, and 40 of those can spread through direct sexual contact to the genital areas, as well as the mouth and throat, according to The Oral Cancer Foundation. Oral HPV is transmitted to the mouth by oral sex, among other ways.

How is HPV transmitted through oral sex?

It is estimated that 10 per cent of men and 3.6 per cent of women have oral HPV, while the CDC claim that all sexually active people will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives, though most people are cleared of the virus in just one to two years. In the US, it is estimated that HPV causes 60 to 70 per cent of oropharyngeal cancers.

There are more than 100 types of HPV (Getty stock images)

Speaking to The Conversation, Dr Hisham Mehanna explained: "Those with six or more lifetime oral-sex partners are 8.5 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer than those who do not practice oral sex.

"80 per cent of adults reported practicing oral sex at some point in their lives, but only a small number of those people develop oropharyngeal cancer." He pointed out that most of us who catch HPV infections will be 'able to clear them completely' over time, but explained: "A small number of people are not able to get rid of the infection, maybe due to a defect in a particular aspect of their immune system."

Dr Mehanna said that the virus can replicate continuously in these patients, integrating in random positions in their DNA, which can cause host cells to become cancerous.

What happened after Douglas's cancer diagnosis?

After his diagnosis and treatment, which he described as being 'like the seven circles of hell', Douglas said he was 'just happy to be alive', adding to the Daily Mail: "I was ecstatic. It feels like a rebirth after you go through cancer and you come out of it. You feel like you’re a child. “You see priorities differently. You have a much deeper appreciation of marriage, of your children – you see everything a little bit clearer, and a little brighter.”

Douglas spoke about how his revelation affected his wife of 25 years, Catherine Zeta-Jones (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

However, the Ant-Man star said he regretted the 'embarrassment' the story caused his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, whom he married in November 2000. He said: "I was trying to make a public service comment. It was one of those things... and I so regretted any embarrassment that it caused Catherine. And her family."

Douglas also revealed in 2013 that he had tongue cancer, as he told Samuel L. Jackson on This Morning that he was advised to 'just say it's throat cancer' as it was 'before I had to go on a big tour for Wall Street'.

"So we kind of said there's no way we can cancel the tour and say we don't feel well … You've got to tell them," he said. "I said you've just got to come out and just tell them I've got cancer and that's that."

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