My Feeding Tube Doesn’t Define Who I Am

A YOUNG woman once accused of being anorexic by doctors actually has a rare condition that blocks her intestines. Suffering stomach aches so painful she would curl into a ball, it took 13 years for Shelby Kiniry to finally receive the correct diagnosis for her digestion disorder - Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (or SMAS). Prior to that, the 20-year-old was accused of suffering with eating disorders and even wrongfully transferred for psychiatric treatment. It was only when Shelby’s weight plummeted to dangerous levels that doctors finally correctly diagnosed her with SMAS - a digestive condition that results in the small intestine compressing between two arteries, causing a partial or complete blockage. Now on the road to recovery, Shelby relies on a feeding tube to receive her daily fix of meals and nutrients in liquid form.