Mum’s appendix ‘wrongly removed’ during Egypt holiday; doctors later told her it was food poisoning

A British mum claims that her appendix was ‘wrongly removed’ after she fell ill during her Egyptian holiday. Weeks later, she discovered that she only had food poisoning. Now, the woman cannot even eat everyday foods.A vacation that went downhillBrit Sian Irving, 29, from Paignton, Devon, went to Sharm El Sheikh, a resort destination in Egypt, for a 10-day getaway to celebrate her partner Jack Jackson’s birthday. But what was supposed to be a relaxing getaway soon turned into a nightmare. They travelled to Egypt between September 19, and September 26, 2025. Midway through their £2,000 holiday, she developed a severe stomach ache, vomiting and a fever of 41°C."It started slowly. I began feeling really hot, and then the stomach pains came. The pain was unbelievable. It felt like my insides were being stabbed and ripped apart at the same time. I was vomiting constantly and whimpering like a little kid because it hurt so much,” the woman told The Mirror UK.According to the woman, the doctors initially thought it was just gas, but later told her it was appendicitis and removed her appendix.

“They did scans and said they couldn't really see anything. At first, they thought it might be gas, and then they told me it was appendicitis. My temperature stayed at 41°C, and they were putting wet cloths over me, trying to cool me down.”The woman was hospitalised for four to five days in Sharm El Sheikh. However, even after the surgery, she experienced the same problems. "At one point, I was told I could die if my condition didn't improve.

After the surgery, I still had the same symptoms. I'd been in Egypt for a long time by then, and eventually they said I needed to go back to the UK,” she revealed. She returned home, only to discover that there had been no need for surgery.UK doctors told her about the shocking misdiagnosisThe journey home was equally gruelling. The pair flew back to the UK on October 5, six days beyond their scheduled return date. “I was throwing up on the plane as well.

When we landed, I was still in so much pain. I don't really remember much because I was so unwell,” she recalled. When she landed in Britain, her condition remained critical enough to warrant immediate admission to Exeter Hospital. For the next five nights, she underwent additional medical tests and treatment.

Doctors told her that her appendix removal had been unnecessary. Her illness was most likely triggered by food poisoning."I can't believe they took my appendix out; it's left me in constant pain, and I hate my stomach now – I have no confidence any more,” she said. At the hospital, she was also diagnosed with colitis, a condition which causes inflammation of the large intestine. This meant she struggled to eat even everyday foods. Doctors treated her with intravenous antibiotics and steroids."I'd never even heard of colitis before. It affects your large intestine and causes inflammation.

You have pain, you need the toilet a lot, and it's embarrassing because it's not something people really want to talk about,” the mum said.Though her condition improved, she can no longer tolerate everyday foods, including gluten, dairy and even chocolate. "I'm getting a little better now, but it's been really difficult. If I eat certain foods, I can end up looking nine months pregnant because of the bloating. Even things like egg on toast can make me sick.

I've had to completely change the way I eat.”She also suffered significant weight loss and fatigue.The most distressing part, according to her, is not being able to care for her children. "There was a point where I couldn't even pick my kids up. They now spend time with both their dad and me, and thankfully, I can do a lot more than I could before. But the tiredness is horrible, and I still struggle to sleep.”The unnecessary surgery has left a permanent scar on her body. “It's nearly a year later, and I'm still dealing with it every single day.”