Aleya H.'s Story

Published: September 22nd, 2026

Hi! My name is Aleya! I’m 25 and from Houston, Texas! Back in May of this year, I went to the emergency room with a high fever and extreme pain in my abdomen! Originally they thought I had the flu, until the CT scan revealed SMAS. I have never heard of it before! After researching and talking to doctors, I realized that all the problems I was having for years, was because of SMAS. Although I was terrified when they admitted me for what turned out to be a month long stay, I was also relieved that I finally had an answer to my problems.

While in the hospital, I dealt with paralyzed bowels, low blood sugar, anemia, more rapid weight loss, and elevated liver enzymes. I had no clue what I would be going through until I was going through it. On May 30th, I had the DDJ surgery to help with the compression on my intestine! After that surgery, my journey was far from over. I had to relearn how to walk due to muscle loss and become comfortable with an entirely new diet.

Once home after a few weeks, I unfortunately had to return back to the hospital due to more pain. This time, it was my gallbladder. Only a week after my DDJ, I was back on the operating room table to have my gallbladder removed. After another week and a half, I was sent home to heal. By July I was still struggling with severe constipation, and having a hard time with pain after eating.

Thankfully after trial and error with medications, I was finally able to start a medication to help the nerve damage I endured while in the hospital! Since my pain is now under control, I am able to move to Chicago to start my new job in just a few weeks! I still have bad days, but it’s heavily outweighed by the good ones!

This rare disease has changed my life but I am not done fighting for the life I want! I’ve joined a few groups on facebook with other SMAS warriors and it has been the biggest help! For anyone reading this with any chronic illness, you are not alone! I’m thankful to be able to share my story! I still have a long road for recovery, but I’m ready for the fight!