A young mother claims she was told by doctors to Google her life-threatening condition after she spotted it mentioned on a doctor 's note . Roxanne Stacey was in hospital after having a cyst removed from her ovary . The 24-year-old believed the operation would end the pain , vomiting and exhaustion she had been experiencing for weeks . But as she prepared to leave hospital , she accidentally picked up a handover note meant for other nurses , thinking it was for her . Reading the note when she got home , the mother-of-one spotted the words 'Wilkes syndrome ' written in brackets beside details of her cyst removal . Roxanne Stacey , 24 , claims she only discovered she had life-threatening illness because she spotted it on a doctor 's note - and was then told to 'go home and Google it ' herself . Ms Stacey says doctors told her to research her rare illness Wilkes syndrome online after an X-ray confirmed she had the digestive disorder which causes a person to be unable to keep food down . As a result of the illness , she lost seven stone . She called her mother , who researched the condition online , and was horrified to learn it was rare and life-threatening . In those diagnosed with Wilkes syndrome , a major blood vessel in the digestive system lies on top of the small intestine , instead of behind it . It means patients feel full quicker and struggle to keep any food down . If left untreated , it can prove fatal . Concerned , Miss Stacey took the nurse 's note to her GP , who Googled the condition in front of her . She claims , he said : 'There 's no way you can have this syndrome , you 'd be dead by now . ' Miss Stacey , from Greenhithe , in Kent , said : ' I felt reassured but the symptoms persisted and I was losing weight by the day . ' She was prescribed medication to ease the pain and went for follow-up visits at Darent Valley Hospital . It was an X-ray , taken in January this year , that confirmed Miss Stacey 's diagnosis of Wilkes syndrome . After specialists confirmed the illness , Miss Stacey claims they told her to research the condition on Google . She said : 'To add insult to injury , I was given the diagnosis and told to research it on Google . ' Having been unable to digest food properly as a result of the syndrome , Miss Stacey 's weight has plummeted to half what it was . Miss Stacey said she was left so weak she was unable to hold her 16-month-old son Freddie , left . ' I look anorexic , ' she said . ' I used to be 14 stone and was healthy , and happy . Now I 'm 7st 6lbs and I 'm too weak for surgery . ' I 'm angry that I was left in pain to get on with it when the diagnosis was known in November . ' I 'm too weak to hold my 16-month-old son Freddie . 'My partner Alex is taking unpaid leave from his job to help look after him . ' Darent Valley Hospital , in Dartford , Kent , referred Miss Stacey to a specialist last month and she said she is now receiving excellent care . She was admitted to Guy 's and St Thomas ' Hospital , in London , on March 8 so she can regain some strength and weight before having a life-saving operation . A Darent Valley Hospital spokesman said : 'We are concerned to hear about Miss Stacey 's experience however we have not received a complaint . 'Without being given the opportunity to look into the circumstances around her care , we are not able to respond to her particular concerns . 'If she would like to contact us , we will investigate and answer any questions she may have . '
Roxanne Stacey had an operation to remove a cyst on her ovary . 24-year - old hoped the operation would end her pain , vomiting and exhaustion . When she left home she picked up a nurse 's appointment thinking it was for her . She noticed the word ' Wilkes disease ' in brackets next to her op details . Took to her GP and he Googled it to find out more about the rare illness . At a follow - up medical appointment she was diagnosed with cancer . Doctors told her to find out more by researching the illness on Google .