The already slight 36-year-old has lost 15 kilograms in the past six months after being struck down with a debilitating condition which paralyses her stomach muscles and inhibits digestion.

Specialists cannot tell her how she contracted the gastroparesis that has left her with constant nausea and vomiting, severe fatigue, muscle cramping, fainting and malnutrition.

A range of medications have failed to ease the symptoms of the condition, and she’s now unable to digest any solid food.

The only hope she has of a normal life is through a pioneering treatment, which involves a special gastric pacemaker being implanted in her abdomen.

This gastric neurostimulator would connect to her stomach via two leads providing a mild electrical impulse to help her stomach muscles contract and move food along the gut.

However, Mrs Barnett’s private health insurance provider Bupa will not cover the cost of the pacemaker, nor the leads required to connect it.

‘‘Bupa has advised me that because they deem the insertion of the gastric neurostimulator to be ‘experimental’ and because it does not have a Medicare number associated with it, they will only cover the cost of the abdominal surgery, the theatre and my hospital stay,’’ she said.

‘‘I will need to cover the cost of the device itself – which is $25,000 – plus $3800 for each of the leads.

‘‘If I don’t have this surgery my only other option is to have my stomach removed and a feeding tube inserted surgically into my abdomen for liquid nutrients to be fed directly into my small intestine – surgery that would be covered by health insurance. 

‘‘But this would be my last resort as it would mean I would never be able to consume anything again by mouth, not even water.’’

The gastric pacemaker however would help her regain some semblance of the lifestyle she enjoyed prior to the condition.

Back then, she was fit and healthy, weighing 59 kilograms. 

Unexplained weight loss – she’s now down to 44 kilograms – vomiting and abdominal pain led to a series of tests and she was diagnosed with gastroparesis last October.

She currently exists on a diet of custard, yoghurt, soups and liquid supplements – most of which eventually comes back up. On a bad day she might only keep down half a liquid breakfast drink and a fluid-replacement ice-block.

‘‘Most days there’s not much in my stomach at all and I get very fatigued,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s been hard to go from being so well to being so ill. 

‘‘That’s why I’m pinning my hopes on this surgery, which has been performed 22 times in Australia, with a high level of success.’’

Mrs Barnett is booked in for the surgery in Brisbane on April 16 and husband Jeremy and her are in the process of applying for a loan to fund it. Family and friends are also supportive, helping set up a fund-raising page to assist.

However, she can’t understand why Bupa, and other private health insurance providers, will not cover the cost of the device.

‘‘It’s a similar device to a cardiac pacemaker – it’s just placed in a different location and instead of stimulating the heart muscle, it stimulates the stomach muscle,’’ she said. 

A Bupa spokeswoman said the gastric neurostimulator, unlike the cardiac pacemaker, was not on the Department of Health prosthesis list.

‘‘Cardiac pacemakers and cardiac leads have undergone lengthy clinical trials and safety testing, they have an Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods number issued by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and they’re on the department of health prosthesis schedule,’’ the spokeswoman said.

‘‘For safety reasons Bupa only funds procedures and medical devices, which have demonstrated clinical efficacy and comply with clinical safety standards.’’