Tori Mosser had been struggling with severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting for years with no explanation from doctors.
So, when she was finally diagnosed with a chronic disorder called cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) in 2025, it felt like an immense relief.
What she didn't know at the time was that she was actually suffering from something much more serious.
Doctors had actually misdiagnosed Mosser, 23, from Dallas, Texas, and it was a message from a stranger on the internet that helped her finally figure out what was really wrong.
She reflected on the scary ordeal with the Daily Mail, explaining that she had been battling stomach issues 'for as long as she could remember.'
'It would start with a small stomachache, then more severe pain, then vomiting, even when there was nothing left in my stomach,' she explained.
'It was excruciating and was never relieved by medication. I would have these episodes one to two times a year, and it was always written off as a 'stomach bug' by doctors.'
But when her symptoms suddenly worsened in 2025, she decided to push for answers.
Tori Mosser was diagnosed with a chronic disorder called cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) in 2025 after years of struggling with severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting
She was actually suffering from chronic appendicitis and ultimately needed to get emergency surgery after it became acute appendicitis
'In 2025, I had six episodes. The pain grew more intense and was unbearable, bringing me to the ER multiple times,' she said.
Mosser was ultimately diagnosed with CVS by a gastroenterologist in September 2025, a chronic condition with no clear cause which causes sudden episodes of severe nausea and vomiting.
Around that time, she started documenting her health battle on TikTok, and in January, four months after her diagnosis, Mosser received a startling message from a woman named Ella.
Ella suggested that she may be battling something else entirely.
She explained to Mosser that she had come across her videos, noticed that what Mosser was going through was very similar to something her brother had gone through years prior.
'She told me her brother was diagnosed with chronic appendicitis and that once he got his appendix removed, he never had an episode again,' Mosser shared.
Chronic appendicitis is a very rare condition and is extremely difficult to diagnose because the symptoms may come and go, per Healthline.
It's different from acute appendicitis, which is a medical emergency characterized by sudden, severe inflammation of the appendix.
It was a message from a stranger on the internet that helped her finally figure out what was really wrong.
'Chronic appendicitis can have milder symptoms that last for a long time, and that disappear and reappear. It can go undiagnosed for several weeks, months, or years,' the publication notes.
'The likely cause is inflammation or an obstruction in your appendix. It's important to get the correct diagnosis because chronic appendicitis can turn life-threatening in some cases.'
Mosser and Ella started messaging back and forth and comparing stories, and Mosser said she grew 'increasingly convinced' that her appendix was the issue.
Months prior, during her quest to get a diagnosis, she had a CT scan and was told that her appendix was 'slightly enlarged.'
So she decided to bring the new information from Ella and the results to a surgeon but claimed he completely brushed off her concerns and insisted that her appendix was unlikely the culprit of her problems.
'He seemed confident that the appendix was not the issue,' she recalled. 'He explained to me that an enlarged appendix can sometimes be a bad sign, but the fact that the scan was done in December, and our meeting was done in late January, I would have had increasing symptoms by then.
'I brought up chronic appendicitis [like Ella's brother had] and he still seemed doubtful the appendix was at play.'
But weeks later, things took a turn for the worse when Mosser developed 'unbearable' stomach pain that wouldn't go away.
She went to the hospital, where she learned she had developed acute appendicitis and was rushed into emergency surgery, during which doctors fully removed her appendix.
Mosser said she feels extremely lucky that she's OK despite the initial misdiagnosis
Tests ultimately showed that her appendix 'was in pretty bad shape,' before the surgery, 'with infection and inflammation affecting the entire organ.'
And now, she said doctors are certain that her appendix was the issue the entire time.
'It was insane to find that a stranger on TikTok could catch my condition without knowing my full medical history, and that my doctors couldn't,' Mosser reflected. 'It was absolutely mind blowing.'
Mosser said she feels extremely lucky that she's okay despite the initial misdiagnosis.
She added that she and Ella are now friends and 'have continued to message each other' online.
'I am so grateful for her reaching out with purely selfless intentions just to save someone else,' Mosser concluded.
'I hope others are encouraged to share or listen to health experiences online, and to appreciate community and awareness efforts overall.'
'Beyond this story, I have found so much helpful information and inspiration from other people sharing their stories. That encouraged me to share my own. If my story can help just a singular person, it will be worth it.'