as small as a world and as large as alone

Gastroparesis? Yes.  I’ve had it for a long time but was diagnosed a couple years ago.  I have a GJ feeding tube that (normally) both helps me get fed (through the j-tube end) and prevents aspiration (through draining the g-tube end).  Something went wrong with the drainage last night and I seem to be on my way to aspiration pneumonia, but given how infrequently I get it compared to before the tube, it’s a good thing.  (I also have bronchiectasis, which makes it easy for me to get lung infections and hard to clear them.)