1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:12,239 Speaker 1: Rube when they brought me into triage. The minute they 2 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: put the connections on me for the monitors, all help 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: broke loose. Every alarm went off and there was just 4 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,959 Speaker 1: this panic, and I asked a nurse, like, what is 5 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: going on? And she said, your heart is beating so fast, 6 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 1: it's not getting enough blood to your body, and we 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: can't figure out why. 8 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 2: Many people never really knew that they had it until 9 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 2: something really bad happens. 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 3: He was definitely concerned about the future and if he 11 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:38,279 Speaker 3: was going to be a part of it. 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: And my fear was, this doesn't go well, there are 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: going to be those kids that grew up saying, oh, yeah, 14 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: my dad died when I was really young, and I 15 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: didn't want that. 16 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 4: How terrifying would it be to fight an unknown enemy, 17 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 4: one you didn't recognize and didn't he coming. What if 18 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 4: that enemy was coming from within a disease that even 19 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 4: doctors couldn't identify. Nearly half of all Americans suffer from 20 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 4: some chronic illness, and many struggle for an accurate diagnosis. 21 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 4: These are their stories. I Lauren Brete Pacheco and this 22 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 4: is symptomatic. Scott Collins tattoos and love for motorcycles might 23 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 4: suggest a tough exterior, but beneath that, he's a warm 24 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 4: and devoted family man. His big personality lights up any room. Confident, approachable, 25 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 4: and the type of person who can strike up a 26 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 4: friendship with anyone. Okay, so if we weren't sitting here 27 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 4: right now, what would be dream place to be and 28 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 4: what would you be doing? What do you love? 29 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: My kids are growing up, so they're busy a lot now. 30 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 1: I love to spend time with them. Me personally because 31 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: of my job, because I'm constantly presenting to people and 32 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: talking and in meetings. I just like to be quiet. 33 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:19,519 Speaker 1: I love to be on my motorcycle. I love to 34 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: spend time with my dogs. Have three dogs, one small 35 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: and two big Bernie Mountain dogs. 36 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 4: And you're in advertising. 37 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: In advertising, my business partner and I have been together 38 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: as a team for fourteen years and it's an intense business, 39 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: but it's a lot of fun, especially now that we're 40 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,239 Speaker 1: out on our own. Very rewarding. So working weekends and 41 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: late nights says okay, because we're doing it for ourselves. 42 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 4: Rebecca and Scott share a long history. Their story began 43 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 4: at an advertising firm based in Washington, d c. Scott 44 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 4: had just landed a prestigious automotive account and was in 45 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 4: need of an art director. When Rebecca landed that role, 46 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 4: neither of them knew this would mark the beginning of 47 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 4: a lifelong friendship. If you had to describe just three 48 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 4: characteristics that Scott has that you appreciate, what would they be. 49 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: His ability to connect with people. I always tease him 50 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 3: and say it annoys me because everyone loves him, But honestly, 51 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 3: it's a skill. It's just something natural. I think that 52 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 3: he can do is just come in and immediately make 53 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 3: you feel comfortable and make you feel safe to express 54 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 3: your ideas and really wants. 55 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 4: People to succeed. 56 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: We brought her in and the two of us just clicked. 57 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: One of the things in this business as a writer 58 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: looking for our directors, that connection you make as a 59 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: team is very important because you're throwing ideas out, you're 60 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: kind of laying an all online, and you need somebody 61 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: you can trust. And early on, very quickly I found 62 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: that with Rebecca and found that the work was not 63 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: only incredible, but it was more rewarding because we had 64 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: a great friendship and it was a lot of fun 65 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: working together. The funny thing about Rebecca is early on 66 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: she learned how to call BS. I kind of meander 67 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: around things I don't want to talk about, and she 68 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: figured that out really early on, and so she calls 69 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: me on it. So when I was pushing myself and 70 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: wasn't feeling well or she could tell and I wasn't 71 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: talking about it, she called me on it and would 72 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: kind of make me deal with that. The trust we 73 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: have for each other and the willingness to get up 74 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: and throw ourselves into the madness every day knowing that 75 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: we've got, you know, a friend in the foxhole with us, and. 76 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 4: She actually has been in the foxhole with you in 77 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 4: terms of your health challenges. 78 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: She's been there through the entire journey. It wasn't long 79 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: after she came on as my partner when things went 80 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: downhill really quick. So she saw it from the get. 81 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 4: To go, which coincided with a major milestone for Scott, 82 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 4: turning the Big four to h He decided to use 83 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 4: this landmark as inspiration to get into peak physical shape. 84 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: Growing up, I remember my mom making people cakes with 85 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: a foot in the grave and all black, and it 86 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: was like forty was the big, you know hump, and 87 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: it wasn't a midlife crisis, but I just felt like 88 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: I wanted to get back to working out and feeling 89 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: my best. So I started working out vigorously six days 90 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 1: a week. I wasn't drinking alcohol, I was eating only 91 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: help food. It was great and everything was going just 92 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: as planned. I was feeling my best and. 93 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 4: You were doing P ninety X, which is that is 94 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 4: not for the week at. 95 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: Heart, it's not, and it promises change in ninety days, 96 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: and it did. I mean, I've got a photo my 97 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: wife took me with my kids on a beach right 98 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: around the time I had finished the first ninety days. 99 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: I mean, it was exactly what I wanted to be. 100 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: I was fit, I looked healthy, I was happy. And ironically, 101 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: it was right around that time that I started to 102 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: experience some symptoms and things that seemed off. 103 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 4: And then it took something visual, something physically visual, for 104 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 4: you to go to the doctor. 105 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, I had developed a little bump on the side 106 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,559 Speaker 1: of my nose that I just thought was adult acne 107 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 1: or a pimple and just kind of annoying, and I 108 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: let it go. But then a couple of weeks went by, 109 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: I noticed it was still there, and I held a 110 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 1: hot compress on it and tried a few things, and 111 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: it just would not go away. So I went to 112 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: a different doctor and the first thing he said was, 113 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: you need to have a biopsy. This could have been 114 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 1: cancer just off the cuff, which you know is not 115 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 1: what you're expecting. 116 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 4: And you hear the word zeroed a hundred, it was see. 117 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: Zeroed one hundred and fifty. And I experienced that a 118 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 1: few times in this journey. But so I did go 119 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: have a biopsy, and about a week later received a 120 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: postcard that my doctor wanted to see me during his 121 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: office hours, which was frightening because your mind runs and 122 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: I've dishard cancer and now they want to see me. 123 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: But they sent a postcard that didn't call. So I 124 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: made an appointment and went in and he was almost 125 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: excited and fascinated because he said, I've never seen a 126 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: case of this. He said, what you have is called sarcoidosis, 127 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: which just sounds horrible in a way. I was glad 128 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: because it wasn't cancer, but I was curious. I'd never 129 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: heard of what sarcoidosis was, and he explained that it 130 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: was incredibly rare. 131 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 4: Sarakoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can affect various organs 132 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,239 Speaker 4: in the body. Due to its rarity, research is limited, 133 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 4: making it difficult to fully understand or treat. It often 134 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 4: presents as a mystery to doctors and patients alike, as 135 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 4: the symptoms can vary greatly. 136 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: He said, you're the first case I've ever seen. You're 137 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: probably the last case I'll ever see. And the majority 138 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: of people who get sarcoidosis it just resolves on its own. 139 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: But he said, we're not going to do anything. We'll 140 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: keep an eye. Don't go online and research it. If 141 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: you go to WebMD, it'll scare the hell out of you. 142 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 4: And of course you immediately went on. 143 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: I did, and it was frightening, but I just kind 144 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: of relied on what he said, which is this is 145 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: going to resolve itself, and so I forgot about it. 146 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 4: So the bump went away, and so did your thoughts 147 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 4: about sarcoidosis. It did. Scott easily immersed himself back into 148 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 4: his work. However, a year later, a persistent cough sparked new. 149 00:07:56,160 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: Concerns and wasn't an allergy type cough. Like I had 150 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: a cold. I couldn't not cough and it was loud, 151 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: so I would close my door and it would happen 152 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: for bouts of minutes at a time. 153 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 4: Did you think allergies, did you think? 154 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: I asked. I had never felt it. I grew up 155 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: with allergies, I grew up with asthma, and it was 156 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: nothing like I had experienced. So I went to my 157 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: GP and he said, it's definitely allergies, and he gave 158 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: me some medicine, and about a week later I went 159 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: back and it hadn't subsided, and he tried another medication. 160 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,119 Speaker 1: At one point, the coughs were bad enough I actually 161 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: cracked a rib. I mean, that's how violent were and 162 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: I could not suppress it, so it became worrisome. But 163 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: they did chest x rays and they said nothing looks off, 164 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 1: and over about a month and a half or so, 165 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: it started to taper off on its own. So to 166 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: your point, I just forgot about it and I went 167 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: back to working out. Everything seemed fine. 168 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 4: He didn't like to. 169 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 3: Talk about it and dwell on it. He wanted to 170 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 3: really just keep going business as. 171 00:08:56,240 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 4: Usual, though they would come and go. Erratic symptoms began 172 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 4: to plant seeds of doubt in Scott's mind. After ignoring them, 173 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,319 Speaker 4: for another year and a half. New manifestations became impossible 174 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 4: to overlook. 175 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: The symptoms that really got me that I couldn't understand 176 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: were heart related, and it started. I can remember the 177 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: exact night. It was about eleven thirty or so. I 178 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: was going to bed. It was quiet, and all of 179 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: a sudden, in a completely resting state, my heart was racing, 180 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: as if I'd been on a treadmill, and I remember 181 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: sitting up and just gasping for air. It came out 182 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: of nowhere, and then I would feel these just really 183 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: hard beats. 184 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 4: What did you make of it at the time? Did 185 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 4: you think it was anxiety? 186 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: That's exactly what I thought. My whole life had been 187 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: prone to overthinking things and being stressed and anxious about work, 188 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: and so I figured that's what it was. And maybe 189 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,319 Speaker 1: i'd been drinking too much coffee. I'll watch that, and 190 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: things seemed to go back to normal. 191 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:59,080 Speaker 3: He doesn't always react the best to someone confronting him 192 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 3: with things like that, but I think he really likes 193 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:06,199 Speaker 3: to make everyone else feel at ease with humor and 194 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 3: stories and making everything fun, so you know, on the surface, 195 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 3: going through something like this, he doesn't really want to 196 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 3: talk about it a whole lot. 197 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 1: But then it started to pick up and it was 198 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: happening again and again. I went in to see my 199 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: doctors and explain what was happening. And what's interesting with 200 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: things like this is the protocol is about a ten 201 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: second EKG. They put all the electros on you, They 202 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: run the EKG for about ten seconds, pull everything off, 203 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: look at it, and they said everything was. 204 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 4: Great, and you're physically presenting as someone who's an optimal. 205 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: Health, absolutely great shape. They asked a lot of questions 206 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: and I took comfort. That's what I wanted to hear 207 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: was everything was fine. So I went home, but you know, 208 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: your own body, and I started to experience this even 209 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: during the day. I would feel like just out of 210 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: the blue. It's hard to describe, but things would get 211 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: kind of quiet. It was almost like they were cotton 212 00:10:57,920 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: in your ears. You could hear your heart and it 213 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: would start racing. So I think I went into the 214 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: doctor probably four or five times with those same symptoms. 215 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: And it was interesting because I went and the doctor 216 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 1: who was going to be performing the test walked in. 217 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: He goes, what are you doing here? And I explained it. 218 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:17,559 Speaker 1: He goes, you're imperfect health. 219 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 4: So what was the reaction you were getting. 220 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: The reaction was interesting. At first they were interested, and 221 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: then I wouldn't say annoyed, but I was coming in 222 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: with the same thing and I was getting the same results. 223 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: At one point they gave me some anti anxiety medication 224 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: and that did nothing. But after I mean, I don't 225 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: know if it was four or five six times of 226 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,079 Speaker 1: going in, my doctor came in one day and just said, 227 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: I fear that you're a hypochondriac. And he said it 228 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: directly to me, and I was shocked because I had 229 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: never been more in tune with my body and I 230 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 1: knew something was off. And I was frustrated and explained 231 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: to him there's something going on. I just know there is. 232 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:54,719 Speaker 1: And so his response was, if I just throw the 233 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: book at it, if I run every test I can 234 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: think of and they come back negative, promised to not 235 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: come back, that's the deal. And I said, one hundred percent, absolutely, 236 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:04,439 Speaker 1: let's do it. 237 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,079 Speaker 4: Over the course of two days, Scott underwent a series 238 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 4: of tests, including real time heart monitoring, multiple blood panels, 239 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:18,559 Speaker 4: and detailed imaging of his heart. What a strange mental 240 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 4: challenge that must have been for you, because Normally, when 241 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 4: people are subjected to that barrage of testing, they're hoping 242 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 4: that nothing is found, and you're hoping that something is 243 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 4: found to validate what you've been feeling. 244 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: At this point. That's what I wanted. I didn't want 245 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: to believe I was a hypochondriac, so a large part 246 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: of me did want them to find something, because then 247 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: at least there was a course, there was a path forward. 248 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: Here's what we're going to treat this and to remedy 249 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: this and to fix this. It was Friday afternoon and 250 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, I'm going to go home and I'm going 251 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,199 Speaker 1: to work out, and I got a phone call from 252 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: a nurse at my doctor's office who said, the doctors 253 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 1: have seen some things in the tests that are concerning 254 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:05,719 Speaker 1: to them, is what she said, and they'd like to 255 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 1: see you Monday morning. And I remember hanging up and 256 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: being so frustrated because now I have the whole weekend 257 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: to overthink this. They found something, and now. 258 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 4: I got away, and to say to hear that on 259 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 4: a Friday is not ideal. 260 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: It wasn't well. 261 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 4: Scott's concerns that something was wrong were being validated. The 262 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 4: lack of information going into the weekend added to a stress, 263 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 4: but Scott wouldn't make it to Monday without answers. 264 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: Saturday, my wife and I went over to my mother 265 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: in law's house. I just remember that feeling came over 266 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 1: me where I felt like my head was packed with cotton. 267 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: I couldn't really hear them anymore, and I got numb, 268 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 1: starting with my face. I remember my lips started to 269 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: tingle and my arms got numb. So I sat down 270 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: because I was afraid I was going to pass out. 271 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: And all I could think was something's wrong, something is 272 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: very wrong, and I couldn't say it. I couldn't get 273 00:13:59,280 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: the words out. 274 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,559 Speaker 4: Oh my gosh. So it's almost like those trapped nightmares 275 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:05,839 Speaker 4: where you can't even scream to wake yourself up. 276 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: It's exactly what it was. And I'm sitting on this 277 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: couch and I can see the two of them talking 278 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 1: and I don't know if I made a noise or what, 279 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 1: but I remember my mother in law looking at me 280 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: and she was like, my god, you're pale as a ghost. 281 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: And at that point there was no question. They just 282 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: got me to the car and my wife drove me 283 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: to the hospital, and the minute we went in, they 284 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: dropped me into a wheelchair and rushed me back. So 285 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: my wife had mentioned there's something wrong with his heart. 286 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: And when they brought me into triage, I mean the 287 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: minute they put the connections on me, for the monitors, 288 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: all help broke loose, every alarm went off, and there 289 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: was just this panic. And for the remainder of that day, 290 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: in that evening, it was just a constant back and 291 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 1: forth with doctors and nurses running in. They would run in, 292 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: tell me to take deep breaths, try to relax, and 293 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: it's not easy to do when this is happening. And 294 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: I finally was able to talk and interact again, and 295 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: I asked a nurse what is going on? And she said, 296 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: your heart is in VT and we can't figure out why. 297 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: So I was in partricular tachycardia and she said, the 298 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: bottom of your heart is beating so fast it is 299 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: not getting enough blood to your body. 300 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 4: Ventricular tachycardia is a serious condition where the heart beats 301 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 4: abnormally fast, starting in the lower chambers. If left untreated, 302 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 4: it can lead to fainting, heart failure, or even sudden 303 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 4: cardiac arrest. How did you not die? 304 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: One of my doctors feels that I was equal parts 305 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: lucky and also because I had been working out so hard. 306 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: He feels that my heart was just strong enough. It 307 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: was barely getting me by. And in hindsight, leading up 308 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: to this, I can remember trips we took as a family. 309 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: I was walking around the beach, not feeling well, driving 310 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: all these times this is happening, not realizing my heart 311 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: was slipping into VT. 312 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 4: At this point, Scott was on the brink in with 313 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 4: seemingly random symptoms now leading to ventricular tachycardia. The physical 314 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 4: struggle was clear that the mental toll was just beginning 315 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 4: to surface. 316 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: I laid in bed that night and it's like, I've 317 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: got a family with young kids who you know, my 318 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: daughter would remember me, my son maybe a bit. I've 319 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: got a career like I can't afford to pay my 320 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: bills if I'm not working. Rebecca had just come on. She's, 321 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: you know, a brand new partner to me, and I'm 322 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: texting people like I'm not going to be at work 323 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: for a while. It's not looking good. Some things are happening. 324 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: And trying to process all of this. 325 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 4: In terms of concerns for his health or longevity. Do 326 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 4: you remember Scott ever voicing his fears about the. 327 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 3: Future, absolutely, because there were ups and downs for a 328 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 3: very very long time. So I mean he was definitely 329 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 3: concerned about the future and if he was going to 330 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 3: be a part of it, which I think is something 331 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 3: that was very difficult for him to wrap his mind 332 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 3: around and live with every day. I mean, how do 333 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 3: you live with not knowing? It's not like the doctors 334 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 3: could say you have X number of years. They just 335 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 3: didn't know, And how do you process that and live 336 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 3: with that and go on with your life not knowing. 337 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 4: We'll be right back with Symptomatic a Medical Mystery Podcast. 338 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 4: Now back to Symptomatic a Medical Mystery Podcast. At forty, 339 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 4: Scott was in peak physical shape. Then a small bump 340 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 4: on his nose led to a surprising sarcoidosis diagnosis. Doctors 341 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:52,160 Speaker 4: reassured him it was nothing serious, but his symptoms, including 342 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 4: a racing heart, persisted. Scott's concerns grew confident there was 343 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 4: more to the story. Scott pushed for more tests. Then 344 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,680 Speaker 4: came a terrifying episode. Suddenly unable to speak or move, 345 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,640 Speaker 4: he faced a life threatening heart condition. 346 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:23,919 Speaker 1: And then as we got into the wee hours of the night, 347 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: I couldn't sleep fewer doctors and nurses were coming in. 348 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: They were starting to get it under control, and it 349 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: was about eight in the morning when cardiologists came in. 350 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 1: It was almost like a movie. He came in and 351 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: as he was reading my chart, he would bounce on 352 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: his toes, up and down on his toes, and then 353 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: about every fourth time he would click. 354 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 4: His heels and the Wizard of Oz. 355 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: It was unsettling, but I'm just like, get to it. 356 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: What is this? And he just kept bouncing and then 357 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,199 Speaker 1: he put the chart behind his back and looked at 358 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 1: me and said, we may be looking at a transplant. 359 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 4: The news was a lot to take in, hard to 360 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 4: even process, but Scott wasn't about to accept that without 361 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 4: seeking a second opinion. 362 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: Another doctor came in and said, we've got tricks up 363 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 1: our sleeves and we're going to get to the bottom 364 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 1: of this. So they transferred me to another hospital in 365 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,640 Speaker 1: Virginia and Nova Fairfax, which has got a great cardiologist 366 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 1: department and is known for dealing with severe heart issues. 367 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: I was given a very long MRI. I remember it 368 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: taking forever. It just kept going and going and going, 369 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,679 Speaker 1: and then being brought back to my room and a 370 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: doctor came in and she said, we've figured out what's 371 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 1: happening is you have cardiacs arquidosis. And that's when my 372 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: brain reeled back and I was like, my god, we 373 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: knew all along, and we somehow all dropped the ball 374 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: on this. 375 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 4: The most insidious of medical mysteries because it was solved 376 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 4: in the beginning. 377 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: It was solved in the beginning and then forgotten because 378 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: nobody gets this, and especially a forty year old guy 379 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: who's working out, and everybody thought it would resolve itself. 380 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 4: And so it's allowed to progress under your radar, under 381 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 4: medical radar, until it arrives at the worst possible manifestation 382 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 4: of the condition. 383 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, and by then it was in my lungs, my spleen, 384 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: my liver, and my heart. 385 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 4: Doctor Mitchell Sotka is the chief of heart Failure and 386 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 4: transplant at a Nova Shaw Heart and Vascular in Falls Church, Virginia, 387 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,880 Speaker 4: the expert Scott would later turn to in his journey. 388 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:31,120 Speaker 4: Doctor Sotka breaks down the rarity of cardiac sarcoidosis. 389 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 2: For us, it is a relatively rare disease and one 390 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 2: that many people are not comfortable managing, even cardiologists, even 391 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 2: many heartfare specialist cardiologists. 392 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 4: Just taking a little step back, could you define for 393 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 4: the listener what sarcardosis is and also explain why it's 394 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 4: so challenging to treat. 395 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 2: Sure so, sarcoidosis as a broad condition is probably an 396 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 2: inflammatory condition that is autoimmune, meaning it is your body 397 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 2: fighting against itself or attacking itself. But what happens is 398 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 2: it is inflammation caused by your immune system attacking your body. 399 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 2: And this disease can occur in quite literally any part 400 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,360 Speaker 2: of the body and is most common in the lungs, 401 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 2: but can also happen more infrequently in the heart. This 402 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 2: inflammation that is part of the disease can come and 403 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 2: go and in many cases is not very injurious and 404 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,439 Speaker 2: can be watched pretty conservatively. For whatever reason, when it 405 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 2: happens in the heart, it tends to be much more 406 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 2: aggressive and tends to cause persistent inflammation that then leads 407 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:41,439 Speaker 2: to scar or permanent damage in the heart, and this 408 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 2: can be associated with a number of problems this can 409 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 2: cause in the heart, heart rhythm problems that can be deadly. 410 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:52,640 Speaker 2: It can cause the heart muscle not to do its 411 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 2: primary job, which is to pump blood very well and 412 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,360 Speaker 2: cause something called heart failure, and it can cause another 413 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,199 Speaker 2: rhythm problem, which is called heart block, where the heart 414 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 2: does not receive the signals it needs to know and 415 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 2: to pump or to beat, and can actually just stop beating. 416 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 4: Sarcotis has never came up from the time you had 417 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 4: the bump to the time you were getting EKGs. 418 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,159 Speaker 1: Correct, and I take responsibility for some of that. I 419 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 1: think hearing the word cancer and then hearing this word 420 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: sarcoidosis were things I didn't want to think about, so 421 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: I just kind of pushed those in the back of 422 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: my head and thought, I don't have to worry about those. 423 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: Something else is happening. So it never even crossed my mind. 424 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 1: And during all of those doctor's appointments, no one ever said, Hey, 425 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: this isn't here, we should take a look at this. 426 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:42,919 Speaker 1: I think, like I said, the numbers are so rare. 427 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: There are very few doctors in the world that have 428 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: experience with it. There are very few specialists. 429 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 2: We know that many people, even with sarcotis of the heart, 430 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 2: never really knew that they had it until something really 431 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 2: bad happens. In fact, the most common preason of patients' 432 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 2: first association with the medical system due to sarcoidosis. If 433 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 2: they have it in their heart is of suddenly dying, 434 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 2: and this is often from one of these heart rhythm 435 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,640 Speaker 2: problems called ventricular attachycardia. 436 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 4: Scott was incredibly lucky to survive his VT episode, something 437 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 4: often fatal for those with cardiac sarcoidosis. Now recognizing the 438 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,919 Speaker 4: clues that had been there all along and understanding the 439 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 4: severity of his condition, he realized his heart remained far 440 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 4: from stable after all distress and flare ups. The next 441 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 4: step was to insert a defibrillator, a device that will 442 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 4: literally shock his heart to a higher rate during an arrhythmia, 443 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 4: then slow it back to a normal pulse. I think 444 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 4: that there has to be in your case, particularly such 445 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 4: disbelief because you were so healthy, you were trying so 446 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 4: hard to do all the right things to achieve longevity. 447 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 4: Were you angry? I was. 448 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: I went through all of the feelings, just depression, the anger, 449 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: why me, the embarrassment to be honest with you, and 450 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: no clear cut path. I asked every doctor like, what's 451 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: the prognosis? And they wouldn't give me one because they couldn't. 452 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 4: As he lay in bed alone at night in the 453 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 4: er Fearing what might come, Scott's creative instincts took over. 454 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: The only way I could deal with it is to 455 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: do what I do every day, which is right. And 456 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: so I wrote some really powerful letters. 457 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 4: To my kids I can't even imagine. 458 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: Which they've never read. Really, and my fear was this 459 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,240 Speaker 1: doesn't go well. There are going to be those kids 460 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: that grow up saying, oh, yeah, my dad died when 461 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: I was really young, and I didn't want that, and 462 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: so I wrote each of them an exhaustive letter. It 463 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,399 Speaker 1: was basically an apology, but just wanted them to know 464 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: who I was. And that was the last thing I 465 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 1: could do that night. And I remember putting my computer 466 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: down because I had asked to have it with me. 467 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 1: I always had my computer, and I didn't sleep, and 468 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 1: I couldn't tell you how I process things because I 469 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 1: don't think I was at that point. 470 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,640 Speaker 4: With a defibrillator now in place, workouts were off limits, 471 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 4: and an uneasy fear of being shocked loomed over. Scott 472 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 4: restless at home. Recovery was taking a toll. Despite doctors' orders, 473 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 4: he pushed to return to work, hoping to re engage 474 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,160 Speaker 4: with the world. How difficult was it to watch him 475 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 4: navigating his health challenges. 476 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 3: At times it's extremely difficult, but at other times I 477 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 3: almost forget, which I feel bad about because he's so 478 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 3: good at masking it and just powering on and being 479 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 3: business as usual. There have been many times I try 480 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 3: my best to understand, but knowing full well, I can't 481 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:59,439 Speaker 3: fully understand. So I just try to give him as 482 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:04,160 Speaker 3: much professional support and support as a friend that I 483 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 3: possibly can. 484 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 1: There was one day I was in a meeting and 485 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: I started to feel and I'm pretty sure it was 486 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: the VT, just short little bursts and I wasn't being shocked, 487 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: but something was happening. And I went back to my 488 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: office and she walked in and she said, you don't 489 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: look like you're feeling well. And she would say, like, 490 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: you've got to go, you need to go home. 491 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 4: Do you remember how it was manifesting itself physically on him. 492 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 3: It was everything, It was his body language. He was pale. 493 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 3: As soon as I walked in the office and actually 494 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 3: took a moment to look at him. I knew in 495 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 3: a second something very bad was happening, you know, And 496 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 3: I knew at that point it was going to take 497 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 3: a lot for him to do something about it. I said, 498 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 3: we will leave right now. I will go pull my 499 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 3: car up and I will drive you to the hospital. 500 00:26:55,720 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 3: Like I just had this overwhelming feeling that things were 501 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 3: not okay at all, and you were right Unfortunately. 502 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: I said, I got to get out of this office. 503 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: So she walked with me and there were some backsteps 504 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:13,359 Speaker 1: back exit by the garage, and I just wanted to 505 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:15,680 Speaker 1: sit out there, and she sat with me and waited 506 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: for my wife to come. And it was equal parts 507 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: comforting having somebody there, but also I just wanted to 508 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: be alone, because again, it was just that's the only 509 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: way I can put it. Was embarrassing and it was frustrating. 510 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,880 Speaker 1: So we got home and I'll never forget my son 511 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: was at the table in his little hicher and he 512 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: was eating He's four years old. And I did not 513 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 1: feel well, and I walked into the kitchen and out 514 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:41,360 Speaker 1: of the blue, my device fired and I won't say 515 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: what I said, and I yelled it and my son 516 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 1: learned a new word. I mean, it just came out 517 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 1: of nowhere and dropped me to the floor. And I've 518 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,199 Speaker 1: even had doctors ask me what does it feel like 519 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: for your device to fire? And the only way I 520 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:56,399 Speaker 1: could put it was imagine a horse with electrified shoes 521 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 1: kicking you right in the chest. Your eyes flashway, your 522 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,680 Speaker 1: ears crack, and I mean it is like getting punched 523 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: as hard as you can in the chest. 524 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:12,439 Speaker 4: Paramedics arrived, quickly, distracting his son to shield him from 525 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 4: the harsh reality of his father's condition, and rush to 526 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 4: stabilize Scott. 527 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: They're wiring me up and cutting my shirt off and 528 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 1: getting me on a gurney and getting me out of there, 529 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: and you know, you've got an ambulance sirens going, and 530 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: it was frightening. And I got to the hospital and 531 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 1: they had me on monitors and I think the scariest 532 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 1: thing I've ever heard was the doctor at Hopkins, who 533 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: could see everything he was watching on their monitors, and 534 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: he was on speakerphone, said he is not stable enough 535 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: to move. Cancel the life light. And that was the 536 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: moment I was like, this is it. This is where 537 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: I go. I'm in the ICU and they can't stop this. 538 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: They came in and they put in my IV. They 539 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: started to drip an insane amount of a drug called 540 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: amiotor room, which is for heart arrhythmias, and all day 541 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 1: and all night, just nurses coming in and checking on 542 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: me and making sure my meds were in. 543 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,960 Speaker 4: Scott's worst fears came to life when his device fired. Thankfully, 544 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 4: doctor stabilized him with a cardiac ablation, a procedure that 545 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 4: kills small areas of the heart tissue that are causing 546 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 4: irregular heart beats. It was enough to get him back home, 547 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 4: where he began to take high doses of predmozone hoping 548 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 4: to avoid another cardiac episode. 549 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,520 Speaker 1: And at one point they had me at forty milligrams 550 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: a day, which you feel like you're going crazy. You're 551 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: in fight or flight mode. So my cardiologist left, moved 552 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: out of state, and the rest of the practice had 553 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: no experience. My device only fired one more time. It 554 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: was about a year later, and I was on the 555 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: treadmill and suddenly I felt funny and that was a burst, 556 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: and then it lit me up. So I had my 557 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 1: second ablation surgery. And that practice it felt like just 558 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: a shrug, like we don't know what else we can 559 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 1: do for you. And that's when my pulmonologists introduced me 560 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: to doctor Sukka, who he said, do you really need 561 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: to go see him? And he spent about forty five 562 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: minutes with me, just talking to me and asking me 563 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 1: questions and wanted to really fully understand everything that had 564 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 1: happened and how I arrived at his door. And when 565 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 1: we were done, he said, I will treat you, but 566 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: I will go at this aggressively, and I need you 567 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: to understand that if you're willing to go with me 568 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: on this journey, I will treat you. And he said, 569 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: one of the first things I want to do is 570 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 1: I want to get you off a pregtizone. At the time, 571 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: I think I was at twenty five milligrams a day. 572 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 2: I do remember meeting him the first time. He was 573 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 2: referred to me by another physician very appropriately to help 574 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 2: out with his case, which was complicated and he had 575 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 2: struggled with his disease for a long time, and I 576 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 2: remember he was in the room and clearly struggling with 577 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 2: the diagnosis and the treatments and where to go next. 578 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:05,480 Speaker 2: I remember him being very excited when I said to him, 579 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 2: I think I have something that we can do differently. 580 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 2: And it was not just me, it was a team 581 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 2: of people that could get together and really offer him 582 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 2: a different treatment course that I think would be much 583 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 2: more palatable for him and put him in a better 584 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 2: place symptomatically and with his disease. 585 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 4: You mentioned that he was a challenging case, what in 586 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 4: particular presented challenges for you? 587 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 2: So I think in his case, as I mentioned, heart 588 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 2: sarcoidosis can be particularly refractory to treatment over time, and 589 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 2: in his case, that is what a lot of his 590 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 2: other physicians had been struggling with, is that every time 591 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 2: they tried to reduce his dosing of immuna suppression, he 592 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 2: had recurrence of his sarcodosis of his heart. And this 593 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 2: was symptomatic, meaning he felt pretty terrible and also it 594 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 2: wasangerous in that he was having these abnormal heart rhythms. 595 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 2: So his clinical team before he got to us really 596 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 2: didn't know how to handle that, didn't know how to 597 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 2: adjust his immune suppression therapy and regimen to get him 598 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 2: onto alternative agents that wouldn't have so many side effects. 599 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 4: Doctor Sotka's first goal was to gradually reduce Scott's preadnizone 600 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 4: due to its severe side effects including weight gain, mood swings, 601 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 4: and high blood pressure. However, attempts to taper off were 602 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 4: challenging as infections took over his weekend immune. 603 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 2: System, and I think it really took us years to 604 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 2: get to the place where I felt like we had 605 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 2: gotten him where I said, I was going to try 606 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,640 Speaker 2: to get him to a place where he was on 607 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 2: a regiment that did not cause him a lot of 608 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 2: side effects, where he felt better, where he could exercise more, 609 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 2: and where I felt like the long term outlook for 610 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 2: him was very good as opposed to be more uncertain. 611 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: He said, if we can get you to where it's 612 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: not showing up on pet scans, then we know the 613 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: medications are working. And that's where I've been for a 614 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: number of years now. So I'm kind of in maintenance mode. 615 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 4: After years of searching for a diagnosis and navigating near 616 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 4: death experiences, Scott was still grappling with the anxiety attached 617 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 4: to the very device that keeps him alive. 618 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: It's taken me a long time to mentally get back 619 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: to where I feel like I'm kind of myself again. 620 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: For me, there was PTSD from my device firing. There 621 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 1: were nights I couldn't sleep because I was so for 622 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: any little thing in my chest. I felt like, here 623 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 1: it comes, and I would brace and it was a 624 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: terrible place to be and seeking out people I could 625 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 1: speak to to get through that made a huge difference, 626 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 1: and then being able to get back to my nine 627 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: to five where it's just like I wake up and 628 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: I've got a job to do, and I when I'm 629 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: done with work, I've got my kids and my dogs 630 00:33:57,520 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: and you know, my motorcycle. Like I'm just trying to 631 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 1: normal life. 632 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 2: His mental fortitude, as you mentioned, despite all the shocks 633 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 2: that he had had and the anxiety that that can 634 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,359 Speaker 2: produce and the complicated path, was really down to him 635 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 2: mentally being strong enough to get through this process. But 636 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 2: I hope that we helped him get there along the way. 637 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:19,279 Speaker 4: In terms of your milestones, how many of you blown 638 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:20,320 Speaker 4: away at this point? 639 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:23,320 Speaker 1: So it was one year and they said, if we 640 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: can get you to a year, we believe we'll get 641 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 1: you to three. If we get you to three, you're 642 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: going to ten. Get past ten, and you should expect 643 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: to live a fairly normal lifespan. And so for me, 644 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,600 Speaker 1: that was my goal is I got to get to ten. 645 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,240 Speaker 1: And twenty twenty two was eleven. 646 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,839 Speaker 4: With his symptoms finally under control, Scott decided to take 647 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:48,600 Speaker 4: a chance with Rebecca and start their own advertising agency, 648 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 4: The Creative Cartel. Now he's working on a memoir to 649 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 4: share his journey in the industry and his fight with 650 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 4: the disease. But there's one part of his story that 651 00:34:58,120 --> 00:34:59,840 Speaker 4: matters most his kids. 652 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: The cool thing about my kids is that they don't 653 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:08,799 Speaker 1: look at me as being sick. They've kind of put 654 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: it in terms for me, and I think in a 655 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 1: way they sensed I needed to hear it, that I 656 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: beat it, I conquered it, and I was strong enough 657 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 1: to get through it. I remember my son saying, you're 658 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:19,879 Speaker 1: kind of like Iron Man. Now, that was the way 659 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,879 Speaker 1: he looked at it. But hearing them talk about it 660 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:26,800 Speaker 1: in a very positive way and that I'm a success 661 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 1: is great. My daughter's even said, like, the things you've 662 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:34,200 Speaker 1: gotten through and your work ethic is so apparent that 663 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:36,080 Speaker 1: it's inspiring to them. 664 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 4: What do you hope that people take away from Scott's story. 665 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 3: I think how you deal with something that comes your way, 666 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:50,520 Speaker 3: even if it's just the worst possible situation and not 667 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:55,280 Speaker 3: fair and not deserve. You know, you've gone through so much, 668 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,760 Speaker 3: how you come out on the other end of it 669 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 3: is up to you. You can navigate that to some extent. 670 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:06,799 Speaker 3: Is how you think about it and how you move 671 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 3: forward and the attitude you take on, and that can 672 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,240 Speaker 3: have a profound impact on your health and your well being. 673 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,200 Speaker 1: I hate to sound too optimistic, because I was at 674 00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:20,000 Speaker 1: a point in my life where I wasn't and can 675 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 1: be very understanding of how frustrating and scary that is. 676 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,920 Speaker 1: You can't be defined by a condition. You have to 677 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: take it back. Last year, I took a motorcycle trip 678 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 1: from northern Virginia to Kansas to go speak at my 679 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 1: high school. I'm doing everything I can to take me 680 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:37,360 Speaker 1: back because that's what we all deserve. I think we 681 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,320 Speaker 1: all have to have that part of ourselves. 682 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 4: You can find out more about sar coidosis and cardiac 683 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 4: sar coidosis in particular on the Foundation for sar Codosis 684 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:53,080 Speaker 4: Research website at Stop Sarkoidosis dot org. 685 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:57,000 Speaker 1: My name is Scott Colin, and for thirteen years I've 686 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 1: been in and out of hospitals battling life threatening complications 687 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:03,760 Speaker 1: brought on by a rare disease called sarcoidosis. 688 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 4: On next week's episode of Symptomatic Mela Clark was a 689 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 4: busy crisis communications professional working in a fast paced, high 690 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:15,719 Speaker 4: pressure environment. The constant stress made it hard for her 691 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:19,480 Speaker 4: to notice the symptoms creeping in, at first feeling tired 692 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:23,720 Speaker 4: and thirsty, then escalating to full on exhaustion and rapid 693 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 4: weight loss, until things took a more serious turn. 694 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:33,359 Speaker 5: I was making myself breakfast and I fainted and I 695 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 5: kind of like came to I woke up. I was 696 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 5: really confused, and I was like, I don't know what 697 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,920 Speaker 5: just happened, but I know that's not normal. And I 698 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 5: just started bawling because I was so scared and frustrated. 699 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 4: Diligently working to combat her symptoms. Mela's diagnosis post complications 700 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:58,760 Speaker 4: even her doctors didn't see coming. As always, we would 701 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 4: love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts on 702 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 4: this episode or share a medical mystery of your own 703 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:09,400 Speaker 4: at Symptomatic at iHeartMedia dot com, and please rate and 704 00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:13,120 Speaker 4: review Symptomatic wherever you get your podcasts. We'll see you 705 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:17,720 Speaker 4: next time. Until then, be well. Symptomatic is a production 706 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 4: of Ruby Studio from iHeartMedia. Our show is hosted by 707 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:25,719 Speaker 4: me Lauren Bret Pacheco. Executive producers are Matt Ramano and myself. 708 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:30,080 Speaker 4: Our EP of post production is James Foster. Our supervising 709 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 4: producer is Cierra Kaiser. Our writers are John Erwin and 710 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:36,960 Speaker 4: Diana Davis, and our editor is Cierra Spreen.