Transcription:
Patient Testimonial, Katie Wheeler

Melanie Cole (Host): What started as an apparent kidney infection led Katie Wheeler on a journey of repeated hospitalizations, tests, and unanswered questions, and she's here with us to share her story. Katie, welcome to the show. Tell us your story. What have you been going through? What happened? What were you feeling at the time?

Katie Wheeler (Guest): Hey, thank you for having me. So it started many years ago. In 2011 I was diagnosed with a left sided kidney infection, which usually isn't a big deal, they treat it with antibiotics and it will typically go away. That wasn't the case for me, kind of stuck in that left kidney, and not a lot of answers as to why, but they had put me on intravenous antibiotics every day, which ended up causing a lot of damage to my stomach. I had repeated stomach infections which is C. diff, I had that about four times, and just not a lot of answers as to why this was happening.

Melanie: So what prompted you to look for new doctors or what did you do next?

Katie: Well this went on for years, and finally they did a partial nephrectomy in February of 2014. It wasn't enough so eight months later, they took the rest of the kidney. I was still having infections, which actually wasn't even the biggest deal at that time. I was losing so much weight, I was down to at that time probably in the low-100's, and I'm really tall so that was a problem. And I had seen the same doctors for years, and I trusted them, they were great, but I just needed a new set of eyes.

Melanie: So because this was kidney related, what prompted you to see a gastroenterologist like Dr. Chakrabarty?

Katie: Well he had done some testing a few years previous to my admittance at TVH and they had come up negative when I was admitted at TVH for my port that was in my chest that became sepsis, and he was just on the team of doctors that were seeing me.

Melanie: So what happened? How did they figure out what's going on with you?

Katie: So there was a lot of testing done. They treated me for the sepsis which at the moment was the immediate problem. I was very, very, very sick and I was there for about twelve days, did really, really well with the treatment, and then I was sent home, and I didn't do so well. I was puking and had really, really bad pain. So my mom sent me to Dr. Chakrabarty's office and he directly admitted me from his office to TVH, and then did more extensive testing.

Melanie: What did they find?

Katie: He found out that I had a rare disorder called SMA syndrome, and that was actually caused from the nephrectomy.

Melanie: So this wasn't something you had before they did the nephrectomy, it was a result afterwards?

Katie: Correct, all of my organs had kind of shifted into that space where the kidney used to be, and it was compressing in between those two arteries. So anything that I would eat or drink would come right back up, it wouldn't go past that point.

Melanie: So after they figured out what you had, and that it was SMA, what did they do for you?

Katie: Dr. Chakrabarty placed a feeding tube which allowed me to gain weight. So what happens with SMA syndrome is there's a cushion of fat around the artery, and the more weight you lose, the less fat that cushions that artery. And so when he inserted the G-tube I was able to gain weight. Over about a two-month period, I gained about forty pounds. So at that time that he placed the G-tube, I was ninety-three pounds, and I had went up to about 130 in two months, and that had put that cushion of fat around that artery again.

Melanie: So you were in the hospital on and off for a pretty long time, and you got to know some of the other doctors and medical team at Temecula Valley. Tell us a little bit about that.

Katie: I did, yes. Everyone there was great from the nurses, to the CNAs, even the people that would come clean my room. I mean everybody just had such compassion. You know, I had been a lot of different places seeking treatment, or being sent to different places from recommendations from whoever was seeing me then, and I'd just never seen that before. And I think that when you're feeling so sick and helpless, that's something that goes a long way. A little compassion goes a long way. I'd also like to mention Dr. Ho, who was a big part of my journey to getting better. He actually allowed me to shadow him, and it was amazing. He is so smart, and so dedicated to his patients. He has people coming from all over the United States just to see him. In fact, one of his patients is my mother, and she lives in Idaho and won't see anybody else but him, so he really is great. They just have such great people working there.

Melanie: Katie, you had dreams of becoming a doctor, that's what I read about you, and so what are you most looking forward to now? Are those dreams something you see as a reality?

Katie: Absolutely. I was actually going to apply to medical school in 2011 when I had gotten sick, had everything kind of set up and ready to go, and wasn't able to do that. And then, you know, seeing how my care was, and I was just sick for so long and no answers, I actually- there was a point where I was like, "I want nothing to do with medicine. If I make it out of this alive, there's no way," until I came to Temecula Valley and just saw a whole different side of medicine, and they inspired me, and they pushed me, and that's what I'm going to do.

Melanie: So are you in medical school? Are you in the process of applying? Where are you right now?

Katie: So I'm just taking classes. I had everything completed, but it's been about thirteen years since I started college, so they like to see updated- what you could do now. So now I'm just taking classes and I'll apply next year. I'll apply two years in a row, and if I don't get in, I just want to be in medicine in any aspect, so nursing, anything where I can help.

Melanie: Wonderful. And so how do you feel now, Katie?

Katie: I feel really good. I'm 85% better than I ever dreamed to be. I still get infections, and I have to be really careful, that's something that I'm just going to have to live with, but knowing that I have a hospital that knows how to treat me when I come in, and about SMA syndrome because it is such a big deal, is really comforting.

Melanie: What would you like to tell your doctors and the medical team at Temecula Valley Hospital that cared for you and helped you to get on the road to recovery?

Katie: Thank you. They really gave me my life back. I appreciate everything that they did for me. It was one of the hardest times in my life. Everything that I once knew to be normal was changing at that time that I got admitted to Temecula Valley, and they made it such an easy transition for me.

Melanie: Wow, what a great story. You put a smile on my face, Katie, and we wish you all the best of luck. You're going to make an amazing healthcare professional, I can tell that just by what you've gone through, you'll understand what patients are feeling, and what kinds of care that they need. Thanks again for being with us today.

Melanie: You're listening to TVH Health Chat with Temecula Valley Hospital. For more information, please visit www.TemeculaValleyHospital.com. That's www.TemeculaValleyHospital.com. Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Temecula Valley Hospital. The hospital should not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. This is Melanie Cole, thanks so much for listening.