Medical Mystery Solved

Imagine being really sick and not knowing what's wrong with you?  That's exactly what happened to Jennifer Adam of Nolensville, Tennessee.  Her husband, Flint, says Jennifer hardly ever got a cold, so you can imagine the concern he had for his wife after she developed flu-like symptoms in the fall of 2014.  Symptoms that simply wouldn't go away.

The two made multiple visits to the emergency department.  Jennifer had CT scans, biopsies, numerous tests.  Nothing.  Doctors were puzzled.  Jennifer and Flint were scared and frustrated.  She became sicker and sicker as three months went by.

That's when the couple went to Saint Thomas Health, part of Ascension.  There, they met with pulmonologist Dr. Stephen Capizzi who directed them to Dr. Mark Carr, an epidemiologist and Chief of Infectious Disease at Saint Thomas.  Within 20 minutes, Dr. Carr had an answer.  He found a large 4-inch infection around her heart.  He diagnosed her with pericarditis and the bacterial strain was steptococcus anginosus.  It's a rare condition which is curable, but can be fatal if not treated.  "I looked at him and said this is an episode of House.  I don't believe you, there's no way you could've just come up and figured this out", said Jennifer.  You can understand her disbelief as a handful of doctors outside of Saint Thomas Health for weeks couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.  "In all fairness to the other doctors who saw her, it does get easier typically the longer these things carry on because the picture becomes more complete", said Dr. Carr.   Jennifer was put on IV antibiotics for the next six weeks.  Jennifer was healthy once again.   Nothing Shall Be Impossible.


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