Post by minx on Jun 2, 2023 11:15:01 GMT -5
Read an article in the WaPo yesterday (yes, I have a subscription!) 
It focused on two women who were diagnosed with severe schizophrenia.
Woman A had been fine up until her freshman year of college where she experienced a traumatic experience (which the family asked to be kept private).
From there, she spiraled until she was catatonic - was put in an institution and diagnosed with extreme schizophrenia. Multiple brain scans had been done to see if anything could be done, and it was ruled that she was incurable.
Up until then, she had been a bright, sporty outgoing person and then *BAM* all of it was gone.
Guy who was still in medical school saw her and was really struck by her story and her condition. She basically didn't want to be touched, and wouldn't respond to anything. She just stood wherever she was placed for the day and stared into space. He was in school and wasn't able to do anything.
20 years pass. He is mentoring another med school student who happens to be doing a rotation at the same place. Student mentions this catatonic patient who stands and stares into space all day, and doctor realizes it's the same woman.
He gets permission from her parents to do a full medical workup and assembles a team of cross-professionals. They do bloodwork, and one of the doctors says it looks like she has markers for Lupus, but has none of the traditional symptoms. The do another brain scan, and sure enough she does have Lupus, but it's only attacking her brain.
They do a serious regimen of IV steroids, immunotherapy and another drug. It can only be done once a month, because of the side effects.
Month 1 - some awareness - they have her draw a clock, and she scribbles all over the page - progress! She understands that they want her to draw something!
Month 2 - clock now is an oval and looks like it has a hand
Month 3 - clock isn't perfect, but you can clearly tell it's a clock with numbers and hands, and she's talking to people!
They find a second patient in a different hospital - she started experiencing symptoms at age 10 and has been in a facility for the past 10 years. Same treatment, same results.
The first woman is living in a rehab center, and working on recovering, but she's also in her early 50s now.
Second woman is 20 and living with her parents as she relearns things.
Medical team is working to get testing approved for all patients who are confined to facilities with 'incurable' mental illness in the hopes that they can receive this treatment and hopefully recover and go back to a regular life.
Just a remarkable story - I hope that they're successful in getting the testing and treatment plan to be standard procedure.
I can send a link to the article if anyone wants to read it.
It focused on two women who were diagnosed with severe schizophrenia.
Woman A had been fine up until her freshman year of college where she experienced a traumatic experience (which the family asked to be kept private).
From there, she spiraled until she was catatonic - was put in an institution and diagnosed with extreme schizophrenia. Multiple brain scans had been done to see if anything could be done, and it was ruled that she was incurable.
Up until then, she had been a bright, sporty outgoing person and then *BAM* all of it was gone.
Guy who was still in medical school saw her and was really struck by her story and her condition. She basically didn't want to be touched, and wouldn't respond to anything. She just stood wherever she was placed for the day and stared into space. He was in school and wasn't able to do anything.
20 years pass. He is mentoring another med school student who happens to be doing a rotation at the same place. Student mentions this catatonic patient who stands and stares into space all day, and doctor realizes it's the same woman.
He gets permission from her parents to do a full medical workup and assembles a team of cross-professionals. They do bloodwork, and one of the doctors says it looks like she has markers for Lupus, but has none of the traditional symptoms. The do another brain scan, and sure enough she does have Lupus, but it's only attacking her brain.
They do a serious regimen of IV steroids, immunotherapy and another drug. It can only be done once a month, because of the side effects.
Month 1 - some awareness - they have her draw a clock, and she scribbles all over the page - progress! She understands that they want her to draw something!
Month 2 - clock now is an oval and looks like it has a hand
Month 3 - clock isn't perfect, but you can clearly tell it's a clock with numbers and hands, and she's talking to people!
They find a second patient in a different hospital - she started experiencing symptoms at age 10 and has been in a facility for the past 10 years. Same treatment, same results.
The first woman is living in a rehab center, and working on recovering, but she's also in her early 50s now.
Second woman is 20 and living with her parents as she relearns things.
Medical team is working to get testing approved for all patients who are confined to facilities with 'incurable' mental illness in the hopes that they can receive this treatment and hopefully recover and go back to a regular life.
Just a remarkable story - I hope that they're successful in getting the testing and treatment plan to be standard procedure.
I can send a link to the article if anyone wants to read it.
