Austin, TX (PRWEB) February 24, 2006
Scientists know that heart disease is the #1 killer, cancer is the #1 fear, and Alzheimer’s is the #1 concern of Americans. Scientists also know that AIDS, Eczema, and Hodgkin’s Disease are immune system diseases but little is recognized about the rare immune system illness that threatens eight in a million people annually.
Primary amyloidosis is a disease caused by the abnormal accumulation of protein molecules in body tissues. These proteins are small fragments of antibody molecules, which are normally present in the blood, give protection against infectious agents and bacteria. Nevertheless, in primary amyloidosis a defect occurs in the immune system where excessive amounts of antibody molecules are produced and deposited in the tissues. These tissue deposits enlarge and damage typical tissues practically in every organ of the body. As the tissues continue to enlarge they interfere with regular body functions causing kidney failure, heart failure, or loss of sensation to extremities and motor function. There is no distinct treatment for primary amyloidosis that has been proven to be powerful and outcomes in prolonged survival.
The cause of primary amyloidosis is unknown and often misdiagnosed due to the fact the symptoms are similar to other diseases (e.g. heart illness, cancer, gastrointestinal illness.) Primary amyloidosis affects both girls and men with peak occurrence around age 60-65, but numerous patients get the disease in their 40’s and 50’s.
Clyde Slappey was diagnosed having primary amyloidosis when he was 42 years old. Doctors had given up on him, but he and his wife, Deborah, fought for a cure. On November 12, 1994, their journey with this disease began. Clyde and Deborah traveled around the country and visited many physicians and hospitals, Though numerous thought Clyde was beyond support, the couple did not accept “no” for an answer. “After the prognosis at the local hospital, things just didn’t appear too well for Clyde,” Deborah claims. “I knew that I required to do some thing. I just didn’t feel that enough was being accomplished specially when we had so little details about the disease.”
Clyde and Deborah knew that they had a race against time. Based upon the physician’s prognosis, Clyde didn’t have but a year or so to live since of the aggressive nature of the primary amyloid illness. In a desperation move, knowing they had no choice, the two of them pursued every single chance to discover somebody who would be able to assist Clyde. On February 14, 1995, they made it to the Mayo Clinic.
But Clyde’s body grew weaker. He waited 57 days for a heart transplant, but it was too a lot time to wait. He died inside two weeks of receiving a life-saving heart transplant at The Mayo Clinic.
Deborah Slappey Pitts chronicles their struggle to keep Clyde alive in a moving book “I Feel Okay.” It is a moving testament to the power of the human spirit that encourages people to fight for a solution regardless of overwhelming odds. “I watched his faith strengthen to its highest degree, and I know it was well with his soul as he closed his eyes in sleep,” Deborah laments. “I won’t ever forget that moment in the hospital room. And a lot of me remained in that hospital room as I said goodbye to my companion, my Innisfree, my life.”
Deborah resides in Columbus, Georgia with her husband, Marshall Pitts. She holds a B.S. degree in Marketing from Georgia Southwestern University, and an M.B.A from Albany State University. She is an associate director of software testing at TSYS, Inc. “I Feel Okay” (ISBN 1420806084, AuthorHouse, 2005) might be bought at any bookstore worldwide.
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