House Calls - Case #02 Athena

2024/10/29

Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast

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Athena Giorgolini

Lauren Bright Pacheco

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Athena Giorgolini: 自13-14岁青春期起，Athena便饱受类似痘痘的脓肿困扰，这些脓肿出现在腹股沟、腋下等部位。多年来，她辗转多位医生，却始终未能得到正确的诊断，期间经历了多次误诊，例如被诊断为肛周脓肿和MRSA感染，这给她带来了巨大的身心痛苦和羞耻感。误诊不仅让她承受了不必要的治疗，更让她在漫长的求医过程中倍感孤立和无助，加剧了她的心理负担。直到28岁，她才最终被确诊为患有毛囊炎(HS)。在确诊后的几年里，Athena积极寻求治疗，尝试了多种药物和手术，并通过改变生活方式，例如减肥，来改善病情。如今，她的病情得到了显著好转，这让她重拾信心，积极参与社交活动，并投身于患者倡导事业，帮助更多和她一样的人。 Lauren Bright Pacheco: Lauren作为主持人，引导Athena分享了她的经历，并表达了对Athena的同情和敬佩。她强调了Athena的故事对其他毛囊炎患者以及他们的家人的重要意义，并指出Athena的经历揭示了误诊对患者身心健康造成的巨大伤害。Lauren还分享了听众来信，这些来信都表达了对Athena的感谢，以及Athena的故事对他们产生的积极影响。 Cheryl: Cheryl是一位毛囊炎患者，她在邮件中表达了Athena的故事对她产生的巨大共鸣。她表示，Athena的故事让她不再感到孤单，并让她更有勇气公开分享自己的经历。此外，Athena的故事也帮助她的母亲理解了她所经历的痛苦，改善了她们母女之间的关系。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why did it take so long for Athena to receive a correct diagnosis for her condition?

Athena experienced symptoms starting at puberty, around age 11 to 13, but was misdiagnosed multiple times. She was formally diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) at age 28, after 15 years of symptoms and 7 years from her first medical consultation.

Why did Athena feel a deep sense of shame and isolation when dealing with her condition?

Athena internalized shame and guilt from the onset of symptoms, especially after a doctor misdiagnosed her condition as a result of poor hygiene. This reinforced her worst fears about her body and pushed her into isolation.

Why did Athena decide to become an advocate for people with HS?

Athena found empowerment in talking to other patients and sharing her story. By being the first to open up, she created a safe environment for others to connect and share their experiences, which is crucial for breaking the isolation and stigma around HS.

Why did Athena's story have a significant impact on the HS community?

Athena's story resonated deeply with many people who had similar experiences. Her bravery and honesty helped others feel seen and understood, and even led to a doctor diagnosing a patient with HS after listening to the episode.

Why has Athena's condition improved so much recently?

Athena is on a combination of medications, including a new biologic and spironolactone, which have significantly reduced her symptoms. She has also undergone surgeries to remove HS and has lost 125 pounds, which has improved her overall health and energy levels.

Why has Athena's weight loss had a positive impact on her life?

Losing 125 pounds has given Athena the ability to move her body in ways she couldn't before, increased her energy levels, and reduced the stress of medical appointments. She feels more confident and is now more active with friends and family, creating a life that fulfills her.

Chapters

Athena Giorgolini battled Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) for 15 years, starting with pimple-like abscesses during puberty. At 21, a doctor misdiagnosed her condition as a perianal abscess due to poor hygiene. A decade later, after another misdiagnosis of MRSA, a young doctor finally correctly identified her condition as HS.

Athena experienced HS symptoms since puberty (around 11-13 years old).
She was initially misdiagnosed with a perianal abscess and later with MRSA.
The correct diagnosis of Hidradenitis Suppurativa came at age 28.

Shownotes Transcript

In this bonus episode, we introduce Symptomatic: House Calls. Throughout Season 3, we will reconnect with past guests to get updates on how they’ve been managing their conditions and how their lives have changed since appearing on the show.

For our first House Call, we revisit Athena from Season 1, Episode 2. As a young teenager, Athena began experiencing painful, pimple-like abscesses that were misdiagnosed for years.

Spoiler alert in case you haven’t listened to this episode…

Athena was eventually diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a chronic inflammatory condition. Join host Lauren Bright Pacheco as she catches up with Athena to hear exciting life updates and her latest experiences living with HS. Discover the challenges she’s faced, the progress she’s made, and the significant moments that have shaped her life.

See omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

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