In this episode of Medical Stories, we'll meet two women in their sixties who share a fiery spirit of optimism as they each face life-changing medical challenges. Janelle, an energetic grandmother in Iowa, developed difficulty walking and climbing stairs "out of nowhere." It came as a shock when she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome, also known as LEMS, a condition in which the immune system attacks the areas where your nerves and muscles connect. Through participating in groundbreaking research, Janelle has been able to return to many of the activities she loves and has helped others do the same through the information gained and the development of new treatments. From Iowa, we travel to North Carolina, where we join Nancy, a retired engineer, whose love for athletic travel adventures was curtailed by doctors' orders to cut back on exercise after she suffered severe pain in her chest. At first, Nancy thought she was having a heart attack, but to her surprise, she was diagnosed with Recurrent Pericarditis, a rare disease that affects the lining of the heart. Today, thanks to life-saving advances, Nancy can continue to enjoy bike rides with her husband. Featuring renowned experts: Dr. Ericka P. Greene, Director of the Neuromuscular Clinic at Houston Methodist Stanley H. Appel, and Dr. Allan Klein, Director of Cardiovascular Imaging Research at the Cleveland Clinic.
Broadcast In: English Duration: 0:27:45