Sammamish teen solves own medical mystery
SAMMAMISH, Wash. -- Jessica Terry is only in high school. But she has solved her own medical mystery -- an elusive illness that even pathologists had missed.
"I was very sick. I missed almost half of middle school," Terry said.
She suffered from fevers, vomiting, anemia and abdominal pain that sometimes dropped her to her knees. But high school homework changed her life.
Terry made the discovery during histology class at Eastside Catholic High School. The assignment: study tissue diseases.
Terry's group chose the intestines, intrigued by Terry's undiagnosed problem.
"There were just no answers anywhere," she said. "And once, they diagnosed me with irritable bowel (syndrome) and colitis it was kind of an answer. But we knew it was worse than that because I was always very sick."
Terry asked her pathologist for her own slides.
For days she studied them. Then she spotted it.
Terry summoned her teacher, Mary Margaret Welch.
"All of a sudden she says, 'I think I found something.' I say, 'what?' 'Miss Welch, Miss Welch, come over here. I think it's a granuloma,'" said Welch.
Granuloma are dark-centered cells -- indicators of Crohn's disease. The autoimmune disease attacks digestive cells and prevents the absorption of nutrients.
"In 24 hours, all of a sudden, Jessica has a confirmation from her physician," said Welch.
Terry's pathologist was embarrassed. But Terry doesn't hold a grudge. Instead, she's focusing on her future based on her new discovery.
"As I get older the disease can get worse," she said.
Terry's research gave her the diagnosis and the confidence to attempt to medical school.
"It's weird I had to solve my own medical problem," she said.
Terry is now taking the lessons she learned and turning it into a children's book that she hopes will help other kids and parents understand a truly painful disease.
"I was very sick. I missed almost half of middle school," Terry said.
She suffered from fevers, vomiting, anemia and abdominal pain that sometimes dropped her to her knees. But high school homework changed her life.
Terry made the discovery during histology class at Eastside Catholic High School. The assignment: study tissue diseases.
Terry's group chose the intestines, intrigued by Terry's undiagnosed problem.
"There were just no answers anywhere," she said. "And once, they diagnosed me with irritable bowel (syndrome) and colitis it was kind of an answer. But we knew it was worse than that because I was always very sick."
Terry asked her pathologist for her own slides.
For days she studied them. Then she spotted it.
Terry summoned her teacher, Mary Margaret Welch.
"All of a sudden she says, 'I think I found something.' I say, 'what?' 'Miss Welch, Miss Welch, come over here. I think it's a granuloma,'" said Welch.
Granuloma are dark-centered cells -- indicators of Crohn's disease. The autoimmune disease attacks digestive cells and prevents the absorption of nutrients.
"In 24 hours, all of a sudden, Jessica has a confirmation from her physician," said Welch.
Terry's pathologist was embarrassed. But Terry doesn't hold a grudge. Instead, she's focusing on her future based on her new discovery.
"As I get older the disease can get worse," she said.
Terry's research gave her the diagnosis and the confidence to attempt to medical school.
"It's weird I had to solve my own medical problem," she said.
Terry is now taking the lessons she learned and turning it into a children's book that she hopes will help other kids and parents understand a truly painful disease.