Introduction to The Perils of Patti

Life has been exciting since I was about 12 years old.  Old-fashioned, Italian father who was also a marine... that kind of gives you an idea of the "atmosphere".  But as far as my health journeys, it wasn't until high school that my problems started.

Most of my senior year of high school was spent in the hospital.  All kinds of tests, no one able to find out why I would just faint with no warning or apparent reason.

By the time I started working, new symptoms were popping up.  Hives on my hands, feet, lips, eyes, tongue, throat.    But these weren't normal type hives, they were what is called "giant urticaria".  It was as though someone infused liquid into my soft tissue until it looked like it would pop.  Most doctors just felt I must be allergic to something.  Some said it was 'all in my head." Unfortunately, the latter was correct.  But not the way they had intended it. Those hives continued for the next 25 years, two to five times per week.  They stopped on May 3, 1999.  The day my brain tumor was removed.  My body had been trying to reject that darned thing the whole time it was growing in my head.  

But, I digress...

In the early 1970's, I was lucky enough to be working at Children's Hospital Medical Center in an Adolescent Medicine Unit.  All the doctors working there were affiliated with Harvard Medical School and the programs at that hospital were also affiliated.  So, as a medical secretary, I was typing summaries and letters for some of the most brilliant people in medicine.  I learned so much doing this, it was truly an amazing experience.

One of those men, Dr. Norman Spack, became a very important person in my life.  With no connection to my father, he kind of took me under his wing and watched out for me.  He lent me advise about all kinds of things.  I became very close to his family and spent time with him both at work and out of work (babysitting for his children, lunches, side projects, etc.)  As I walked along the sidewalk near the medical school with him one day, we were talking about the different things happening in my life.  I had run away several years earlier and was struggling to support myself and figure out what I wanted to do.  In particular, we were discussing my strange symptoms.  I'll never forget as we pondered what could be happening, my left heel (a high heel) just came off!  As I limped along in amazement at what had happened, we both laughed.  He said to me, "You know, you really should write a book.  And you should call it something like "The Perils Of Patti". (which was the name I went by at the time.)

So in honor of Dr. Spack, I have titled my blog "The Perils of Patti."