'Blood has been essential to getting her back on her feet and resetting her immune system'
Blood donors help upstate woman survive ongoing journey with carcinoid syndrome
Blood donors help upstate woman survive ongoing journey with carcinoid syndrome
Story told by Mandy McMahon
"She had a slight wheeze when she laughed,” Dr Ryan Teten remembers when his wife was first diagnosed with carcinoid syndrome after a doctor ordered an x-ray of his wife, Tonya’s lungs to rule out pneumonia.
That first x-ray 12 years ago showed a tumor on Tonya’s lung that necessitated surgery and subsequent surgeries roughly every two years as more tumors were discovered throughout her body.
“Since the lung lobe removal, she's had gallbladder removal, a partial hysterectomy, a full hysterectomy, then two biopsies and two cases of skin cancer,” said Dr. Teten. “It just pops up all over the place. In fact, the most recent one, we went in to get her glasses, and they said, you have blind spots on both peripherals, so we're concerned there's a tumor laying on your ocular nerve. So, it's kind of ongoing for us.”
Throughout her journey, Tonya has been hospitalized numerous times and relied on countless transfusions of blood products to get her through treatments.
“Blood has been essential to getting her back on her feet and resetting her immune system,” said Dr. Teten. “Blood transfusions and blood donation have become a big part of our lives. As soon as she had lung surgery, I started giving blood pretty religiously to try and make sure those coffers were full.”
Despite the constant anxiety, the Tetens remain positive and roll with the punches. Dr. Teten is amazed at his wife’s resiliency and outlook on life.
Dr. Teten is the Executive Director of the Spartanburg Art Museum. He invites the community to come out and donate blood at the Museum’s blood drive on Monday, December 30, from 10 am to 3 pm. Learn more and make an appointment here.
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