MyGeorgetownMDSpring/Summer 2018

A MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Publication

IN THIS ISSUE 2 Coping With Allergies 4 Tracy’s Kids Provides Hope and Healing

to Pediatric Cancer Patients and Their Families

5 New Asthma Treatment is a Home Run for Many Asthma Sufferers

New Hip Gets Patient Back on Her Feet By Leslie A. Whitlinger

Lifesaving Kidney Donation Reunites Army Buddies After 16 Years By Marianne Worley

Kai Johns and his wife Heather Sheeley-Johns sat in a hospital emergency room in November 2016, reeling from unexpected news. Kai needed a kidney transplant, and he needed it fast.

The 45-year-old engineer had been experiencing stubborn, flu-like symptoms, but he had never expected to hear that these were related to his kidney function. Although Kai has a family history of polycystic kidney disease, he had never been told that his own kidneys were beginning to decline.

3 Now Available: Proton Therapy

A mere 24 hours after landing in Santa Monica, Marilyn Abrams knew the fun part of her two-month stay was over.

The trip started off well enough for the Bethesda resident. After breakfast and a morning stroll, Marilyn decided to take a bike ride along the Pacific. But then things took a turn for the worse: She lost her balance, toppling to the ground. To her horror, she couldn’t get back up.

Within minutes, Marilyn was in an ambulance; within hours, she was in an operating room as surgeons worked to put her badly broken left femur back together again. She ended up spending six of her eight vacation weeks

either in the hospital or a rehabilitation facility.

Once back home, however, Marilyn, then 72, noticed that her left hip was bothering her even more than before the fall. Between the growing pain and a leg that was a half-inch shorter than the other due to surgery, she also had a bad limp.

“I started looking around for the best hip replacement surgeon I could find,” Marilyn said. “But because of my previous surgery, I was getting wildly conflicting opinions on everything…from when I could have the replacement to what my recuperation would be like. It was so frustrating!”

Rob Harmon, left, donated a kidney to his friend Kai Johns at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Although the two had not seen each other in person for 16 years, Rob was quick to help an old Army buddy in need of a lifesaving transplant.

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Marilyn Abrams was back home the day after receiving a hip replacement at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Today, she has a new spring in her step—and is enjoying the season's sunshine and flowers in good health.

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Have you been sneezing lately? If you suffer from allergies, you’re in good company. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 50 million Americans experience some type of allergy. Residents of the Washington, D.C., metro area are also up against high pollen counts—the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has ranked the area one the top 100 “Most Challenging Places to Live with Spring Allergies.˝ Below are some treatments to help reduce allergy symptoms.

What is an allergy?An allergy is an overreaction of the body’s immune system to particular triggers, or allergens. Common allergens include pollen, dust and mold, medications, foods, insect venom, pet dander, and chemicals. The symptoms can be minor or severe.

Preventing allergic reactionsFor some patients, the cause of allergy symptoms is clear. If you find that your eyes water every time you are near cats, that dusting the house makes you sneeze, or that your throat itches when you spend time in the garden, you may be able to limit exposure to specific allergens. However, if you experience allergy symptoms with no clear cause, you should talk to your

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Coping With AllergiesBy Brendan Furlong, MD, Chief of Service, Emergency Department, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

doctor about testing that will help you identify your allergy triggers.

Treatment for seasonal allergiesSeasonal allergies, sometimes called “hay fever,” can be triggered by trees, grasses, flowers, and weeds. Common symptoms include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, scratchy throat, and itchy or watery eyes.

Seasonal allergies can often be treated with over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamine pills, eye drops, or nasal sprays. If over-the-counter treatments fail to alleviate symptoms, prescription medication or immunotherapy (such as allergy shots that gradually increase the body’s tolerance to allergens) may be helpful.

Allergies can change over the course of your life and may become more severe unexpectedly. You should let your doctor know that you are experiencing allergy symptoms, even if they are currently mild and manageable.

When to seek emergency careWhile it is uncommon for seasonal allergies to trigger severe symptoms, other types of allergies often can. In fact, you can experience a major allergic reaction even if you have no

history of allergies. Signs of a serious reaction include rashes, hives, low blood pressure, breathing trouble, asthma attacks, or anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is the most dangerous type of allergic reaction. During anaphylaxis, your immune system releases a flood of chemicals that can cause the body to go into shock. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include difficulty breathing, dizziness, a tingling feeling in the hands or feet, nausea or vomiting, chest tightness, or a rapid or weak pulse. If you have already been diagnosed with an allergy, your doctor may prescribe an emergency treatment device called an epinephrine shot to self-administer if you begin to experience anaphylaxis. You may have seen these devices carried by people with known, severe allergies to bee stings or peanuts.

A serious allergic reaction can cause seizures, make it difficult to breathe, or can even be fatal—so it is important to take the signs seriously. If you or a family member experience the symptoms of a major allergic reaction, seek medical attention immediately. The expert care team at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Emergency Department is here to help.

To make an appointment with one of our physicians, call 855-213-2315. Visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/ED for more information about the Emergency Department.

Seasonal allergies can cause annoying symptoms like sneezing and watery eyes. Over-the-counter treatments can often make a big difference.

Brendan Furlong, MD, discusses allergy treatments.

Photo by Laura Brickley

MEDSTAR GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL’S PROTON THERAPY CENTER:

Now Available: Proton TherapyMedStar Georgetown University Hospital is the first and only hospital in the Washington, D.C., region to offer one of the most advanced cancer fighting treatments available.

MATCHES THE TUMOR’S EXACT SHAPE AND SIZE, ELIMINATING AN EXIT DOSE AND SPARING HEALTHY TISSUE

MORE THAN 100,000 PATIENTS WORLDWIDE HAVE BEEN TREATED WITH PROTON THERAPY

USES 60 PERCENT LESS RADIATION, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING SHORT- AND LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS

MORE PRECISE AND TARGETED, COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL RADIATION

TARGETS CANCEROUSTUMORS ANYWHERE IN THE BODY

REDUCES THE RISK OF SECONDARY CANCERS

AVERAGE TREATMENT TIME = 20 TO 30 MINUTES

TO LEARN MORE about this breakthrough treatment option or to schedule an appointment, visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/ProtonPrecision or call 855-546-1183.

TREATS PATIENTS OF ALL AGES

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Tracy’s Kids Provides Hope and Healing to Pediatric Cancer Patients and Their Families By Kate Mattern

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, a family's entire world is disrupted. Over the past 20 years, Tracy's Kids has committed over $2.1 million to an art therapy program designed to keep things as normal as possible for those being treated at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Tracy’s Kids offers patients and their families a therapeutic outlet to identify and process the difficult experiences and feelings that accompany cancer. At MedStar Georgetown, art therapists Tracy Councill, MA, ATR-BC, and Kristin Ramsey, MA, ATR, serve as integrated members of the pediatric oncology team, working in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Tracy’s Kids provides free services to approximately 2,000 pediatric cancer patients and their siblings at MedStar Georgetown each year.

The non-profit was established in 1998, when Tracy’s Kids founder and President Matt Gerson heard about an art therapy program that Councill had started at MedStar Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center seven years earlier. Gerson and Councill grew the Lombardi program into Tracy’s Kids, now a national organization offering art therapy free of charge to patients at seven locations in five states.

“MedStar Georgetown’s core value of cura personalis, or care for the whole person, allowed the program to flourish into what it is today,” Councill says.

Gerson also brings a personal perspective to his role, as he was diagnosed with cancer at age 10. “When I was going through cancer treatment, my medical team’s focus was on getting my body well. There was much less focus on taking care of me or my sister emotionally,” he remembers. “The mission of Tracy’s Kids is to ensure that the children we serve are emotionally equipped to fight cancer as actively as possible−and prepared for the time when they are cancer-free.”

Gerson has deep ties to the Georgetown community. He and his wife are both graduates of Georgetown Law and their daughter is currently in her first year.

“The work that Tracy’s Kids is doing at MedStar Georgetown is important to me both because of my memories of being a patient and because of my Hoya pride,” he says.

A Hollywood-themed fundraiser, held each February, is one source of the program’s operating funds. The event is well attended by Washington, D.C.’s political community, with members of Congress turning out among the crowd of Tracy’s Kids supporters each year. Grants and individual philanthropic investments are also important to sustaining Tracy’s Kids’ work.

“Tracy’s Kids has been a steadfast partner to MedStar Georgetown for two decades. Their extraordinary contributions surpassed $2 million last year,” says Pam Maroulis, MedStar Georgetown’s vice president of Philanthropy. “The program directs over 80 percent of their budget into art supplies and therapists’ salaries— so every philanthropic dollar invested in this program represents a significant impact on the lives of young cancer patients and their families.”

“The children we work with are often missing out on fun childhood activities like sports and sleepovers,” says Ramsey. “When they are at the art table, they can be kids again. With the help of Matt and other philanthropic investors, Tracy’s Kids will be here to help kids get well, both physically and emotionally, for decades more to come.”

To learn more, visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/Contribute or call the MedStar Georgetown Office of Philanthropy at 855-590-9558.

Art therapist Tracy Councill celebrates lionhearted pediatric cancer patients at Tracy's Kids' Hollywood-themed fundraiser.MedStar Georgetown’s core value

of cura personalis, or care for the whole person, allowed the program to flourish into what it is today.

Tracy Councill, Art Therapist

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New Asthma Treatment is a Home Run for Many Asthma Sufferers By Heidi Rosvold-Brenholtz

Janet Slocum, age 70, from Fredericksburg, Virginia, wants everyone to know just how much bronchial thermoplasty has changed her life. This innovative treatment for severe, persistent asthma, now available at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, offers patients freedom from both asthma flare-ups and long-term dependence on steroids to control symptoms.

“Bronchial thermoplasty can be a quality of life game changer for people in desperate need of relief from severe asthma,” says Eric D. Anderson, MD, director of Interventional Pulmonology and professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. “It’s a departure from managing asthma with steroids that often cause additional health problems for patients.”

According to Dr. Anderson, people with severe asthma have an excess of smooth muscle tissue lining their airways. During an asthma attack, this muscle constricts the airways, making breathing difficult. Bronchial thermoplasty reduces excessive smooth muscle in the airways by applying mild heat via a flexible bronchoscope (a thin camera inserted into the airway through the mouth). Less smooth muscle tissue helps keep airways open during an asthma attack.

Patients receive three 30-minute treatments spaced approximately three to four weeks apart, each

For more information, visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/BT or call 855-213-6381 to make an appointment with a pulmonologist.

Bronchial thermoplasty helped Janet Slocum conquer chronic lung disease and continue enjoying her lifelong passion for travel. After completing the procedure, she embarked on a trip to Australia.

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directed at one-third of the segments of the lungs. “Bronchial thermoplasty does not replace asthma medications,” says Dr. Anderson. However, the therapy can reduce the amount of medication a person with severe asthma needs, provide long-lasting relief from asthma attacks, and make breathing easier, he adds.

Since her twenties, Janet has battled frequent and severe asthma attacks and multiple hospitalizations—as many as 12 each year—for infections related to her chronic lung disease. Three cancer diagnoses also have compromised Janet’s health over the years. In 2007, her family arranged for Janet to move from New Jersey to Virginia for cancer treatment at MedStar Georgetown, including treatment for a recent diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“There aren’t too many people around who have survived three cancer diagnoses and other health problems here and there. I’ve stuck with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital for all my treatments, including my asthma treatment,” she says.

For years, Janet’s asthma symptoms complicated her passion for travelling. “You learn to live with health problems, but I’ve always had to take a lot of medication. Dr. Anderson explained to me that bronchial thermoplasty could reduce how many medications I need to control my asthma. He was right,” she says. Now, Janet travels the globe with confidence knowing that minor cold symptoms won’t lead to more serious lung infections and land her in a hospital far from home.

“We hope all our patients experience Janet’s success with bronchial thermoplasty. She no longer takes prednisone to control her symptoms, and with fewer asthma attacks and fewer infections, her quality of life has improved,” says Dr. Anderson. In Washington, D.C., a city with the highest rate of adult asthma in the United States, Dr. Anderson hopes Janet’s success story is heard far and wide.

Bronchial thermoplasty can be a quality of life game changer for people in desperate need of relief from severe asthma.

Eric D. Anderson, MD

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New Hip Gets Patient Back on Her Feet continued from page 1

My physical therapist, who wasn’t even affiliated with MedStar, told me Dr. Evans gets all the really difficult cases. I made an appointment immediately, and it made all the difference in the world.

Marilyn Abrams, Patient

For more information, visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/HipReplacement or call 855-200-5971 to make an appointment.

To stave off her pain while she continued her quest, Marilyn did physical therapy. And that’s what led her to the doctor she needed: Brian Evans, MD, of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

“My physical therapist, who wasn’t even affiliated with MedStar, told me Dr. Evans gets all the really difficult cases,” Marilyn recalled. “I made an appointment immediately, and it made all the difference in the world.”

Chief of the Adult Reconstructive Surgery Service at the Hospital and a hip and knee specialist with the

MedStar Orthopaedic Institute, Dr. Evans is known throughout the region for his success with the most complex cases, including surgical revisions to correct failed or painful total joint replacements.

With arthritis, a leg length discrepancy, and a titanium rod and screws holding her thigh bone together, Marilyn fit the profile.

“First, we had to remove all the hardware from Marilyn’s leg, which was overgrown in spots by bone tissue,” Dr. Evans explained. “With empty holes where the screws once were, Marilyn’s femur was now even more fragile. Her reconstruction would have to accommodate the weakened bone to prevent refracture and allow weight bearing.”

Complicating matters further, Marilyn’s leg had rotated during healing, leaving a slight deformity.

“It all adds up to a more difficult procedure,” said Dr. Evans, who estimates that up to half of his patients are referred from other orthopaedic surgeons. “You have to consider so many things that are simply not an issue with a straightforward replacement.”

Despite its complexity, Marilyn’s operation took Dr. Evans only about 90 minutes to complete, including restoring her leg length. Just like any other hip replacement patient, Marilyn was up and walking the day after surgery. The next day, she was home.

Only 10 weeks after her replacement, she was traveling again and thrilled to discover she could dash through the airport to catch a connecting flight.

“Dr. Evans gave me my balance and my abilities back,” Marilyn said. “I feel absolutely renewed, and can’t say enough good things about Dr. Evans and MedStar Georgetown.”

Photo by Breton Littlehales

Regular exercise helps Marilyn stay in top shape after her successful hip replacement.

Lifesaving Kidney Donation Reunites Army Buddies After 16 Years continued from page 1

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Only one thing was certain at this point: His kidneys were functioning at just six percent.

Kai immediately began dialysis treatments three times a week. Meanwhile, Heather logged onto Facebook to inform friends of his dire condition and ask if anyone would be willing to donate a kidney.

For more information, visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/ArmyBuddies or call 855-218-5229 to make an appointment.

When Kai Johns and his wife, Heather, learned that Kai was in urgent need of a kidney transplant, Heather immediately began to search for a donor. Her Facebook post reached Kai's old Army buddy, Rob Harmon.

According to Jennifer Verbesey, MD, director of the MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute’s Living Kidney Donor Program, Heather’s move to seek out potential donors was a wise one. “Some of my patients in need of a kidney find it difficult to ask their friends and family about donating,” she says. “It’s not like borrowing a book that they’re going to return. I advise people to start with a conversation letting people know what’s going on in their lives.”

Heather’s Facebook post yielded fast results. Within 24 hours, she heard from an old friend of Kai’s, Sgt. First Class Rob Harmon. Rob and Kai met in the U.S. Army 22

years ago, when both men were paratroopers stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Kai had served on active duty from 1993 to 1997 and continued to serve in the Army Reserve until 2013. Rob remained on active duty service until August 2017. The two friends had kept in touch on Facebook since their shared time at Fort Bragg, but they hadn’t seen each other in 16 years.

The time that had passed since their last meeting made no difference to Rob. Once he heard about Kai’s condition, he immediately volunteered to be tested at the MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute to see if he might be eligible to donate his kidney. “We were paratroopers in the Army together and that brotherhood runs deep,” Rob says. “I’m willing and able and it’s no different than combat. He’d do it for me.”

Testing results showed that Rob was indeed an eligible match and preparations could begin for the transplant surgery. “Rob is completely selfless,” Kai says. “He has a wife and two children. It was a huge honor to have him do this for me.”

MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute surgeon Seyed Ghasemian, MD, removed Rob’s healthy kidney during a three-hour laparoscopic procedure. The kidney was then

carried to an operating room next door, where Kai was already prepped and ready to receive it. Dr. Verbesey performed Kai’s operation.

“Both the donor and recipient did extremely well,” Dr. Verbesey says. “In cases of living donation, donor safety is of utmost importance. Before someone can become a living donor, we give them an extensive and thorough workup. Mr. Johns was so lucky to receive such a healthy kidney from his very selfless Army buddy.”

Kai and Heather are deeply grateful for Rob’s lifesaving donation. Kai’s advice to other patients in need of a new kidney? “I would say, don’t be afraid to ask,” he says. “My situation is proof that there’s still a lot of good in this world.”

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Meet Jennifer Verbesey, MD

Dr. Verbesey is the director of the MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute’s Living Kidney Donor Program.Visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/VerbeseyVideo to watch Dr. Verbesey explain transplant surgery.

We were paratroopers in the Army together and that brotherhood runs deep. I’m willing and able and it’s no different than combat. He’d do it for me.

Rob Harmon, Kidney Donor

Photo by Marianne Worley

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WritersBrendan Furlong, MDKate Mattern Heidi Rosvold-BrenholtzLeslie A. Whitlinger Marianne Worley

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Ranked #1 Hospital in the Region by U.S. News & World Report two years in a row

Learn more about proton therapySee Page 3

Proton Therapy: Latest Advancement in Cancer Treatment

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is proud to be the first and only hospital in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to offer proton therapy—an innovative cancer treatment. In addition, MedStar Georgetown is the only site in the world to offer the latest, most precise form of proton therapy with HYPERSCANTM. This treatment option is available for both adult and pediatric patients.

Proton therapy is a highly targeted form of radiation therapy that has the power to shrink and eliminate tumors while protecting surrounding healthy tissue. Proton therapy uses pinpoint accuracy to match the exact shape and size of the tumor. In addition, proton therapy uses 60 percent less radiation and has fewer side effects compared to traditional radiation. Proton therapy lessens the risk of radiation-induced secondary cancers.

To learn more, visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/ProtonPrecision or call 855-546-1183.