Strep throat can be taken lightly as just a cold, but without proper treatment it can lead to a trip to the hospital. Senior Chasen Volkel traveled to the Caribbean hoping for a relaxing and exciting trip, but the results of his trip were far from what he had expected.
Have you ever heard of Lemierre’s syndrome? The syndrome arises when an infection in the throat leads to another infection and forms a blood clot in the internal jugular vein, a vein which sends blood back to the heart from the brain and neck. Lemierre’s syndrome is also called the Forgotten Disease because only 1 out of 1,200,000 people is diagnosed with it! Not only is it rare, but it also has a high mortality rate of 15%, and can be easily mistaken for the flu or a sore throat. The blood clot can affect any part of your body, but in Volkel’s case it affected the clavicle in his left arm.
“When the doctor told me I had Lemierre’s syndrome I didn’t know what it was. After she explained it, I was shell-shocked. I didn’t know what to think, but I was also on morphine so I don’t think it registered in my brain,” said Volkel.
Volkel was definitely not expecting to visit a hospital, be hospitalized for 28 days, and spend 4 days in the ICU after returning to Los Angeles. During his stay in the Caribbean, he was diagnosed with Mononucleosis which lowers the immune system, therefore making Volkel more vulnerable to diseases such as strep throat. His illness was not fully treated, leading to Lemierre’s syndrome.
Said Volkel, “my neck, chest, and left arm were all starting to swell and I was having fevers often, which is why we realized it wasn’t a normal strep throat.” Volkel immediately went to Torrance Memorial, and from there was sent to Miller’s Children hospital and treated in the ICU.
At the hospital, he was given blood thinners, which can break the blood clots, and 1200 grams of antibiotics per day. He was hospitalized for four weeks,and underwent two weeks of oral medication at home, as well as was put on coumadin, the blood thinner, for another six months.
Although Volkel was hospitalized for a long and dreadful period of time, he was finally able to receive the long awaited relaxation he had always wanted.
Volkel stated, “I slept a lot, watched television, played some X-Box, and, well, mostly slept and ate.”
After his body started healing and regaining strength, he was able to wander about in the hospital, becoming close with the children there. Being the eldest at the hospital, Volkel was looked up to by the younger children.
Volkel missed the beginning two and half weeks of school, but “was able to make up everything because the teachers were really helpful and supportive of [him],” stated Volkel. Although his school work wasn’t affected much, his normal activity was altered and on top of that, the pressure of college applications was rampant. Due to Volkel’s left arm being swollen, his doctor told him to limit his activities, including a sport he loves, swimming.
“Senior year is stressful enough with college apps, so it is hard with the extra stress of getting sick. I was really bummed because I have always been a very athletic person in general, so I’m not used to being limited on my activity.”
Although it may seem as if there is no positive side to being sick, Volkel stated he learned a valuable lesson.
“My views have changed after I got sick, I had taken my health for granted and now I take it as a blessing everyday that I’m healthy. It also put things in perspective for me because people often complain about the littlest things when really, we should be happy that these little things are all we have to deal with. I am more thankful for things that I’d never have expected like sleeping in my own bed, being able to go to school, and having healthy lungs.”