Liana Jones: A Husband's Hunch
Even though Liana had a tumor removed from her sinus cavity, she still had symptoms. Her husband began to dig deeper.
Liana meets her future husband Tom after she takes a job in the hospital where he works in the laboratory. Both divorced with children from earlier marriages, Liana and Tom merge their families and create a life together. Eventually, they realize their life-long dream of owning a horse farm.
Liana has always suffered from allergies. However, after taking a new job in a real estate office, her sinus pain becomes too much to bear. Getting through the days becomes a struggle.
One day, Liana wakes up with a terrifying new development. She starts to lose vision in her left eye. She's told that her optic nerve is starting to die. But why?
Liana undergoes a CT scan. Her doctors find a large tumor in her sinus cavity. She is told she could die within six months unless she has surgery.
Unfortunately, doctors are only able to remove part of the tumor. Liana undergoes chemotherapy and radiation. After her treatment is complete, Liana feels a tickle in her nose. She blows her nose and exhales a lump of tissue into her handkerchief. Doctors tell her to ignore it.
Even though the doctors aren't concerned, her husband Tom becomes suspicious. He takes it upon himself to investigate Liana???s symptoms. Since Tom is a scientist, he takes a specimen of the tissue to his own lab. After exhaustive testing he finds evidence of a biotoxin in the tissue.
Liana visits a new doctor who is an expert in biotoxins. He identifies the lump of tissue as a fungal infection, a result of mold that had taken root in Liana???s sinus cavity. Liana actually has aspergillosis, a fungal growth, and not a cancerous tumor as previously diagnosed.
Liana responds to treatment with antifungal drugs. She feels much better, but when she goes back to work, she begins to feel worse again. Further testing reveals the source of the mold infection is the building which houses the real estate company where she works. The building is infected with aspergillus, the toxic mold that made Liana sick.
Today Liana feels she owes her life to her husband???s determination. Tom???s work cracked the case and led to her recovery. Four years after her diagnosis, they are enjoying life on their 21-acre horse farm. She spends her days with her children and 14 grandchildren. Tom and Liana are both committed to publicizing her story and the dangers of fungus in water-damaged buildings.
Published 01/05/2011