Mystery Diagnosis- Ep. 801, Ridgefield CT Media Alert
Episode Premieres Monday, November 16 at 10 PM ET/PT
November 16, 2009
***MEDIA ALERT***
DISCOVERY HEALTH'S HIT SERIES "MYSTERY DIAGNOSIS" PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON AUBURN NATIVE IN UPCOMING EPISODE
*Review DVD screeners and phone interviews are available upon request.
Discovery Health's popular show MYSTERY DIAGNOSIS will spotlight a Ridgefield, Connecticut native this November. Kicking off the hit series' eighth season, Ridgefield's Martha Bryce will share her riveting story with audiences across the nation. Martha's show, premiering on Monday, November 16 at 10 PM ET/PT, will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions as she endures misdiagnoses and dismissals before ever finding a solution.
In January 2000, 32-year-old Martha Bryce visited the Hoover Dam while vacationing with her boyfriend. While snapping photos of the dam, Martha experiences violent convulsions and is immediately rushed to the nearest hospital. After four days of inconclusive testing, Martha is released and placed on anti-seizure medicine. However, once home, Martha is plagued by disturbing near-blackouts-but a neurologist is unable to detect anything wrong. As Martha's episodes begin to increase in frequency and interrupt her daily routine, she discovers that bowing her head helps abate the strange sensations. In 2001, Martha becomes pregnant, and to her relief, the episodes mysteriously cease. But months after her son David's birth, Martha begins to have 3-4 near-blackout bouts per day-and one day, her worst fear materializes when she suffers a seizure while home alone with her toddler. Realizing the severity of her situation, Martha urges neurologists to plunge deeper for answers, but their efforts are once again fruitless until a Norwalk Hospital cardiologist suspects that her heart may be the problem. Testing with a portable heart monitor exposes Martha's complete cardiac stoppage for 5-6 seconds is brought on by eating-and at long last, Martha is diagnosed with Swallowing Syncope. A rare and cureless disease, cardiologists implanted a pacemaker to help jumpstart Martha's heart during episodes. Today, Martha is symptom-free, and she and her family are extremely grateful to have her life back on track.
Discovery Health's award-winning MYSTERY DIAGNOSIS chronicles the experiences of patients who suffer from conditions outside of the medical mainstream. Each episode features patients who are initially misdiagnosed or undiagnosed altogether due to the uncommon nature of their symptoms and general lack of awareness regarding their conditions. This popular series-in its eighth season on Discovery Health-profiles the strength and courage of heroic patients and determined medical practitioners as they struggle to make sense of baffling conditions.
###