Randi Duran’s debilitating symptoms baffled physicians
for years — then she came to Methodist Richardson
Randi
Duran sought answers for her
unusual symptoms for three years.
Her symptoms included back pain,
headaches, tunnel vision, and short-term
memory loss, among others.
“After several years with no relief, I felt
like I was going crazy,” says Randi, a fifth-
grade teacher and mother of two. “I was
depressed and wasn’t spending as much
time with my children because it was
taking me so much longer than normal
to finish work.”
Hope lost — and found
One night in late February, Randi was
feeling particularly vulnerable and called
her mother. She had heard good feedback
about Methodist Richardson Medical
Center, and after some research online,
they decided to check in at Methodist
Richardson’s behavioral health and
addiction recovery program.
“None of the physicians I was seeing were
putting my symptoms together to make
and treat a diagnosis,” Randi says. “I wasn’t
myself, and I had given up both physically
and psychologically. I went to Methodist
Richardson seeking hope.”
The cadre of physicians and staff
members who immediately went to work
seeking relief for Randi was proof she had
come to the right place.
“Psychiatrists, cardiologists, and
neurologists examined my symptoms
and investigated my medical history,” she
says. “I was so impressed with how well
they communicated and how closely they
worked together.”
The correct diagnosis
After four weeks of observation and tests
in different clinical areas of the facility,
John H. Harney, MD, neurologist on the
hospital’s medical staff, recognized the
probability that Randi’s symptoms were
caused by a disorder commonly known as
Hughes syndrome, an autoimmune disease
that affects the blood’s ability to clot.
Consequences can include potentially
fatal conditions such as heart attack,
stroke, and deep vein thrombosis.
Randi immediately began a treatment
regimen that included medication intended
to help her brain heal from ministrokes that
were negatively affecting its processing and
short-term memory.
“I immediately began to feel better,” she
says. “I felt like myself again.”
A life restored
Randi is now making up for lost time with
her children.
“For three years, I was sick and
frustrated,” she says. “My kids suffered,
too. They now see a tremendous
difference in me. We spend a lot of
quality time together.”
Randi also credits Methodist
Richardson for giving her hope and
ushering her through a difficult time
in her life.
“Methodist Richardson cared enough
to investigate what was wrong, make a
diagnosis, and then put plans of action into
place to make me better,” she says. “I can’t
thank all of them enough. For the first time
in years, life is looking great to me.”
In her
own words
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On the night before Randi
Duran headed home from
Methodist Richardson Medical
Center, she penned a poem to
show her appreciation to the
staff and physicians. Here is
an excerpt:
For several years, I’d given up
and tried to learn to cope,
and just before arriving here,
I almost gave up hope.
Thanks to all at Methodist
That figured out “my case.”
I feel God put me in good hands
And led me to this place!
8
Methodist Richardson Medical Center
•
❁
Fall 2014
