This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.
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In the Loop: Philadelphia TV reporter covers her own story
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A medical condition forced longtime Philadelphia newscaster Lisa Thomas-Laury to leave the job she loved. A trip to Mayo Clinic led to a diagnosis and treatment plan. Now, she’s written a memoir about her experiences.
Lisa Thomas-Laury has spent her career telling stories. The longtime news anchor and reporter for ABC News in Philadelphia interviewed locals and celebrities, covering politics, parades and everything in between. She even reported live from London for the Royal Wedding (Charles and Diana's, that is).
But in 2004, Lisa was forced to leave the job she loved due to a mysterious illness. It would take a trip to Mayo Clinic to get her back in front of the camera.
A few years earlier, Lisa had begun experiencing pain in her feet and ankles. Doctors disagreed about what was causing the symptoms. The first neurologist she saw suspected POEMS syndrome, a rare blood disorder that damages the nerves and affects many parts of the body. Others felt Lisa had an autoimmune disorder, and she began treatment for that condition. But her symptoms steadily worsened, eventually leaving her with a paralyzed vocal chord as well as severe nausea and vomiting that sent her to the emergency room. That's when Lisa and her husband, a physician, decided to seek another opinion at Mayo Clinic. After five days of testing, Angela Dispenzieri, M.D., a hematologist at Mayo Clinic, told Lisa that the first doctor had been right. She had POEMS syndrome. Read the rest of Lisa's story.
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