From the Summer 2005 OAA Newsletter

There have been numerous times I have considered writing for the OAA newsletter but one of life’s other distractions always seemed to take precedence.  Finally, after much unintentional procrastination, I am sharing my story.  In many ways it is similar to others featured in this newsletter over the years; in many other ways, my story is truly unique.

Born March 3, 1978 to Thomas and Diane Fick, I was the first of four girls.  Aside from the usual momentous occasions of my first step, first word, etc., my first few years were relatively uneventful.  That all changed in May 1982.  Vomiting and lethargic, my parents initially thought I had a case of the flu. Twenty-four hours later, my vomiting and lethargy continuing, I became progressively more weak.  First-time parents and unsure what else to do, my parents took me to the emergency room of our local hospital.  There, a battery of tests were run, none of which provided an answer.  I was transferred to the University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital.

At the time of my admission to the pediatric ICU, I was comatose and in metabolic acidosis.  Additonal lab work, an EKG and EEG among other tests were performed.  Still, there was no diagnosis though three causes were proposed: Reye’s Syndrome, a metabolic disorder, or poisoning.  As my condition began to improve within 24 hours of starting IV fluids, Reye’s Syndrome was ruled out.  Although never formally ruled out, my parents must have looked distraught enough that poisoning was an unlikely possibility; the hunch was it was a metabolic disorder.  In an attempt to prove it was metabolic, they decided to load me with high amounts of protein in an attempt to put me into metabolic acidosis once again.  This was unsuccessful, likely due to my mild condition and the fact that it had taken me four years for metabolic acidosis to occur the first time.  So, although lab work indicated propionic acidemia, my parents did not have a definitive diagnosis at the time of my discharge.  Ten days after discharge, I returned as an outpatient to the Biochemical Genetics Clinic at the Waisman Center in Madison, Wisconsin for a skin biopsy for definitive diagnosis.  My skin cells never grew; the final diagnosis was based on lab work. 

Since diagnosis, my propionic acidemia has been relatively well controlled.  Though none in recent memory (12+ years), I have had to make a few trips to the emergency room for IV fluids but have never been admitted.  The most memorable was a time we were camping in northern Wisconsin.  I had been vomiting and spilling ketones for a couple of days.  We went to the ER and my mom, a registered nurse, informed them of my medical condition and what needed to be done, but they would have none of it.  They proceeded to test functionality of almost every organ you can think of.  Unable to find anything else wrong, they finally relented and believed what we had told them when we came in!  I am able to catch any problems early on; once I start vomiting, I am diligent about checking ketones.  If I start spilling ketones, I am quick to go to the emergency room knowing it is unlikely they will improve on their own.

In many respects, the low protein diet has not been too difficult for me.  I have been fortunate that I do have a fair amount of enzymatic activity.  Because of my mild condition and age at the time of diagnosis, I have never been on a low protein formula.  My initial treatment was a low protein diet and biotin supplementation.   Even before my diagnosis, I did not consume much meat or milk.  Even now, those are not foods I generally crave.  Growing up in Wisconsin, cheese has been my biggest nemesis!  Most of my friends throughout school were not even aware I had such a condition that restricted my diet.  When we went out to eat, I would often order the same thing as everyone else.  To compensate, when I was at home I rarely ate any amount of high protein foods. 

My current diet has not changed all that much.  I still do not each much protein, especially when I am at home, but splurge more when we are out to eat.  I do not formally count grams of protein; at this point, I just try to limit high protein foods as much as possible and use common sense.  If I know I have eaten a lot of protein one day, I make sure to back off the next.  When I am ill, I am extra careful to limit my protein intake and take the full amount of carnitine.

In addition to a low protein diet, I also continue to take biotin (10 mg/day) as well as a multivitamin with minerals, additional folic acid, and additional calcium daily.  Ten years ago, my sister witnessed me having a seizure.  That was the first and last one I have ever had.  Though the cause was never determined, I have continued on dilantin (300 mg/day) since we are unsure if the seizure was related to propionic acidemia.

I will certainly admit that at times, it has been less than desirable to have this metabolic disorder.  Although I have been blessed with a mild case, I can relate to some of the frustrations I have read about others experiencing – most notably the fish odor associated with carnitine.  This single issue has probably been my biggest struggle coming, no less, during the already awkward teenage years.  Most frustrating is that I cannot smell the odor myself, leading me to rely on my close friends to let me know if I was the cause any time I heard a comment in school related to a fish odor.  I can’t even count the numerous times I remember thinking “I hope they are having fish for hot lunch today” to explain the smell.  Since then, my carnitine intake has consistently been suboptimal as evidenced by lab results.  I have been trying to improve on this but it hasn’t been easy.

Despite the frustrations that come with having a genetic condition, having propionic acidemia has enriched my life in many ways.  While an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin, I spent four years working in a variety of capacities in the Biochemical Genetics Clinic and began to more fully appreciate all that goes into diagnosis and treatment of the many metabolic disorders.   Although I knew I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare, it was really my desire to work as a metabolic dietitian that spurred me to declare dietetics as my major.  In May 2001, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in dietetics from the University of Wisconsin followed by completion of my dietetic internship and Master’s Degree in August 2002 and January 2003 respectively, graduating with a 4.0 grade point average.  My internship and graduate program were chosen based on the pediatric and genetic opportunities they afforded me.  Every presentation I gave and paper I wrote focused on pediatrics and genetics.  Since then I have worked as an inpatient clinical dietitian, first as a generalist and later with a pediatric emphasis.  I was always mindful of capitalizing on opportunities that would further position me to be the best candidate for a metabolic dietitian position when the opportunity arose.  Earlier this year, my goals and dreams were realized; I am currently one of two dietitians working in the metabolic clinic at Oregon Health & Sciences University.  It is great to be back in the field.  In addition to my personal interests as well as my aptitude in biochemistry and genetics, one of the things that appeals most to me is that it is an always changing field that continually provides new challenges.  Even though I have only been away from a short time and despite my best efforts to keep abreast of new developments, I am still amazed by all that has changed in the past four years. 

Discussing my condition with others has never been much of a problem for me.  I am open to sharing my story and answering questions with anyone who will listen.  There are so many people, health professionals among them, who have never heard of propionic acidemia much less know what it is.  At first, it was frustrating but now I rather relish it.  I see it as an opportunity to educate others not only about what the condition is and what it means for those affected but also why there is such a need for all states to expand newborn screening to include propionic acidemia.  One of those people who got a crash course in genetics and metabolism was my now-husband, Tim, a technically-oriented engineerJ .

I am often asked how I have dealt with propionic acidemia in my relationships; I can honestly say that it has never been an issue.  Like I am with everyone else, I was open and honest the first time Tim and I went out; looking back I am surprised I did not scare him off!  I have been truly blessed to have found someone who has accepted and loved me for who I am, propionic acidemia and all.  On July 23, 2004 Tim and I were finally married!

As I look back on my journey with propionic acidemia, I realize how much my life has come full circle.   Tim and I have had many discussions with a genetic counselor regarding our options for carrier testing.  What has been most frustrating is the lack of options.  Although amniocentesis is available for prenatal diagnosis as is specialized genetic in vitro fertilization, they are not acceptable options for us based on our religious beliefs.  What we really desired was determination of Tim’s carrier status which would allow us to make an informed decision about whether to have our own children or to adopt some of the many in need of a loving home.  We have been fortunate (I have used this word many times but we truly have been blessed in many ways) in that a researcher in Spain has agreed to do carrier testing for us.  The first step in the process is for a skin biopsy to determine the location of my mutation…the same skin biopsy that failed to grow skin cells 23 years ago.  Here’s hoping that this time around it is a success!

We recently moved to the Portland, Oregon area and have enjoyed making our new house “home.”  We also enjoy ballroom dancing, traveling, cheering on the Wisconsin Badgers and spending time with friends and family. 

Although I hope they know how much I appreciate their personal friendships and professional expertise, I am eternally grateful to the staff at the Waisman Center – Jon, Susan, Sandy, Sally, Punky and Peggy.  Thank you for always taken my concerns seriously, answering my many questions, providing with valuable professional experience and sharing in my many ups (and thankfully few downs) along the way.  And to my current professional colleagues at OHSU – Bob, Cary, Dave, Kathleen, Sylvia, Linda and Lori – thank you for giving me the opportunity to realize my dream to give back to others so much of what has been graciously given to me. 

Martha E Duffy, MS, RD, LD

20595 SW Nicota Court

Beaverton, OR  97006

Phone: (503) 848-8541

Email: meduffy@uwalumni.com