The Leader • Saturday, September 14, 2019 • Page 1B
Team Cassidy aims to fight Kawasaki disease By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com When Cassidy Kujda was sent home from day care in the summer of 2018 with low energy and a mild fever, her mother wasn’t particularly worried. Amanda Kujda took her almost 3-year-old to the doctor, who counseled fluids and rest for a probable virus. When the fever was still around a few days later, they made another trip to a pediatric urgent care facility, but with no other signs, were encouraged to give Cassidy a few more days to heal. By the sixth day, Cassidy’s parents were convinced that something more serious was happening. “She became more lethargic, her lips were cracking, her hands ached and her eyes were bloodshot,” Amanda Kujda said. “We took her to the urgent care again.” This time the physician recognized Cassidy’s prolonged fever, strawberry tongue, red eyes, body rash, swollen red hands and feet and cracked and bleeding lips as symptoms of Kawasaki Disease, a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of some blood vessels in the body. Cassidy was immediately sent to Texas Children’s Hospital, where she began the prescribed Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy. More than a year later, Amanda said her daughter is doing well. She plans to join her big brother at Oak Forest Elementary in 2020-21. Cassidy is now off aspirin after taking it for the eights months after her hospital stay. She undergoes periodic echocardiograms and EKGs
Contributed photo Area resident Cassidy Kujda has fought Kawasaki disease since the summer of 2018. The disease impacts apprximately 1 in 10,000 children under 5 each year.
to monitor her progress. “She has returned to her normal life — runs, plays and sings,” Amanda said. According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, Kawasaki disease is one of the top causes of acquired heart disease in children, but with the right treatment only a small percentage of children have lasting heart complications,
including inflammation of blood vessels, inflammation of the heart muscle and heart valve problems. That’s why Amanda wants to get the word out about the disease, which has no known cause. Scientists don’t think the disease is contagious but rather linked to bacteria, viruses or other environmental factors. A genetic predisposi-
tion may play a role as well. Those younger than 5 years old are most at risk to develop Kawasaki disease, and boys get it at a slightly higher rate, according to the Mayo Clinic. Children of Asian or Pacific Island parentage also have a higher rate of occurrence. The National Institute for Health said that in the United States and other
Western countries, Kawasaki disease occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 children under 5 each year. “Early detection is very important,” Amanda said. “The studies have revealed that if treatment is received within the first 10 days of the disease that children are less likely to develop heart aneurysms.” When Cassidy is older she will need a stress test to ensure her heart can withstand strenuous physical activity, such as competitive sports. “Her prognosis is good,” Amanda said, noting that Kawasaki disease caused her daughter’s coronaries to enlarge, which is why she was prescribed aspirin to prevent clots from forming in the heart. “Over time, the pediatric cardiologist has been measuring her coronaries via the echocardiogram and her coronaries have returned to the normal measurement range for a child,” Amanda said. If Cassidy ever has an unexplained fever, the Kujdas will contact their pediatric cardiologist for inflammation testing. “If they even slightly suspect Kawasaki disease which she can get more than once - they will treat her with IVIG,” Amanda said. “If a child gets Kawasaki disease a second time, it affects the heart more quickly.” The family’s experience has led them to start fundraising for the Kawasaki Kids Foundation and speaking about their experience so other parents are aware. “Part of the fundraising goes toward researching the See Kujda P. 2B
Ways to improve chronic neck and back pain movement or speech If surgical intervention is needed, minimally invasive surgery offers many advantages, such as the potential for faster healing and less pain. If you’re dealing with chronic neck or back pain, take action to get relief. Spine experts at the Spine and Peripheral Nerve Center at Houston Methodist Hospital can help you get back to enjoying everyday activities with less pain. Visit houstonmethodist.org/spine or call 713.441.3850 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Houston Methodist Hospital For The Leader When you’re living with chronic neck or back pain (generally, pain that lasts more than three months), even simple movements like getting up from a chair can be a challenge. Enjoying activities, like dancing, gardening or golfing, can be next to impossible. Pain in the neck (cervical spine) or back may be due to an obvious cause, such as a recent accident or strain from lifting a heavy object, or, it could be due to stress, caused from hunching over a desk for hours each day. Other common causes are osteoarthritis (normal wear and tear of joints), osteoporosis, a pinched nerve, herniated disk or spinal malformations. A range of treatment options Most neck and back pain will resolve with self-care and time. Conservative treatments may help provide relief and include: • Ice and/or heat at recommended intervals • Over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs • Physical therapy or athome stretching and other exercises • Spinal manipulation or massage However, if pain continues, worsens or interferes with your quality of life, or your doctor suspects certain conditions are present, more aggressive treatment options
Preferred Health DIRECTORY Chiropractic Care
NORTHWEST CHIROPRACTIC George G. Junkin, D.C. D.A.C.B.N. Nutritionist 11500 NW Frwy - Suite 201 Houston, Texas 77092 Tel: 713-686-0828 www.drjunkin.com
Ophthalmology
Dora Cantú, M.D.
713.864.8652 1740 W. 27th St. Suite 180 Houston, TX 77008 www.opiavisioncenter.com
Obstetrics / Gynecology
DR. STEPHANIE FULTON Stephanie Fulton, M.D. 1740 W. 27 St. Suite 301 Houston, TX 77008 713-880-2727 www.fultonobgyn.com
Major Hospitals
Memorial Hermann Greater Heights 1635 North Loop West Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-867-2000 memorialhermann.org Physician Referral 713.222.CARE
St. Joseph Medical Center in The Heights 1917 Ashland Street Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-757-1000 Physician Referral 713-757-7575
Contributed photo Chronic neck and back pain can be treated in a variety of ways, such as over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers, physical therapy, home stretching or ice/heat at recommended intervals.
may need to be considered. Before deciding on next steps, your doctor should perform imaging tests, such as X-ray or MRI, to help determine what is causing the pain and how to treat it. What happens next? Depending on the imaging results, your doctor may recommend a surgical or less-invasive treatment option. These can include image-guided injection-based therapies, such as steroids or nerve blocks, or surgery to repair or replace damaged disks or correct malforma-
tions. Minimally invasive surgery may result in faster healing and less pain than conventional surgery, however, your surgical team should determine which approach is likely to produce the best outcome for you. Seeing a specialist early There are benefits to seeing a specialist early when experiencing chronic neck or back pain, as a more serious condition may be the underlying cause. At Houston Methodist, a multidisciplinary team assesses the severity of the pain and at-
tempts to find the source of the problem before determining a course of treatment. Some conditions may call for spinal neurosurgery when health or quality of life is at stake and other treatments are unsuccessful. Among them: • Spinal deformities, such as scoliosis, when the curve in the spine is severe • Benign or malignant tumors in the spinal canal or on the bones of the spine • Spasticity, a muscle control condition that may be caused by disease or injury; it can interfere with normal
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