Crystal Galloway

Matthew, Crystal, and India Galloway

I was born and raised in the picturesque town of Preston, Idaho. You may recognize Preston as the site where the movie Napolean Dynamite was filmed. And as the film may suggest, my childhood was mostly uneventful; happy and carefree. That is until I reached the age of 8 or 9 years old and began to experience painful bouts of reoccurring acute pancreatitis. Nonetheless, this sporadic disease did not stop me from running cross country track for my high school. Neither did it stop me from entering college where I fell in love and married my husband, Matthew, just two weeks after having been discharged from the hospital and advised to have a J-tube placed.

Although I spent many hours in and out of hospitals, my life was relatively stable and normal. That is until my disease worsened. At age 18 I was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where they diagnosed me with chronic pancreatitis of unknown causes. My quality of life was diminishing and worsened to the point where I had to drop out of college my sophomore year.

Needless to say, by this point I was getting frustrated – enough was enough already. I was young and should have been having the time of my life, not doubled up at home in pain, unable to eat (I was on TPN [total parenteral nutrition] at this point). My local gastroenterologist recommended a pancreactomy (total removal of the pancreas), but I was feeling unsure about such a seemingly radical surgery. Discouraged, my husband and I began researching the internet about the various options for treatment for pancreatitis, and visiting messaging boards. This is when we came across the name of Dr. David Sutherland at the University of Minnesota. With nothing to lose I emailed Dr. Sutherland a bit of my medical history. He emailed me back stating that I sounded like I would be a good candidate for a pancreatectomy and auto islet transplant. Before the surgery I would have to undergo numerous medical tests and seemingly endless amounts of insurance paperwork, but I was encouraged and made the arrangements to fly to Minnesota for treatment. Of course it just so happens that one week before my first appointment with Dr. Sutherland I was in a car accident; luckily, I wasn’t seriously injured and we made it to Minnesota okay.

After my initial appointment at the University of Minnesota I felt hope that life could be normal again and began the process to undergo a pancreatectomy and auto islet transplant in earnest. With the support of both Dr. Sutherland and my local GI physician, Dr. Tom Davis, I was approved for surgery. March 10, 2003, is a date I will forever remember as the time I was reborn.

Life after the surgery has had its ups and downs, but since then my life has improved tremendously. Shortly after the surgery I returned to college and completed my degree in Physical Education (with Honors), and after only 6 or 7 months post transplant I ran the NCAA Regional Cross-Country meet. Currently I live and work part-time in Pocatello, Idaho, with my husband of six years this May, and our beautiful one year old baby girl, India.

I wish to thank both doctors Sutherland and Davis, for their care and support – and especially for their help with my insurance paperwork. Thank you too to all the ancillary staff at the University of Minnesota. Without this surgery I cannot image how my life would have turned out.

^{Posted: March 18, 2008}