KAUZ-TV: NewsChannel 6 Now | Wichita Falls, TXFinally Eating Again, One Woman's Survival Story

Finally Eating Again, One Woman's Survival Story

Imagine if you couldn't eat a thing for nearly two years!  That's what happened to one Wichita Falls woman who was suddenly faced with a condition that basically paralyzed her stomach.

"I worked two full time jobs all my life and raised my kids by myself and all of a sudden I couldn't get out of bed in the morning," said Gayle Salazar.

If you knew Salazar a couple of years ago, you would know she loved spending time with her family and friends, enjoyed being involved in Backdoor Theatre productions and her job as a nurse at Allred prison.

In 2007, Salazar was faced with a series of health complications.  First, she was diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome, which is a chronic autoimmune disease in which her white blood cells attack their moisture-producing glands. 

That lead to the removal of her colon and even worse complications later down the road.  Salazar developed Gastroparesis, that's a disorder in which the stomach takes too long to empty its contents.  Often, Gastroparesis is found in people with diabetes but that was not the case with Salazar.

"She is one of a number of people that have this problem that get it for a reason and we're not sure why," Dr. Tim McClellan said.

Salazar said she couldn't keep food down, was constantly nauseous and in pain. It got to the point she could no longer eat solid foods and could hardly get off the couch.
 
"I want to take care of everybody else that is my nature and for everybody to have to take of me was a lesson I had to learn.  I had to learn to become the patient not the nurse," Salazar said.

Sometimes, Gastroparesis can be treated with medication but Salazar had severe side-effects so it wasn't an option for her.  To get her body any nutrients at all, she either had a feeding tube or IV inserted at all times.

"We did not want to give up but certainly things were not going well for her and we were frustrated.  When we can't help we get frustrated," Dr McClellan said.

In fact, last year Dr. McClellan and his team to Salazar she only had about six months to live.

"I was so sick, I didn't care, I was thrilled I was dying, I knew there was going to be an end," Salazar said.

So Salazar held on until her final days, all the while, Dr. McClellan was also holding out hope.  His team had been actively working to find a solution for Salazar and eventually they did. 

It is called Gastric Electrical Stimulation.  They tracked down a doctor who specializes in the therapy method who had recently moved to El Paso from Kansas City.

"I was not highly optimistic it would even help her because there have been very mixed results on it.  But that was the last step, there was nothing else so it was definitely worth a shot," Dr. McClellan said.

Salazar said her doctors here in Wichita Falls banded together to keep her alive long enough to get her to El Paso.

"To hear that when someone's told you you've got six months to live, I can make you better, changed everything," Salazar said.

Salazar was now faced with another problem, the condition she was in was not suitable for traditional travel, so, how does she get to El Paso?

The answer comes from the sky and a group of pilots with incredible hearts.  We'll hear from them and Salazar's doctor who oversaw her intense surgery.  Plus hear how she's doing now Wednesday on NewsChannel 6 first at five.

By Lindsey Rogers