According to a story from stcatherinesstandard.ca, former firefighter Tom Salisbury was 54 years old when he was first diagnosed with a form of vasculitis, a type of rare autoimmune disease. While his symptoms first felt similar to a cold that he couldn’t shake, he knew something more serious was going on when he started coughing up blood. The diagnosis ultimately pushed him into an earlier retirement from the department.
About Vasculitis
Vasculitis is a group of inflammatory disorders in which blood vessels are destroyed. Both arteries and veins can be affected. The cause of vasculitis can vary and is not always well understood in some cases. It can be caused by an infection and some cases appear to have a genetic component. It is regarded as an autoimmune disease, but the exact process that triggers an immune response is unknown. Symptoms of vasculitis include weight loss, fever, kidney disease, bloody stool, abdominal pain, purpura, arthritis, vision loss, headache, stroke, high blood pressure, bloody cough, gangrene, and nose bleeds. This disease can cause significant system-wide effects that require prompt treatment. This treatment usually involves immunosuppressive drugs such as steroids in order to bring down inflammation. To learn more about vasculitis, click here.
Tom’s Story
Tom, now 59, was able to get diagnosed and treated promptly, allowing him to avoid the worst effects of the illness. He also agreed to participate in a research study about vasculitis. The study compared the impact of larger versus smaller doses of steroids and concluded that smaller doses could be just as effective. This is an important finding since long term use of steroids (particularly at high doses) can trigger severe negative effects.
Tom’s daughter Maddie, age 26, was a college student when her father got diagnosed and she immediately dropped everything to make sure he was okay. Her observations of his treatment encouraged her to continue her studies as a kinesiology student. She now works in the nephrology department at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, where her father was treated.
As for now, Tom is able to live a more or less normal retired life, enjoying hobbies like barbecuing, hockey, and baseball.
