{"id":71035,"date":"2023-08-22T11:40:53","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T17:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=71035"},"modified":"2023-08-22T11:40:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T17:40:53","slug":"after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/","title":{"rendered":"After acute pancreatitis: ‘The essence of me is back.’"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Tom
Tom and Laurie Kleespies love traveling, birdwatching and cooking together. But in 2020, all that was almost taken away when Tom underwent emergency surgery for acute pancreatitis. Photos by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tom and Laurie Kleespies are go-getters.<\/p>\n

Even before their retirements \u2013 she, a military nurse and Tom, a published rocket scientist who once worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) \u2013 they were living and traveling worldwide.<\/p>\n

The couple set roots in northern Colorado. Their home is an oasis for their hobbies \u2013 Tom\u2019s cooking and Laurie\u2019s woodworking \u00ad\u00ad\u2013 and they share a passion for birding and traveling. They’ve been to all seven continents and seen thousands of species.<\/p>\n

All those years of hard work to finally enjoy retirement almost ended in 2020 when all at once, Tom’s organs started to malfunction, and his heart began working overtime.<\/p>\n

\"Tom
Tom and Laurie Kleespies thank UCHealth nurses and doctors for saving Tom\u2019s life after he suffered acute pancreatitis. Now, they enjoy retirement together, traveling, birding and cooking. Laurie likes to craft things for Tom from wood, like this stool that she is sitting on. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tom would spend more than 90 days fighting for his life in the hospital at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, though he did not have coronavirus.<\/p>\n

But Tom\u2019s nurses and doctors persevered, and so did Tom. As a result, Tom is alive, enjoying all that this world has to offer alongside Laurie.<\/p>\n

Excruciating stomach pain<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In August 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was in its sixth month of wreaking havoc in the United States. Travel restrictions and mask mandates were in place. \u00a0Staff at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies were recovering from their first COVID-19 patient surge.<\/p>\n

The Kleespies were making the most of their enforced pause in travel. The year prior, they\u2019d cruised in South Africa and spent a month birding in Australia. For 2020, they had planned about 20 U.S. timeshare reservations and also trips to the Galapagos and Peru. Instead, they found joy in local birding.<\/p>\n

By summer\u2019s end, Tom began feeling unwell and Laurie insisted she take him to the emergency room at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a bit of a macho man, so I resisted, but I relented,\u201d Tom said.<\/p>\n

When they arrived, Tom\u2019s pain was almost unbearable, and emergency room physicians and nurses immediately began running tests. Tom had acute pancreatitis.<\/p>\n

The pancreas gland is tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen and aids in digestion and glucose regulation. Tom\u2019s pancreas was inflamed. Doctors gave him morphine for his pain, but there was another concerning issue. Tom also was experiencing AFib.<\/p>\n

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is an irregular, often rapid, heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots. Tom had never had heart issues, so the presence of AFib was puzzling to physicians. Tom\u2019s cardiologist later suggested that AFib resulted from the organ failures.<\/p>\n

Tom was admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit so medical experts could monitor his heart. Meanwhile, medication and the passage of time helped with the pancreatitis. Doctors prescribed blood thinners to decrease the risk of stroke, and painkillers to address pain caused by inflammation of the pancreas.<\/p>\n

During Tom\u2019s first night in the hospital, an artery in his pancreas ruptured, causing massive internal bleeding. Doctors performed an emergency procedure, removing more than five liters of fluid from Tom\u2019s abdomen, repairing the vessel and pumping 14 units of blood products into him to keep him alive.<\/p>\n

Laurie arrived each morning during COVID-restricted visiting hours and sat nervously in a waiting room when she heard “Code Blue, 1st<\/sup> floor, radiology\u201d over the hospital\u2019s intercom system. A former nurse, Laurie knew what that meant: someone was in cardiac arrest.<\/p>\n

It was Tom.<\/p>\n

UCHealth surgeon Dr. Christian Dennis had just arrived on his shift to become part of Tom’s care team. He relayed the news to Laurie: when Tom’s breathing tube was removed after surgery, Tom suffered cardiac arrest. Doctors did CPR for 15 minutes, resuscitated him and then placed him on a ventilator.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a very difficult week to follow,\u201d Laurie said. \u201cThere were many ups and downs. It was really touch and go. There were IVs and special feeding tubes everywhere. Then he finally turned the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two weeks after he arrived at MCR, he was sent to a rehabilitation hospital to work on regaining his strength. A week later, Tom went home.<\/p>\n

\"Tom
Tom Kleespies has a passion for cooking. One of his favorite things is making his guests pizza in the stone oven in their backyard. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A short-lived homecoming<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Excited to be out of the hospital, Tom and Laurie hosted a few friends at their home just a few days later. Tom made pizzas in a stone oven that Laurie had refurbished in their backyard. A few hours into the gathering, Tom’s stomach pain returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told my friends, \u2018I have to cut this short. Laurie needs to take me to the ER.\u2019 The machoness was gone,\u201d Tom said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a good thing he went to the ER. Again, his organs were shutting down. Tom\u2019s kidneys and liver were failing, and his heart was working overtime, again going into A-fib. Doctors admitted him to the ICU, where he would spend the next several weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur kids came to visit in mid-September,\u201d Laurie said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know if (Tom) would even survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

UCHealth palliative care stepped in, helping the family emotionally and advocating for Tom’s pain management. The palliative care team was a blessing,\u201d Laurie said.<\/p>\n

\"Tom
Tom and Laurie Kleespies enjoy many hobbies in their retirement. While Tom loves to cook, Laurie loves to craft masterpieces from wood in her woodshop at their home in Loveland. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A caring and responsive health care team<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With the pandemic straining hospital capacity and health care workers, Laurie knew she needed to advocate for her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were all on the same team,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I had to put on my big hat and be bold where normally, I\u2019m a shy person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laurie was always there when doctors came to examine Tom so she could get the details of his condition and care and relay the information to her husband. Since his organ failure and heart condition was medically complex, doctors often had different ideas regarding treatment plans.<\/p>\n

Laurie said she was grateful to his care team for always involving her in their decision-making process.<\/p>\n

As Tom lay in his hospital bed, Laurie never doubted once that her husband would survive. She knew it was only a matter of time.<\/p>\n

Tom had always been outgoing and athletic, enjoying backpacking and both downhill and water skiing. He ran up to 25 miles a week and taught skydiving.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut then I stopped taking care of myself,\u201d Tom said.<\/p>\n

And it caught up to him.<\/p>\n

When illness takes over physical and mental health<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tom stayed in the hospital through October 2020. Nurses continued to drain fluid built up from pancreatitis and replenished him with blood products. He was bedridden and heavier than he\u2019d ever been.

Donating blood is important. One blood donation could save up to three lives. Donating through UCHealth Garth England Blood Donation Center in Loveland<\/a> or Fort Collins<\/a> supports patients at UCHealth\u2019s Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, Greeley Hospital, Longs Peak Hospital and Estes Park Medical Center. Schedule a blood donation today<\/a>. <\/div>\n

Through the ordeal, Tom said he could feel the essence of who he was began to disappear. He couldn\u2019t focus, read or recall facts. He lost his sense of humor and his intellectual desires. Worst of all, he didn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mental aspects of this were extremely difficult for me,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m a smart person and very proud. I just didn\u2019t care, and I didn\u2019t know to care. I\u2019d just sit there and look at the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laurie nor his care team gave up on him.<\/p>\n

Tom returned home Nov. 8, 2020, but after a few weeks at home, Laurie was concerned she might have to take him back to the hospital. She wasn\u2019t sure she could provide the care he needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got worse before it got better,\u201d Laurie said. \u201cTom was extremely weak. He had no appetite, but finally, he turned the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom regained his mental strength, and that made the difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is when I got it in my mind that I wanted to go to Antarctica,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tom knew that in a little over a year, Antarctica would be the prime spot to watch a total solar eclipse. He didn\u2019t want to miss it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat gave me something to look forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tom
Tom Kleespies has a passion for cooking, and one of his favorite things to do is make his house guest pizza from their stone oven in their backyard. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was spring 2021. Tom began to fill out his once-favorite New York Times crossword puzzle; he read his first book since being hospitalized and, best of all, began to laugh again.<\/p>\n

Tom and Laurie scheduled their trip to Antarctica.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaurie wasn\u2019t sure if I\u2019d be strong enough,\u201d Tom said. \u201cWhen she said that, I thought, \u2018she\u2019s right.\u2019 That will be my incentive. I\u2019ve got to get myself in shape to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He began hiking local trails in the foothills to build endurance and by the time he boarded a ship that took them to Franklin Island, Antarctica, in December, 2021, he conquered each step.<\/p>\n

\"Tom
Tom and Laurie Tom and Laurie Kleespies enjoy many hobbies in their retirement. While Tom loves to cook, Laurie loves to craft masterpieces from wood, like this spice cupboard in their kitchen. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting a second chance at life<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Since the trip to Antarctica, Tom and Laurie have visited family in the Pacific Northwest, gone whale watching near Baja and birding in Costa Rica.<\/p>\n

In the midst of his second chance at life, in August 2022, Tom wrote a letter to his UCHealth care team.<\/p>\n

He wrote: \u201cThe purpose of my writing is to thank you for saving my life. There is still a lot of the world for us to see. I look forward to watching my grandson grow up. You have given me a second chance at life.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

This past January, Tom went to a convention in Denver to meet with old colleagues, and he sat in on a few technical sessions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to keep up with it and asked pointed questions. I didn\u2019t know I still had that in me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe essence of me is back.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tom and Laurie Kleespies are go-getters. Even before their retirements \u2013 she, a military nurse and Tom, a published rocket scientist who once worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) \u2013 they were living and traveling worldwide. The couple set roots in northern Colorado. Their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":71044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[235,1789],"class_list":["post-71035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-emergency-care","tag-uchealth-medical-center-of-the-rockies"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAfter acute pancreatitis: 'The essence of me is back.' - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tom suffered acute pancreatitis and A-fib, then his other organs started to fail. But he persevered \u2013 as did his nurses and doctors.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"After acute pancreatitis: 'The essence of me is back.'\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tom suffered acute pancreatitis and A-fib, then his other organs started to fail. But he persevered \u2013 as did his nurses and doctors.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-22T17:40:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/08102123\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\"},\"headline\":\"After acute pancreatitis: ‘The essence of me is back.’\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-22T17:40:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1885,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/08102123\\\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Emergency care\",\"UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/\",\"name\":\"After acute pancreatitis: 'The essence of me is back.' - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/08102123\\\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-22T17:40:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Tom suffered acute pancreatitis and A-fib, then his other organs started to fail. But he persevered \u2013 as did his nurses and doctors.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/08102123\\\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/08102123\\\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.webp\",\"width\":800,\"height\":533,\"caption\":\"Tom and Laurie Kleespies love traveling, birdwatching and cooking together. But in 2020, all that was almost taken away when Tom went into emergency surgery for acute pancreatitis. Photos by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"After acute pancreatitis: ‘The essence of me is back.’\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uchealth\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uchealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/14839\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\",\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\"},\"description\":\"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two children.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/author\\\/katieblocker\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"After acute pancreatitis: 'The essence of me is back.' - UCHealth Today","description":"Tom suffered acute pancreatitis and A-fib, then his other organs started to fail. But he persevered \u2013 as did his nurses and doctors.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"After acute pancreatitis: 'The essence of me is back.'","og_description":"Tom suffered acute pancreatitis and A-fib, then his other organs started to fail. But he persevered \u2013 as did his nurses and doctors.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2023-08-22T17:40:53+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/08102123\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/"},"author":{"name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc"},"headline":"After acute pancreatitis: ‘The essence of me is back.’","datePublished":"2023-08-22T17:40:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/"},"wordCount":1885,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/08102123\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.webp","keywords":["Emergency care","UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies"],"articleSection":["Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/","name":"After acute pancreatitis: 'The essence of me is back.' - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/08102123\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.webp","datePublished":"2023-08-22T17:40:53+00:00","description":"Tom suffered acute pancreatitis and A-fib, then his other organs started to fail. But he persevered \u2013 as did his nurses and doctors.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/08102123\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/08102123\/UCHealth-Thomas-Laurie-1-web.webp","width":800,"height":533,"caption":"Tom and Laurie Kleespies love traveling, birdwatching and cooking together. But in 2020, all that was almost taken away when Tom went into emergency surgery for acute pancreatitis. Photos by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/after-acute-pancreatitis-the-essence-of-me-is-back\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"After acute pancreatitis: ‘The essence of me is back.’"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc","name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth"},"description":"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two children.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":2164,"name":"Kati Blocker","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2164"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71035"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71035\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71450,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71035\/revisions\/71450"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}