The not so FUNgi

Abstract

Getting up from bed, walking to the bathroom, and making breakfast, simple tasks, right? Unfortunately for Ms. Chalke, it was not that easy. Forty-eight years old, a health enthusiast, and the mother of a teenage daughter, Ms. Chalke was by no means a sedentary person. Able to run 5 miles with ease, she made the 20 something year-olds working at our clinic look like chump change! Based on this history, you would think she was fine. However, the supermom described above was not the person that entered our office. Instead, we got a version of Ms. Chalke that was severely short of breath, plagued with a series of recurring respiratory infections, and dying to know what was going on! Having seen five doctors in the past 8 months, Ms. Chalke needed someone who was more than a doctor. She needed a sharp team of young investigators ready to crack the case! (Fig. 21.1).