A.K.'s Story
Back Up and Running
If you took one look at A.K. Whittaker you would never know the battle she fought to get where she is today. She's a woman of strength, inside and out, and she credits the team at West Valley Medical Center for her miraculous recovery following a life threatening emergency.
A.K. is a proud mom with a passion for helping others and a focus on staying fit. While she was running a marathon a blockage in her stomach stopped her in her tracks. Days later the pain landed her in the Emergency Room at West Valley Medical Center. Soon she was in surgery and then in the Intensive Care Unit to recover.
Without A.K. knowing it, scar tissue and adhesions had slowly been building up in her stomach for nearly two decades following a cancerous tumor that was removed from her ovaries when she was 19-years-old. An extensive procedure was required to fix the damaged area.
"Through the miraculous work of the surgeon, all they had to remove was a foot of my small intestines and about six inches of my large. They were able to put me back together!" A.K. said.
A.K. is thankful to the entire team at West Valley for their care in such a fragile moment of her life.
"The nurses were all so amazing, they were kind and attentive," she said. "Even the certified nurse assistants who helped to sponge bathe me and the housekeeping staff that came by to keep my room spruced up were all so kind and thoughtful."
Recovery wasn't easy, but the West Valley team helped guide her through the process.
"I began to realize the doctors and physical therapists were right. I needed to get moving even if it was only down the stairs to my apartment and back. So, every day I had friends come over to walk with me at least twice a day," A.K. said. "In the beginning, I was only able to make it down my stairs, a few paces down the sidewalk, and back upstairs. Then, it was the cul-de-sac. And then the stop sign at the end of the street. And then half a mile. Each day I tried to make the same distance or farther. There was magic in that movement. Even if it was slight."
Staying focused on the magic moments of her recovery is what kept A.K. moving forward. Thanks to that focus and the team at West Valley, a year later, she's back at the gym, running marathons and enjoying her active lifestyle. Most importantly, she's able to care for her son and be the mom she wants to be to him.
"The team at West Valley saved my life, provided comfort, and helped me get back to the lifestyle I enjoy," A.K. said.
A.K. inspires so many around her to keep moving forward and focus on the magic moments. If something involves physical activity, you'll no doubt find her participating with a huge smile on her face because she said "take me to West Valley."
