Jason Walker’s day started with slight discomfort in his upper abdomen. It ended in the emergency room at St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands Hospital, where he remained in intensive care for 13 days.

The cause? Pancreatitis.

The 41-year-old from Harper’s Preserve had never heard of the condition that shut down his pancreas and put him on the brink of organ failure. The pancreas is a critical organ and secretes digestive enzymes so the body can digest food. The ER staff wasted no time in evaluating him, running tests, and admitting him to ICU.  

“I was very impressed. I was in triage within 30 minutes of arriving, maybe less than that,” the security executive recalled. Walker is familiar with emergency room performance and wait times - he serves on the board of directors for the Montgomery County Hospital District, which provides emergency medical services (EMS) for all 911 calls in Montgomery County, offers a healthcare assistance program for low-income residents, and manages the Montgomery County Public Health District.

Dr. Cameron McBride, a specialist in critical care medicine at St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands, explained that Jason, who is diabetic, was suffering from an extreme increase of triglycerides, a type of fat, in the bloodstream. “Jason’s triglycerides were so high that it became toxic to his pancreas,” Dr. McBride recalled. “It is a potentially life-threatening condition that can happen in patients with uncontrolled diabetes, resulting in kidney dysfunction,” he said.

Doctors were able to stabilize Jason with dialysis and an insulin IV to reduce the amount of triglyceride. He was discharged almost two weeks later with medicines to control the diabetes and his triglycerides.

It was a close call for Jason, who is married with eight children. He has since made changes to his diet and is taking the right medications to prevent a recurrence. He says he made the right choice by checking himself at the ER at St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands Hospital. He is a spiritual man and  says, “I guess in my heart was telling me to go to St. Luke's.” His wife, Shakeena, found peace in the hospital chapel.

Their prayers were answered, and Jason is grateful to Dr. McBride and the St. Luke’s Health team. “I'm very grateful for their attention to detail, the crossing of the T's, the dotting of the i's on the doctors' and nurses' behalf. The constant tests, checking, and rechecking.”

He offers this advice: “Definitely pay attention to the signs your body is giving.”