Case #25: Trent (Pt. 2)

Summary

Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast - Episode Summary: Case #25: Trent (Pt. 2)

Introduction and Recap

In the latest installment of Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast, host Lauren Bright Pacheco continues the harrowing journey of Trent Fielder, a once vibrant insurance assessor whose life was abruptly transformed by a debilitating autoimmune disorder. This episode delves deeper into Trent's struggle with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), his near-death experiences, and his inspiring path to recovery and hope.

Trent’s Battle with Guillain-Barré Syndrome and CIDP

The episode opens with a recap of Trent’s initial diagnosis. Lauren Bright Pacheco narrates how Trent began losing sensation in his limbs, rapidly progressing to wheelchair dependency and respiratory failure. He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disorder that attacks the nervous system, leading to severe muscle weakness and potential paralysis.

Emotional and Physical Struggles

Trent shares the emotional turmoil he experienced upon his diagnosis. At [00:39], he states, “I was overwhelmed. I could not get my heart to slow down... I can't do this anymore.” His wife, Nicole Fielder, echoes the family's despair as they grapple with the prognosis that Trent’s condition was progressive and life-threatening ([00:58]).

Despite initial stabilization and brief periods at home, Trent's condition worsened, and he faced another severe flare that landed him back in the emergency room. At [01:26], Trent describes the intense pain and spasms: “The spasms were so bad, at some point in my neck, my neck would try to snap itself... It was very painful.”

Failed Treatments and Surgical Complications

Lauren explains that Trent’s persistent symptoms led to a new diagnosis of CIDP, a condition with long-term muscle weakness and fatigue ([01:47]). After exhausting standard treatment options with minimal improvement, Trent opted for spinal surgery as a last-ditch effort to regain mobility. Unfortunately, the surgery was marred by complications, resulting in damage to his T10 vertebra ([02:17]).

Trent recounts the traumatic surgery experience: “So in the surgery, there were some decisions made by the surgeon that went against protocol...” This complication severely limited his mobility and heightened his risk of permanent paralysis.

Near-Death Experiences and Emotional Despair

Two years after his initial symptoms, Trent faced the aftermath of the failed surgery, including two embolisms that nearly claimed his life. At [03:56], he narrates a profound near-death experience: “I realized just how bad of a mistake he had made... I heard a calm, very peaceful voice that said, not yet.”

Despite this brushes with death, Trent’s resolve was tested further when doctors informed him there was nothing more they could do, suggesting hospice care ([07:22]). This grim prognosis led Trent into a deep depression, with Nicole expressing her fears about Trent’s mental state ([08:29]).

A Glimmer of Hope: The Role of Family and Service Dog

In his darkest moments, Trent found unexpected support from his loyal service dog, Gunner. At [09:04], Trent describes how Gunner prevented him from carrying out a suicide attempt by intercepting his access to the gun: “He knows that this didn't fit... he never lost eye contact with me.”

Turning Point: Embracing Hope with a New Medical Team

Determined not to accept his fate, Trent sought a fresh perspective from a new medical team. Lauren highlights the critical support from his mother's primary care physician, who became his patient advocate ([13:28]). Trent praises her unwavering dedication: “She is an incredible woman... She kept the other doctors honest...”

Rehabilitation and the Adaptive Training Foundation

Trent’s journey to recovery took a pivotal turn when he joined the Adaptive Training Foundation (ATF), a community-focused program supporting individuals with traumatic injuries and chronic conditions. At [17:02], Sean Fitzmaurice, the owner of ATF, shares his philosophy: “You're going to create your own path... your own destiny with your own unique abilities.”

Through ATF, Trent met Sean, who played a crucial role in his rehabilitation. Sean emphasizes the importance of foundational movements and incremental progress: “[Sean] says, 'You can’t just go right from being in a wheelchair to now, let's stand up and walk.'”

Achieving Mobility Against the Odds

Trent’s dedication paid off as he began to regain mobility. At [20:40], he describes innovative methods to strengthen his body: “We figured out how to get me up on my feet and doing it very unconventionally with golf balls, PVC pipe, and tape. It was kind of MacGyver for rehabilitation.”

A significant milestone occurred when Trent walked across the street during a training session, an emotional moment captured by Sean: “[Sean] said, 'You're doing it, my man. You're doing it.'” This achievement marked a profound breakthrough in Trent’s recovery ([22:33]).

Setting Higher Goals: Completing a Half Ironman

Never one to settle, Trent ambitiously set his sights on completing a half Ironman. Despite medical advice to wait, Trent signed up for the nearest race, showcasing his relentless spirit. He recounts the grueling experience, pushing through immense physical pain and setbacks ([25:36]).

During the race, Trent faced severe injuries but drew strength from his “why” – his purpose to inspire and bring hope to others. His triumphant finish captured the essence of his journey: “Hope is the message... I chose hope, and I choose that for everybody” ([26:42]).

Inspiring Others and Building a Supportive Community

Trent’s achievements extended beyond personal milestones. He became a symbol of resilience, inspiring veterans, first responders, and individuals facing their own battles. His message of hope resonated widely, leading to a vast network of supporters and friends who drew strength from his story ([27:04]).

Nicole Fielder highlights the importance of positive reinforcement: “It's so easy to say, you can't do this... having people speak positivity into your life... was a really good group of people to continually speak positivity and to kind of get them in the right mindset to make positive changes.”

Conclusion: Embracing Hope and Paying It Forward

Trent’s journey from near-death experiences to becoming a gold medalist in the Triathlon World Championships exemplifies the transformative power of hope and determination. His story underscores the importance of a strong support system, innovative rehabilitation approaches, and an unwavering belief in one’s potential.

In his own words, Trent encapsulates the essence of his mission: “No matter what and no matter how long of a road that it took, I chose hope. And I choose that for everybody.”

Key Takeaways

• Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Trent’s story is a testament to overcoming severe medical challenges through unwavering determination and support.
• Importance of Support Systems: The role of family, advocates, and supportive communities like ATF were pivotal in Trent’s recovery.
• Innovative Rehabilitation: Trent’s use of unconventional methods in physical therapy highlights the importance of creativity in overcoming physical limitations.
• Message of Hope: Beyond personal achievements, Trent’s journey serves as an inspiration to others facing their own battles, emphasizing that hope can lead to extraordinary outcomes.

Notable Quotes

• Trent Fielder at [00:39]: “I was overwhelmed. I could not get my heart to slow down... I can't do this anymore.”
• Trent Fielder at [02:35]: “So in the surgery, there were some decisions made by the surgeon that went against protocol...”
• Nicole Fielder at [08:29]: “That he would have killed himself... I've thought of that once and twice.”
• Trent Fielder at [09:15]: “Gunner never left me. He just stayed right there.”
• Sean Fitzmaurice at [17:24]: “You're going to create your own path... your own destiny with your own unique abilities.”
• Trent Fielder at [26:42]: “Hope is the message. And I think that's what I would like people to best understand...”

Final Thoughts

Trent Fielder’s story, as shared on Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast, is a powerful narrative of overcoming insurmountable odds through hope, resilience, and community support. His journey from being wheelchair-bound and facing repeated medical setbacks to achieving remarkable athletic accomplishments serves as an inspiring beacon for anyone battling chronic illness or adversity.

For more inspiring stories and to follow Trent’s ongoing mission, visit trentfielder.com and support his nonprofit efforts at tryhope.com or chivecharities.org.

Transcript

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Ruby. Previously on Symptomatic. Trent Fielder, a successful and vibrant insurance assessor, suddenly faced a life threatening battle. Out of nowhere, he began losing feeling in his arms and legs. The condition spread quickly, leaving him wheelchair bound with no sensation below the waist. Things worsened rapidly when his lungs began to fail, landing him in the ICU with a daunting diagnosis. Guillain Barre syndrome. Gbs, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the nervous system.

[Trent Fielder]

I was overwhelmed. I could not get my heart to slow down. The only things that I could think about were the negative things. My focus was on what I'd lost. You know, it was, am I going to be able to go back to what I used to do? Not like this. It was very much wrapped up in the, I can't do this anymore.

[Nicole Fielder]

They said that his disease was progressive and that he wasn't going to make it. How do you process that?

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Even though Trent stabilized enough to return home to his wife Nicole and their young twins, the doctors couldn't restore much of the mobility or feeling he'd lost overnight, despite trying every treatment protocol. Then, out of nowhere, another flare struck, landing him back in the er, fighting for his life.

[Trent Fielder]

The pain was immense. The spasticity was just out of control. The spasms were so bad, at some point in my neck, my neck would try to snap itself. I couldn't keep it in control. My jaw would pop. It was very painful. So as the pain continued, the depression kicks in, the fear kicks in.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

With his symptoms lingering longer than expected, Trent received a new diagnosis. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy cidp, a progressive autoimmune disease causing long term muscle weakness and fatigue. After exhausting treatment options, with little improvement to his mobility, Trent made the tough decision to try a suggested spinal surgery. But unfortunately, the outcomes were more devastating than hopeful.

[Trent Fielder]

So in the surgery, there were some decisions made by the surgeon that went against protocol for what she would do with that implant. And he ended up cutting into my T10 vertebra.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

How terrifying would it be to fight an unknown enemy, one you didn't recognize and didn't see coming? What if that enemy was coming from within? A disease that even doctors couldn't identify? Nearly half of all Americans suffer from some chronic illness, and many struggle for an accurate diagnosis. These are their stories. I'm Lauren Bright Pacheco, and this is symptomatic. Before we pick up with Trent's story, a quick warning. This episode mentions thoughts of suicide. Please proceed with care. Two years after Trent's symptoms first began, he was dealing with the aftermath of a failed spinal surgery meant to be a last ditch effort to restore some mobility through the dirt. Darkest moments. Trent drew strength from his family, including his loyal service dog, Gunner, who never left his side. With his T10 vertebrae severed, he faced the risk of being paralyzed from the waist down forever.

[Trent Fielder]

It wasn't until January 23, 2014, where I realized just how bad of a mistake he had made. And that was when I ended up having two embolisms back to back. And I was at home at the time, for the first one at least. But I realized at the time I had a full breath in. And with that full breath, I heard a calm, very peaceful voice that said, not yet. And immediately I became aware of the fact that, okay, I'm about to go through something, but I'm not going to do it alone and I'm going to be okay.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Wow.

[Trent Fielder]

But I had a full breath in and I realized that that was my last breath. I've had the opportunity to talk to people about what that last breath looks like, and it was like seeing the world through a stained glass window. It was absolutely remarkable. And when Nicole again. Nicole is stunningly gorgeous, but when she came in the room for me to show her my phone, she was glistening. You know, it was kind of like seeing the ocean off the sunrise. And so Nicole came in and I had my phone and I put on there. I cannot breathe. Please stay calm. Call 911. She did two of the three. The staying calm part, she kind of skipped that part. She went into full action. We had just put the babies to bed, so she called 911.

[Nicole Fielder]

I got like, really nervous and thank God the ambulance had like a bogus phone call kind of nearby because they were at the house fairly quickly, and.

[Trent Fielder]

They got to us within two minutes.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Wow. That. I mean, that and the voice. That sounds like divine intervention.

[Trent Fielder]

Yeah. There were a lot of things that had to happen, and they can't all be circumstance and for me to be able to calmly get through that time. So they got there right as I was finishing that last breath, they gave me a shot of something in my neck and then started taking me to the hospital. And at that point, Nicole had broken down, so she came over to the ambulance and, you know, she sees tubes and everything else and it was more than she'd ever seen before. But I reached over, grabbed her hand and I said, we're not going anywhere. It's going to be okay. I was told it was going to be okay, so it's going to be okay. Then we Got to the hospital, and the second one happened.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

And you flatlined?

[Trent Fielder]

I flatlined, and I wasn't gone very long.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Due to its inflammatory nature and the resulting lack of mobility, CIDP presents a higher risk for blood clotting issues like embolisms. After everything Trent had been through, he and his family faced his most severe reaction yet, pushing him to the edge of death.

[Trent Fielder]

And so I woke up being angry. I didn't really know what I was angry at, but I wasn't angry because of the condition. I wasn't angry at a doctor or anything in particular. They put me in the icu, and I was in there for a long time. This is probably a few days into it. I was down to about 18% of my lungs. I could really just barely breathe on my own.

[Nicole Fielder]

That was kind of scary. And it's kind of like, well, if your lungs can't function, function, I can put two and two together. That means you can't breathe. And then if you can't breathe, you're not going to be living.

[Trent Fielder]

And there were these three doctors that came in there, the ones that looked me over while I was in there, and they sat down and they said they needed to talk to me. And that's never a good starting point to a conversation when it's a doctor. And they said, there's not anything more that we can do for you. Said there's nothing more we can do to reverse the effects or to make this better. So they had come to a conclusion that they were going to send me home and that they would set me up on hospice.

[Nicole Fielder]

At home, his doctors were all telling him that he was going to die. What kind of patient wants to hear that? That's crazy, and nobody can predict the future. And he was like, I have too much to live for. He's just like, get on board or get out of here.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Being sent home for hospice, Trent refused to accept that this was the end of his fate. However, having deteriorated so much physically, proving the doctors wrong would not come without its challenges. So on top of all the health issues, what was your greatest fear at that point?

[Nicole Fielder]

That he would have killed himself. And I would, like, what, walk into a body and blood on the floor? That crazy. But, yeah, I've thought of that once and twice.

[Trent Fielder]

My doctor was right. I was not prepared for the flood of emotions. And, you know, it was like seeing the events that had happened to me, like a merry go round, it was just. And I couldn't make it stop. And so there were times where the emotions were really too overwhelming. And there was one particular particular time where I considered and almost carried out taking my own life back home.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Trent sank into the depths of his desperation. But it would be his faithful service dog, Gunner, who would prove that there was a reason for hope.

[Trent Fielder]

I planned it enough out where no family was going to be around, nobody was going to be around me. I'd be able to just cut the story short. Essentially there was a gun that was next to me in a bag and I reached over to grab the gun and it wasn't there anymore. And I looked back and Gunner had. He had jumped up on the bed where I couldn't hear him and he had crawled to it and took it away. And I looked right at him and he had it in his mouth. There was no whisk or anything to him, but he never lost eye contact with me. He constantly looked at me while he had this in there. His tail was not wagging. It wasn't a game to him. He knew that this didn't fit. So I tried to reach back further for him and he took steps back and I tried to reach further back and I hate to take steps back, but never lost eye contact. He just kept backing up. And I eventually reached a point where I was just exhausted mentally and physically and I just fell down to the ground. And at that point I was crying and he knew that that was what needed to happen. And he came up to me and nestled up against me and he never left me. He just stayed right there.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

What a beautiful story. Story. Trent's condition had reached its lowest point. With his lung capacity now at life threatening levels and no treatment options left to counter the degeneration, he knew he needed a fresh perspective from a new medical team. If things were going to get better, it would be up to him to dig deep and find a strength he hadn't found before.

[Trent Fielder]

I think that the anger of allowing a disease to take control of my mindset, to take control of my heart, my future as a husband, as a father, as a friend, a son, that was where I was like, I've allowed it to control me for too long and so that has to stop.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

We'll be right back with Symptomatic A Medical Mystery podcast.

[Sean Fitzmaurice]

Join me, Dr. Panico with Cyndi Lauper.

[Trent Fielder]

And chef Michelle Bernstein to talk about.

[Sean Fitzmaurice]

Plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The potential connection and risk of developing permanent joint damage.

[Cyndi Lauper]

Cosentic secukinumab is prescribed for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. 300 milligram dose. And adults with active psoriatic arthritis 150 milligram dose. Don't use if you're allergic to Cosentyx before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. Like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal or viral infections, some are fatal. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough, had a vaccine or planned to, or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, serious allergic reactions and severe eczema like skin reactions may occur. Learn more at 1-844-cosentix or cosentyx.com Cindy.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Now back to Symptomatic A Medical Mystery Podcast. Trent had followed all the doctor's orders, trying every possible medicine and physical therapy approach, but only seeing temporary relief and most minor recovery from his pain and partial paralysis. After a failed spinal surgery and two embolisms that caused him to flatline, Trent still refused to accept defeat and was determined to find a path to recovery. This turning point started with the guidance and support of his mother's primary care physician who helped carve out a possible treatment plan, paving the way for a different approach to physical therapy.

[Trent Fielder]

She is an incredible woman. She is an amazing heart, a giving person. She has gone far and above what I ever would have thought any other doctor would do to help me. She's coordinated my care. You know, she's kept the other doctors honest, I guess is what I would say. So she's kept them in line to make sure that everybody is talking and on the same page about my care. When you think of an advocate, a patient advocate, she is absolutely at the top of the list of the best ones out there and that never stopped. So that's exactly who she is and who she'll always be because it's just her heart.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

First on Trent's list was rebuilding his lung capacity. To do that, he turned to an unexpected lung life saving tool, music. It helped him retrain his lungs and find his breathing rhythm. It also gave him a way to block out everything else going on around him.

[Trent Fielder]

Music had always been very important to me and helped me get through some difficult times in my life and I realized that I can use that music to retrain my lungs on a gradual basis to make them stronger.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

So you decided, I'm not accepting this and that's not the way it's going to be. I'm going to train myself to breathe again. I'm going to train myself, period. So what does that process look like and what kind of advances do you.

[Trent Fielder]

Start seeing as I grew stronger in that I was developing this kind of mental programming to find, find out the best ways to rehabilitate what I could rehabilitate my side, what I had control over, whether I thought about it at the time, I was empowering myself to improve and take control again of a situation that was completely spiraling out of control. So I focused on that. So the pain is still there, but using the music to guide my way through the pain, to breathe and to cope and function at a higher level.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Trent worked diligently to increase his lung capacity to 31%, a significant step forward. But he didn't stop there. He was already focusing on his next physical therapy goal, setting the bar even higher. That mindset of always pushing for more has been a constant in his recovery.

[Trent Fielder]

I made a decision that I wanted to go beyond just functioning. I wanted to excel. And how am I going to do that with a body that's attacking itself? I'm fortunate that I follow kind of both sides of traditional medicine has been very supportive, but I push it to its limits with what I do because I decided to go through a program which is the Adaptive Training foundation, and I was invited to be a part of their class with a number of people that are a lot of wounded vets and first responders, people that have had traumatic injuries that they've gone through or been born with certain conditions. And it was such an incredible blessing to be given that opportunity after he.

[Nicole Fielder]

Went to atf, because, you know, he had friends, but he didn't really have, like a good set of people around him and stuff. And so he calls them his tribe, and they have like a whole big tribe mentality of this is your people. We got your back. And so that was really the turning point for him.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

At the Adaptive Training foundation, or atf, Trent found a supportive community of people facing similar challenges and working through their own recoveries. It was there he met his new trainer and the owner of atf, Sean Fitzmaurice, who would play a crucial role in helping him take the next steps in his recovery.

[Sean Fitzmaurice]

A lot of doctors, they're dealers of reality and what science has shown them or studies have shown them, and they just rely on those soul things. And I think that doctors do not want to be responsible for if they were to say, hey, yes, you'll walk again, or hey, yes, you're going to get this back and you're going to be able to do these things in life, because I don't think they want to over promise things to them. You know, I think they want to be as real as possible, which I think it can work both ways, right? So they need to face the reality and really look it in the eye and say, this is my truth right now. But my thing is that's your truth in the moment, maybe at that time, but it's not your truth for your entire future. You're going to create your own path, you're going to create your own truth, you're going to create your own destiny with your own unique abilities.

[Trent Fielder]

We all meet people that are able to bring things out on us and help show things in us that make us stronger. Sean, he has that ability to bring things out in you in the moment when you need it most, when you're about ready to quit, or right when you're exhausted and think you can't do one more thing. Sean finds a way to get under your skin so that you're going to persevere through it.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Still paralyzed from the waist down, Trent had been searching for someone to help him believe there was more to his life and mobility than what he'd come to accept over the past few years. Shawn stepped in and began showing him the possibilities. But they both knew they had to start with the small things first. Did he have any specific goal or did you have an initial goal for him when you first started to work together?

[Sean Fitzmaurice]

Well, his goal, he wanted to walk. He had had some c braces made that provided like an electrical impulse when he walked, walked to get that feedback through his legs. But he wanted to be able to walk without the braces. And the thing is, with braces too, it creates atrophy. So then those muscles really aren't firing on their own. You know, they've got so much stability and support from the braces that they can't do the job they need to do.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

So the braces become a crutch, literally.

[Sean Fitzmaurice]

They become a crutch, literally. He was like a baby deer, but even like a baby deer in a frozen pond. And we stayed very, very close to him. Just the fear of falling. His legs were super atrophied, but also super weak. They weren't stable. But we started with foundational movements. A lot of things, you know, you can't just go right from being in a wheelchair to now, let's stand up and walk. There's so many more things we had to work on, just ground based stuff, you know, getting them all fours, getting him in quadruped, working on his core, working on a lot of the small things, working on crawling, working on bounds, A lot of times people get so focused on the end goal and they get frustrated with the small things we need to do along the way to get them there.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

More than five years after his sudden paralysis, Trent finally found a like minded community and an approach that began to show real progress. By shifting his his mindset beyond his original prognosis and finding the right support system to guide his training, he was determined to meet his goal of walking again.

[Trent Fielder]

We figured out how to get me up on my feet and doing it very unconventionally with golf balls, PVC pipe and tape. We kind of outscienced the science because I couldn't feel my legs. It's like, okay, well your legs are basically shock absorbers for your spine. And so I needed to find a way to take how the shock dissipates. And I need it not to dissipate. I needed to go up to my hips where I could feel we're just strapping all this stuff together. I mean, it was kind of MacGyver for rehabilitation.

[Nicole Fielder]

So they're kind of like bracing him and then he has his leg crutches and I'm just walking him, kind of amazed that he's using the crutches, he's upright, he's walking forward.

[Trent Fielder]

I was taking not big steps, smaller steps, but I was making sure that my feet would pound on the ground as best I could. But I could feel my hips. Like I have a pattern I could follow. And I reached the end of the street and then turned around and Fitz was there and Ari was one of my other trainers and she was there. I can't hear anything that they're saying because I have the headphones on and the music going because I have no concept of how loud I am. And as we start going back, I was just like, you know what, I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna fall. So I dropped one of the crutches.

[Nicole Fielder]

And then he like, he goes ahead and he drops the other crutch and just kind of like, what is this guy doing?

[Trent Fielder]

So again, I can't feel my legs. I've got no proprietary perception, so I have to look down, I have to look at my legs. And that's what I was doing. And their, I guess it's screaming at me essentially in the background and I can't hear anything.

[Nicole Fielder]

And then he pushes his trainers away and then he freaking takes steps and walks towards me and gives me a great big hug. You know, like I said, he is one determined son of a gun. You tell him no, he's gonna be like, oh, yeah, you just wait.

[Trent Fielder]

And I think it was probably another 12 or 13 steps before I realized. And I looked at him. Sean's just right there.

[Sean Fitzmaurice]

And, you know, it's kind of like Forrest Gump when he starts running. His braces are flying off.

[Trent Fielder]

And he just said, you're doing it, my man. You're doing it. You're doing it. And I read his lips and I looked at him and I fell apart. I just collapsed and he caught me and I'd done it. And there were people to celebrate the whole thing. And I just. I just cried.

[Sean Fitzmaurice]

It was a very emotional moment. Looking on it, it's still. You get the happy tears going when you see it. It was a powerful moment, and it's just a huge milestone for him to reach on that day.

[Trent Fielder]

Oh, gosh, five years, 10 months, 25 days and five and a half hours. I'm never going to forget that minute.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

You talked about he had lost his purpose for a period of time. And you'd said that life for a while was kind of like a shit show. And so would you say that once he found atf, he found a new purpose?

[Nicole Fielder]

I think he was surrounded by a lot of people who encouraged him. And it's so easy to say, you can't do this or you won't do this or this is never going to happen. And it's like if you hear it so often, even if it's not the truth, it becomes the truth. So when you have people speaking positivity into your life saying, hey, it doesn't matter X, Y or Z, you can do this, you can fight, you can push. So I just think that was just a really good group of people to continually speak positivity and to kind of get them in the right mindset to make positive changes and believe in himself and keep on going from there.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

In typical Trent fashion, just walking wasn't enough. With a renewed sense of hope, he set his sights on an even bigger goal. Completing a half ironman. While his training team suggested waiting 12 to 18 months, Trent had other plans. He signed up for the first race he could find just a few months away. So for those not familiar, tell me what a half ironman entails.

[Trent Fielder]

A half Ironman is a 70.3 mile distance, which is a 1.2 mile swim, it's a 56 mile bike, and then a 13.1 mile run. Or in my case at the time, it was a racing chair. That makes up for the fact because I couldn't run and I did pretty well in the Swim on the bike. I was 17 miles in. It's a very interesting picture Contrast at mile 16, I'm, like, on top of the world. Mile 17, you could see a grunt in my face because I had actually torn both my rotator cuffs and biceps.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Before you even get to the running.

[Trent Fielder]

Chair, Right before I get to the running chair, before I was even a third of the way through the bike.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

How did you keep going?

[Trent Fielder]

I think one of the most important things in life, in this case, certainly, but in every case is to know your why. And when you know your why in life, then you really become a force of nature. You can be unstoppable. And I knew why I was there. There was no way that I could quit, no matter how much it hurt, because the bike is a hand cycle. So I'm using my arms the whole time. But I had to be able to keep going because I was doing it for hope. I made it to the very end about 0.2 miles out. And that was when I felt the calling. And that was when I heard the voice, was the rise and walk. Oh. I was like, are you sure, God? Because I could just coast in. But I ended up getting up. I got some help, and I was able to not just walk across the finish line. I had a small jog.

[Nicole Fielder]

He said he heard God tell him get up. And so he physically got up out of that thing. And then he ended up walking and then running the last, like, tenth of a mile.

[Trent Fielder]

And I did it. I had my headphones on, looking straight down the whole time. I collapsed as soon as I got across the finish line.

[Nicole Fielder]

And everybody was like, what? This paralyzed dude just got up and ran across the finish line. My dad caught him and our friend Adam, and it was pretty amazing. And then in the video, Nabaya's like, go, daddy, go. Go, daddy, go.

[Trent Fielder]

And it started something. People were videoing it and posting it and sharing it because I just couldn't believe what they were seeing. And probably about 35, 40 minutes from the time I got my medal to getting to the car. By the time I got to the car, I had almost 1100 messages on Facebook, and I had probably about half that in friend requests. The majority of them being vets and first responders and people just needing hope. And it just continued to grow. And that's how I spent the last years doing what I'm doing, never doing it for myself. This can't ever be about me. If it is, I'd find a reason to quit. And the mission has always been hopeful. So I've done half Ironman, Ironman. I've done USA Triathlon. I've won national championships that way.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Trent has since completed multiple endurance events, including representing Team USA as the only para athlete in last summer's triathlon world Championships in Australia. He doesn't push himself for accolades or medals, which he gives away to others. He does it to physically pass on his message of hope wherever he goes. His loving kids, Logan and Navia, understand this more than anyone. Why is your dad different from other dads? He has been paralyzed from the waist down for a long time and that he wants to give people hope. And he runs Iron Mans and gives his medals away to other people. What are you most proud of when you think of your dad? Probably him being able to do all these things while having treatments and surgeries and taking care of stuff around the house as well, like being able to do Ironmans and all these races and, like, still being able to be there for us. Like, as a dad, you know, him being able to walk after people told.

[Nicole Fielder]

Him he wouldn't be able to is.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Like, probably the most inspiring thing. And Nicole, what do you hope people take away from hearing Trent's story?

[Nicole Fielder]

Hopelessness is such a disease, and it's kind of like, if you don't have hope, what do you have? Whatever the situation is, there's always light at the end of the tunnel, regardless of how dark it may seem.

[Trent Fielder]

Now, if people can understand that there are going to be moments in our lives, life, that generates suffering. But the question is, what do we do with it? What are we able to do with it? If it's too difficult or feels too overbearing to make a change in our life, then do it a different way, by making a change in somebody else's, by impacting somebody else's. And I could have never imagined the things that have occurred with me. I mean, how can I imagine going from the guy that flatlines on a table to a gold medalist in 10 years? And people constantly, they'll ask you, like, what did it feel like to hold the metal? I'm like, the metal's not the message. Hope is the message. And I think that's what I would like people to best understand, whether it's through this podcast or through my life, is that no matter what and no matter how long of a road that it took, I chose hope. And I choose that for everybody.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

Always looking to pay it forward. Trent gave his gold medal from this summer's Triathlon World Championships to his wife, Nicole, who has been his steadfast supporter from the beginning. You can also be a part of his message of hope and keep up with his next [e-mail] Special thanks to Chive Charities for the work they do with veterans and those living with rare diseases and the impact they've had on Trent's story. If you know someone who might benefit from hearing his story or other stories in this season of Symptomatic, we encourage you to share it with them. And knowing that health struggles can often be a marathon instead of a sprint, if you want to help others cross the finish line, consider paying it forward like Trent has by donating to his [e-mail] that's T R I hope or chive charities@chive charities.org My name is Trent Fielder.

[Trent Fielder]

I was diagnosed with Guillain barre syndrome in 2011 and in 2012 I was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. I went from flatlining on an emergency room table to eventually working to train myself how to breathe, how to walk, eventually took on a mission to compete and that competition led me from flatline to finish line. And that finish line was gold medal at the World Championships this past year with Team usa.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

As we close out the season of Symptomatic, we want to take a moment and say thank you to all our dedicated listeners. We've had the privilege of telling some very special stories this year from a doctor turned rare disease patient and cutting edge cancer care to every story of determination this season. It's been so heartwarming seeing your reactions and humbling being able to share your stories. So if you have a medical mystery, don't hesitate to reach out to us@ symptomaticiheartmedia.com and now for the first time, you can also leave us a voicemail by using the link at the end of the show. Notes who knows? You or someone you know could be at the center of the next episode or spark thoughtful conversation in an upcoming House Calls. Until next time, be well. Symptomatic is a production of Ruby Studio from iHeartMedia. Our show is hosted by me, Lauren Bright Pacheco. Executive producers are Matt Romano and myself. Our EP of post production is James Foster, our supervising producer is Ciara Kaiser, our writers are John Irwin and Diana Davis and our editor is Ciara Spreen with additional help from Matt Stilo. When hidradenitis suppurativa symptoms take over, it's tough. Bumps and abscesses keep coming back but don't give up. Keep trying fighting and using your voice to find relief, I asked my doctor about Cosentyx.

[Cyndi Lauper]

Acukinumab is prescribed for adults with moderate to severe hidradenitis. Superativa 300mg dose. Don't use if you're allergic to Cosentyx. Before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. Like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal or viral infections, some are fatal. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough had a vaccine or planned to or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, serious allergic reactions and severe eczema like skin reactions may occur. Learn more at cosentyx.com or 1844-cosentyx Talk.

[Lauren Bright Pacheco]

To your dermatologist about Cosentyx.