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American Morning

South Pole Doctor Faces Life-Threatening Illness

Aired April 17, 2001 - 11:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: This is a really strange story of deja vu. A potentially life-or-death struggle at the bottom of the world. A doctor goes to Antarctica to serve a year at a research facility. Winter sets in. The doctor suddenly is stricken with a potentially life-threatening illness.

Well, 56-year-old Dr. Ronald Shemenski is virtually now stranded at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station, and getting him out now would mean a dangerous rescue mission because of the weather. So sound familiar?

Well, this happened to Dr. Jerri Nielsen back in 1999 when she discovered that she had breast cancer, and she joins us now by phone telephone. And, Dr. Nielsen, I'm sure you've got to be saying, "I can't believe this is happening now."

DR. JERRI NIELSEN, PHYSICIAN: I know. It's -- it's a strange quirk of fate because the station's been open since the '50s, and nothing like this has happened.

HARRIS: Is that right? Is that the reason why -- that only one doctor at a time is scheduled down there?

NIELSEN: No, the reason one doctor is scheduled is because it's a very small community that must survive in hostile environment, and there really isn't enough room for very many people, and we don't have the facilities for that. A doctor is useless unless somebody's hurt or injured, and you need other people.

For instance, the power plant mechanic is more - much more important than the doctor, and if you lost him, everyone could potentially die from a power failure, and the question is, you know, do you -- who do you give up so you can have two doctors? Do you give up your electrician? That would be scary. Or your maintenance person who keeps everything going?

So it's a very tight system, and you really can't anticipate who's going to perhaps be ill, and to have two doctors would be very redundant.

HARRIS: Yeah, that's literally the last place on earth, you know, you would expect...

NIELSEN: Exactly. HARRIS: ... you would want to lose an engineer. Well, have you been in touch with him at all? Have you tried to e-mail him at all, or have you -- has the agency put you in touch with him at all to maybe talk him through the process or at least explain to him what happened with you?

NIELSEN: No, because I figure that, if he wants to talk to me, he will contact me. I have been in touch with a number of people who are on the station with him, and I know that, when I was there, I wanted my privacy, and I'm not sure if he wants me to contact him at this point.

I know that he has phenomenal support. He doesn't know me, but he does know all the people on the station. They're being extremely supportive of him. The National Science Foundation is in constant contact. He has a video camera and conferencing capacities now that I didn't have, so he's in contact with physicians in the States, and he has a nurse to talk with and to help him through this, which is also a new thing that had occurred since my problem.

HARRIS: Yeah, but, as I understand, his situation is even more life threatening than yours is. What it is, pancreatitis that he's suffering right now?

NIELSEN: This could -- well, it's extremely painful. That's why I'm -- my heart goes out to him because it's a painful and extremely uncomfortable condition, and it is indeed life threatening. So I am very concerned about him and his welfare.

But I'm sure having dealt with the kind of people who saved me, I know that they will do whatever is going to be the safest outcome for everyone, and they have to consider everybody's safety, not just the fact that he's the doctor there, so everyone's relying on him, but also the safety of him and someone else coming in to get him.

HARRIS: This almost sounds like the kind of story you expect to hear about the -- on a space station somewhere. Dr. Nielsen, I'm going to bring in my partner.

NIELSEN: Very similar.

HARRIS: Daryn Kagan is joining us now.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Dr. Nielsen. Good to talk with you again.

NIELSEN: Thank you so much.

KAGAN: I know when -- when they were trying to get you out that there two issues, and it seems like a similar set here, that -- one, there's the issue of getting the physician out safely, but also you were very concerned about leaving your fellow crewmembers behind and that they -- they would be stuck there for the rest of winter without any kind of medical service.

NIELSEN: Exactly. And the National Science Foundation promised me that they would replace me with another physician, which made -- made it possible for me to leave. Fortunately, there is a nurse there now, which is...

KAGAN: Which is good.

NIELSEN: Oh, it's -- it's just wonderful. I'm sure that she's a great source of comfort to him and a lot of medical help. That would have been wonderful.

KAGAN: Well...

HARRIS: So is it impossible...

KAGAN: Go ahead.

HARRIS: So is it impossible then -- when they go in to airlift the doctor out, they can't drop off another doctor to replace him?

NIELSEN: That's very possible that they are considering that. That's what they did when they got me.

HARRIS: OK.

KAGAN: We can find that out because we have someone with us from the National Science Foundation. That's Karl Erb joining us from Washington.

Karl, hello. Thanks for being with us. I'm sure you've had a chance to listen to what Dr. Nielsen's had to say so far.

KARL ERB, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: Hi, Daryn. Yes, I have. Thank you.

KAGAN: First of all, would the plan be if you're -- if you're going to get Dr. Shemenski out to airlift another doctor in?

ERB: We are indeed. Dr. Betty Carlisle, who, in fact, was a physician at McMurdo station in Antarctica this past season, this past summer season down there, has volunteered to go in on the plane that will bring Dr. Shemenski back out. She's a veteran. She's wintered over at South Pole previously. She loves the program. She's a wonderful physician, and so we're luckily to have her.

KAGAN: So not just another doc going in but an experienced one as well.

ERB: Exactly.

KAGAN: Tell us a little bit about the doctor in question, Dr. Shemenski, just about him. What his background is, and what the exact medical crisis is right now?

ERB: He is -- well, his experience has been that he was a health-care provider in Alaska for many years, would go to remote villages where he could only gain entry by Twin Otter or other airports and take care of people there. He is recovering very nicely from his gallstone attack. All the indications that we have are that he is recovering well.

But we're concerned because he could have recurrence or, for that matter, the situation could worsen. So both for his own safety and for his proper care back in the States and for the care of the other 50 people -- the other 49 people at station, we are going to make a -- an attempt to fly in on Twin Otters, bring him back out, and leave Dr. Carlisle there to take care of his colleagues.

KAGAN: And what's your timeframe for doing that?

ERB: We think if the weather cooperates, we'd -- we would hope to doing that this weekend.

HARRIS: I've got a question. I have a question I wanted to ask -- bounce off of Dr. Nielsen. Are you still listening, Dr. Nielsen?

NIELSEN: Yes.

HARRIS: Because it strikes me as kind of odd and maybe a twist of fate or karma, if you like to think about it, but it could be a good thing that you went through what you went through because now the crew -- everybody down there sort of understands this sort of problem, and the equipment that was used in helping you is now helping Dr. Shemenski, correct?

NIELSEN: Exactly. Yes, it may -- you might look at it as easier for him, but I'm sure it's not. He's -- he has such a serious condition, and as I said, it's painful and very uncomfortable and life threatening.

But he does have better equipment -- much better equipment -- and better staffing than what I had because -- probably because of my experience, they had to step up the program because more people are down there now than ever before.

Prior to my episode, sometimes there would be as few as 27 people down there. But now it's up to 50. So it's a -- it's becoming a different place, and along with it, we've -- we've come a long way in technology and what we're capable of, even in the last couple of years.

KAGAN: Dr. Nielsen, I know people who followed your story from the time you were at the South Pole, had your crisis, through this most recent year when you released your book will want to know how you're doing and what the latest is on your condition?

NIELSEN: Well, they saved my life, and I give them all credit for it. So many people. I feel like I was given a second life. And my only hope is that I can do something really wonderful with it.

HARRIS: I think you may already have.

KAGAN: Yes. You're on your way.

HARRIS: You're on your way. Yes.

KAGAN: Dr. Jerri Nielsen, thank you very much.

NIELSEN: Thank you.

HARRIS: And Karl Erb at the National Science Foundation in our Washington bureau. Thanks much as well.

KAGAN: yes. And wish you well. Wish you well with the mission this weekend and...

HARRIS: Definitely.

KAGAN: ... getting Dr. Shemenski out.

HARRIS: Very good. How's that for a silver lining, huh?

KAGAN: Yeah. How about that? They know how to do it now.

HARRIS: Yeah. Exactly. Wow. We'll stay on top of that story.

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