“Health is a crown that only the sick can see, and that all the healthy wear,” said Makenzie Homrich, senior Economics major at Pepperdine. Homrich was diagnosed with Rathke’s Cleft Cyst after three years of symptoms and a sudden vision loss at the end of her junior year. Following her diagnosis, Homrich had to undergo multiple MRIs, meet with multiple doctors and eventually undergo endoscopic pituitary surgery all within a summer. In this episode, Homrich revealed the process up to the surgery and the recovery after, along with details of the role of her faith, emotional journey and supporting community.
This episode of “The Graph” is hosted by Ellya Asatryan and produced by Nancy He. “The Graph” is a Pepperdine Graphic Media production.
Listen in, and let us know what you think. Email us at graphic@pepperdine.edu, or follow us on Instagram and X @peppgraphic.
0:09 Introductions
2:05 What Rathke’s Cleft Cyst is.
3:44 What causes Rathke’s Cleft Cyst.
5:17 Makenzie’s symptoms and discovery of her having Rathke’s Cleft Cyst.
8:24 Doctor’s Visits and Exams
10:16 The Surgery
10:50 What would happen had Makenzie not had the surgery.
11:40 Difficulty Scheduling MRIs
13:00 Communication process with doctors.
13:34 Makenzie’s Neurologist
13:40 Makenzie’s Surgeon (who helped develop Endoscopic Pituitary Surgery)
15:30 Pros and Cons of the Surgery
16:50 Understanding the severity of her symptoms.
18:24 Changing her life within a short time.
19:37 Going through the process of grief.
21:31 Her support system and community.
24:37 Makenzie’s Faith Journey.
33:05 The Recovery
34:50 The Process of Endoscopic Pituitary Surgery
36:00 Missing School Through Recovery
37:56 Navigating Through Miscommunications In Healthcare
40:22 Maintaining Communication with Doctors After Surgery
41:49 Lifestyle Changes and Treatments
47:44 The Future for Makenzie
