Discovery Health’s hit series “Mystery Diagnosis” puts spotlight on Shaw AFB meteorologist in upcoming episode

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SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Discovery Health's popular show Mystery Diagnosis will spotlight a Shaw Air Force Base meteorologist June 21, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

As part of the hit series' ninth season, Senior Airman Jake Tate, 28th Operational Weather Squadron, will share his riveting story with audiences across the nation.

Airman Tate's show will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions as he endures misdiagnoses and dismissals before ever finding a solution. Airman Tate met his future wife Heidi, and within nine months the two were married.

He knew he was going to have to provide for his new wife and child, so he decided to join the Air Force. A few months into his training, Airman Tate started noticing lumps forming on his abdomen.

He shrugged it off as something induced by stress and his new lifestyle, but over the next few months the lumps began to multiply and became increasingly painful. After putting off going to the doctor for almost a year, Airman Tate finally gave into the pain and went to see a dermatologist who diagnosed him with lipomas--benign tumors composed of fatty tissue.

The next course of action was to remove the large number of lipomas that riddled Airman Tate's body--but following the removal of two lipomas, he was stunned to see five more lumps had sprouted in the places where the other two were removed.

Seeing that the lipomas were forming at a faster rate than the doctor could remove them, Airman Tate asked if there was another treatment he could pursue. Airman Tate finally found his answer with Dr. Karen Herbst, an endocrinologist who was able to diagnose Airman Tate with Dercum's disease, a condition that causes painful fatty tissue growths all over the body.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Dercum's and it is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life--but there are ways to manage the disease. Because Airman Tate cannot partake in physical activity or any activities that cause him stress, the Air Force is currently evaluating his eligibility to remain on active duty.

Airman Tate manages the pain with medication, but regardless of his disease, is living a happy and fulfilling life. Mystery Diagnosis chronicles the experiences of patients who suffer from conditions outside of the medical mainstream. Each episode features patients who are initially misdiagnosed or undiagnosed altogether due to the uncommon nature of their symptoms and general lack of awareness regarding their conditions.
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