Local Daytona Beach, Florida Philanthropist Survives Removal of Tumor on Pituitary Gland

Oct. 25, 2009 - PRLog -- Daytona Beach, FL - On September 29, 2009, Venus Day, founder of the Ambassadorial Society of America, went to the Halifax Hospital Emergency Room after the rapid loss of her eyesight and terrible headaches. The emergency room doctors found that she had a lime sized tumor on top of her pituitary gland that was crushing her optic nerve.  Half of the pituitary gland comes down from the brain - the posterior lobe which controls the body's water levels and secretes the hormone ADH The other half, the anterior lobe, controls sex hormone levels, lactation, growth hormone, body steroids and the thyroid gland.

The pituitary is located exactly between the cavernous sinuses, which contain the nerves that control eye movement and the major arteries that feed the brain.  The pituitary is responsible for almost all of the body's hormonal systems, taking all of its cues from the hypothalamus.  The hypothalamus controls such activities as body temperature, sexual drive, appetite, blood glucose levels and sleep behavior patterns.  Problems with these activities in many people are commonly misdiagnosed or attributed to causes such as headaches, stress, allergies, or the flu.  Tumors of the pituitary gland behave according to their cell of origin. Almost all pituitary tumors can eventually become malignant by position.  Each tumor, because of its extraordinarily high hormonal output, can create a characteristic clinical syndrome that brings attention to the tumor.  Misdiagnosed for years, however, Venus Day’s symptoms were addressed, but the tumor was not diagnosed for years.  

In the Halifax Hospital Emergency Department, Dr. Prairie, Dr. Kocisko and Dr. Eads found the tumor immediately and admitted Venus to the hospital.  Dr. Heise, Dr. Lacierda and Dr. White were her Hospitalists and Dr. Digon, Dr. Lipton, Dr. Vinas and Dr. Munier also helped make the surgery on October 8, 2009, go smoothly and successfully.  The Halifax team also included all the CNAs, CT and MRI staff, the laboratory technicians, volunteers and an army of nurses: Liz (Dr. Vinas' LPN), Kathy (Dr. Digon's LP), and Sharon, Monica, Loren, Sue, Rhonda, Catherine and Elizabeth.  48 hours after post op, Venus’ sight began to return.

Venus Day is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame in Computer Science and Economics.  In a span of 15 years, Ms. Day rose from a Programmer/Analyst to Consultant to Associate Chief Engineer and COO to owning her own business. She has worked on projects with the top consulting firms in the United States, and with a diverse number of Federal agencies, including the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Defense (DoD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Fraud Investigations Units across the country.

She founded the Ambassadorial Society of America in 2006 to reward unsung heroes in the community and to recognize excellence in the fields of Education; Medicine; Arts; Business; Technology; and Health and Science and those who actively participate in community service. Spokespersons are finally appointed by the Board of Directors, and are judged heavily on their interview skills, community service and ongoing contributions to society.  Venus’ accomplishments include bringing attention to the needs of many women and children, providing healthcare to developing nations, as well as water management, marine mammal conservancy, and protection of oceans, rivers and wetlands across the world.  Venus has travelled to places that require assistance such as Uganda, Africa, where she traveled to Ddegeya Village install solar panels and purify water for the Engeye Health Clinic. She has raised tens of thousands of dollars for many charities. She has also been recognized for her volunteer work by Jeb Bush, the Governor of Florida as a Point of Light Award recipient. Ms. Day is also a member of the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem as an Officer of the Order (OLJ).

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The Ambassadorial Society of America was founded in 2006 to recognize excellence in the fields of Education; Medicine; Arts; Business; Technology; and Health and Science and those who actively participate in community service.