Fifty years ago, a child with cystic fibrosis wasn’t expected to live beyond his 7th birthday. Mike “Bud” Hoch is 27—a college graduate, employed at Roundy's, about to be married—and he has cystic fibrosis.
Hoch was three months old when he was diagnosed with the inherited disease, which causes thick, sticky mucous to build up in the lungs and digestive tract. His diagnosis wasn’t a complete surprise; his sister had cystic fibrosis as well. Hoch and his sister spent years shuttling in and out of hospitals before his sister died at age 15. Hoch was sure he was next. He was only nine years old.
As a child, Hoch received care in Madison. But when he started college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he transferred his care to Medical College of Wisconsin physicians at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. By his own admission, Hoch was in pretty bad shape when he first met Julie Biller, MD, Professor of Pulmonary Medicine. “I was probably the sickest I’ve ever been,” Hoch recalled. “But Dr. Biller was reassuring and told me, ‘We’re going to take care of you.’”
Cystic fibrosis interferes with patients’ breathing and digestion. Young patients of Medical College pulmonary specialists have better-than-expected lung capacity; the Medical College’s statistics rank among the top 10 cystic fibrosis centers in the nation. Patients of Medical College physicians also have better-than-average body mass indexes, an indication that they are thriving despite their digestive challenges. For a patient with cystic fibrosis, appropriate treatment makes all the difference between a normal life and a life marked by frequent illness.
Hoch has forged a special relationship with Dr. Biller, who sees patients at Froedtert Hospital and at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. “It’s almost more of a personal relationship now than a professional one,” Hoch said. “A lot of people do their jobs, but Dr. Biller connects with her patients.”
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