Congrats and Farewell to our friend, and June's Member Spotlight, Kyle Jaulich! We Chose Kye as our spotlight for many reasons, some of which include, his sparkling personality, his kindness to others, his unique story behind CPRS, the Navy and Fitness, and his commitment to his health and wellness. We are proud to know you Kyle! Read what Kyle has to say below.
We know you've been through a lot with CRPS, for those who don't know, would you like to share a little bit about that with us?
I had a small injury in October of 2016 that necessitated a very minor surgery in January of 2017 while at the Naval Academy. I came out of that surgery with an incurable brain disease known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). The disease was caused by the surgery itself, simply the shock on my system. That started about two years of intensive in and outpatient treatment all over the world trying to get my condition under control. Characterized primarily by brutal, unrelenting pain, I’ve know relearned to walk multiple times and deal with the pain day to day. It’s been a little over 5 years now, and the condition will continue to progress from my leg throughout my body as time goes on.
You have a pretty interesting occupation, what led you down that path and what do you love about your job?
I joined the Navy highly motivated to join the explosive ordnance disposal community, but CRPS had different plans for me. After spending so long in the hospital as a patient, I originally wanted to become a doctor when I came back to school. However when taking prerequisites, I realized I hated biology and loved chemistry. Right before COVID hit I became an EMT, and it was there that I was really l found a passion for infection control and thought about chemical applications career wise. Now, I’m pursuing my PhD in organic chemistry with a focus on next generation antibiotics and psychedelics for TBIs and other brain injuries. I love the variety of challenges in lab I see daily and the continued goal to continue service to the greater good, just in a much different capacity than I set out for.
We really admire your dedication to fitness, how has CPRS impacted fitness in mind and body?
For the longest time I considered myself an athlete first, and CRPS forced me to redefine myself as a person, not just an athlete. Initially, my recovery was primal in nature. It was my body against my brain, and I had to prove to myself through brute force and a lot of hard work I was still capable of things like wearing socks and walking. That gradually grew to getting back in the gym, swimming, and lifting. It’s been a battle like nothing I’ve ever faced, and something I’ll fight for the rest of my life. But it’s given me a hell of an appreciation to be able to get into the gym every day and push my limits, both mentally and physically.
We're super sad that you are leaving us shortly, what new journey will you be on, to where, for what new exciting thing?
I’m headed down to Nashville after semis in the first week of June! I start my doctorate research in July at Vanderbilt with an overall goal of getting my PhD and working in the pharmaceutical industry in a drug development and design lab. Ideally, I’d love to continue my work on antibiotics and maybe someday start my own pharma company dedicated to researching rare and challenging conditions.
