Former UF Professor Reaches A New Peak in Health After Hidden Brain Condition

A decade ago, David Whitney accomplished his goal of 50 marathons by the age of 50. He had climbed to the highest point in the contiguous U.S. (the coincidentally named Mount Whitney in California) and the highest point in Africa (Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania).

“Peak” condition would’ve been a good way to describe “Whit,” who revels in physical feats that include climbing, running and swimming.

“I’m not a couch potato,” said Whit, 65, also a retired University of Florida College of Engineering professor. “I’m an active person who was leading a very full life.”

However, an unexpected diagnosis would bring the lifelong athlete with no limits down to earth.

A routine checkup with his general practitioner led to the discovery of an undisclosed, unrelated issue that required attention. Whit was sent to neurosurgeons at UF Health, where experts performed a CT scan of his brain.

That’s where it was discovered that he had an arteriovenous malformation, or AVM, a tangle of blood vessels that creates unusual connections between arteries and veins. He heard the news on July 6, 2015, from Brian Hoh, MD, chair of the UF Department of Neurosurgery and chief of medical staff for UF Health Shands, after being called to come in for an appointment.

The finding was a shock, considering the only potential warning sign of his AVM was his unassuming migraine headaches.

“I was completely floored because, first of all, I think it’s a condition that is hidden in plain sight,” Whit said. “I had no symptoms. There were no conditions where I felt there was something wrong.”

On that Monday morning when he met Dr. Hoh, Whit quickly realized how serious his condition was.

The team at UF Health Neurosurgery instructed him to come in on that same Friday to prepare for surgery. If all went according to plan, he’d be discharged in 24 hours. If not, he’d need to shave his head over the weekend and come in the following Monday for an operation that would involve opening his skull.

Hearing those words would typically put anyone on edge, but the person delivering them gave off an air of expertise that put Whit at ease.

“I remember walking out of that room, and I thought, ‘I just met the most confident person in my life,’” Whit said of Dr. Hoh. “All I keep thinking about is, ‘On Friday morning, I’m going to be walking into the most confident man’s universe, and what could possibly go wrong?’”

While Whit’s condition didn’t necessitate emergency surgery, Dr. Hoh identified troubling characteristics of his specific form of AVM called a dural arteriovenous fistula, or DAVF. It contained a large venous aneurysm — a significant abnormal, sac-like or elongated bulge in the wall of a vein. He also had cortical venous drainage, in which deoxygenated blood leaks from the brain’s cerebral cortex into larger dural venous sinuses.

“It was important to take care of the dural AVF because of the risk of intracranial hemorrhage,” Dr. Hoh said. “It was located in the posterior fossa (at the back and bottom of the skull), and the surgery was performed endovascularly, minimally invasive through the femoral artery in the leg.”

Whit’s confidence in Dr. Hoh paid off. Within three weeks, he returned to his active lifestyle, completing the “Escape from Alcatraz” swim in San Francisco Bay, a challenging 1.5-mile path through strong currents and tides.

For a person who has finished four Boston Marathons and competed in the Florida Senior Games, among many other athletic challenges, not losing a step after such a scary diagnosis meant everything to Whit.

To express his gratitude, Whit has sent messages to Dr. Hoh each year since the procedure on July 10, 2015. Whit — who has lived in Sarasota, Florida, since 2019 — celebrated his 10th anniversary since the operation.

“The best way to flex my appreciation to you and your team is for me to continue to lead a physically active — and mentally sharp — lifestyle,” Whit wrote in this year’s message. He dedicated a 2-mile swim to Dr. Hoh the same day. “I am doing both to the best of my abilities and feel strong and energized (I turn 65 this August) every day. Okay, most days.”

Whit’s appreciation through the years has significant meaning to Dr. Hoh.

“These letters impact me tremendously,” Dr. Hoh said. “It reminds me what a privilege and honor it is for me to take care of patients, that patients entrust their health to me. And it reminds me of the sacred obligation I have to each and every patient. It’s a special bond. Plus, he was a UF engineering professor. Gators take care of Gators.”

Whit still recalls the unflappable trust Dr. Hoh quickly earned from him a decade ago, something he carried with him in the days leading up to his surgery.

“There’s a sports analogy when they say that a coach is a player’s coach,” Whit said. “Well, Brian Hoh is a patient’s surgeon.”