Archive for March, 2012
March 13, 2012
New Therapy Freezes Out Atrial Fibrillation
Rosalee Johns says she has her life back thanks to a freezing therapy called cryoablation that restored her heartbeat to normal. In 2008, Johns, then age 67, was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the atria — the upper chambers of the heart — receive irregular electrical impulses that cause erratic heartbeats. Johns’ […]
Tags: 4264, 5252, 5334, Cryoablation, Dr. Fred Kusumoto, heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, Rosalee Johns
March 12, 2012
Nurse finds out what being “hip” is all about
By MakalaArce 
My story begins in 1998. At the age of 32 I was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia. Because I was a breech baby at birth the doctors at home had told me that this was probably the reason why I was having problems. I was having the most pain in my left hip. I first […]
Tags: 2117, 3832, 5299, 5335, bilateral hip dysplasia, cortisone shot, Iowa, Julie Olson, Mason City, Mayo Clinic, nurse, Robert Trousdale
March 9, 2012
When Medication is No Longer Effective for Atrial Fibrillation
By MakalaArce
Ron Boyle has had atrial fibrillation for twelve years. He recalls, “When I was in a-fib most of the time, getting upstairs was a problem. Just doing daily routine was a problem. Get up in the morning and being totally fatigued and that’s the way the day would start.” His previous medications were no longer […]
Tags: 4264, 5252, 5335, A-Fib, Atrial Fibrillation, catheter, experience, heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, patient, Pulmonary Vein Ablation, Pulmonary Vein Isolation
March 8, 2012
Seeing the Light Helps Parkinsonism Patient Walk
It began with a headache in 2007. That was followed by weakness on his left side, a slight slurring of his speech and tremors. Doctors thought Wayne Puckett, then 42 and a father of five, had suffered a stroke. But over the next two years, the headaches persisted. Complicated migraine was the new diagnosis. But […]
Tags: 2983, 5292, 5334, Parkinson's Disease, Parkinsonism, stroke, Wayne Puckett
March 6, 2012
Cancer Survivor Bikes the Desert to Deliver Donation
To celebrate his “first birthday” after treatment for esophageal cancer, Ricky Rinehart, 54, rode his bike to Mayo Clinic — 213 miles across the desert from his home in Yuma to Phoenix, Ariz. Thirteen friends, family and co-workers joined him for the two-day ride last October. They delivered more than $10,000 in donations for cancer […]
Tags: 1136, 3169, 5267, 5279, 5333, esophageal cancer, Rickey Rinehart
March 5, 2012
Incredible Journey: Surviving an Incurable Disease
“Couldn’t breathe, gasping for air,” is how Bobbie Sofia describes the first sign that something was wrong. In 2007, Bobbie Sofia and her husband, Sam, traveled to San Antonio, Texas from their home of almost forty years in Lake Havasu City, Arizona to attend their daughter, Ashley’s, graduation from Air Force Basic Training. While enjoying […]
Tags: 1136, 2272, 5252, 5279, 5333, amyloidosis, Bobbie Sofia, cardiac amyloidosis, Craig Reeder, CyBorD, D. Eric Steidley, heart failure
March 2, 2012
Patient’s Valentine’s Day Engagement provides an Inspiring Example for Others
By MakalaArce
Amanda Mattheisen has endured chronic back pain since a car accident thirteen years ago. At times, the pain was so bad it controlled her life. Surgeries and drug treatments brought no relief. Eventually, Mattheisen turned to Mayo Clinic’s two-day Pain Rehabilitation Program, a program designed to help people whose pain cannot be cured to learn […]
Tags: 5302, 5308, 5335, Amanda Mattheisen, back pain, Charles Buggs, chronic, Joan Cronin, Pain Rehabilitation Program, Valentine's Day
March 1, 2012
Singing Praise After New Esophageal Cancer Treatment
Esophageal cancer took Jorge Rivera, 47, by surprise. An auto loan manager and a father of three, he had a full life and a passion for performing sacred music with his family. Rivera, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, had “the usual” heartburn symptoms from what he describes as a typical Puerto Rican diet. But a […]
Tags: 1136, 3169, 5267, 5275, 5279, 5334, Cancer, esophageal cancer, Jorge Rivera