Before and After Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD) Diagnosis

December 5th, 2011 - 3:16 pm

Kari Ulrich, a patient with Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD), shares her story of struggles before and after being diagnosed with FMD in 2007.

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By makalajohnson | Posted in Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)

Three Strikes … But Not Out

December 2nd, 2011 - 2:21 pm

Personal Background

My name is Alfred “Bart” Howe and I am a very lucky guy. I was born 1938 in a small oilfield town in Oklahoma. Mary and I married in 1965 and have two married sons, a grandson and a granddaughter. Mary and I raised our family in Boulder, Colorado and have lived here for over 40 years. I like to think that my family has been, and is, the primary focus of my life. Prior to Amyloidosis, my personal hobbies included gardening, scuba diving, bicycling, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, hiking and climbing the 14,000 foot peaks of Colorado.

2001 – Multiple Myeloma 

In Dec, 2001, Dr. Fleagle, of the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center (RMCC) diagnosed me with Multiple Myeloma, Phase 1. I was 63, and was in absolute shock. I got a speeding ticket on the way home. No one in our family had ever had cancer and I was, I thought, very healthy. I immediately started monthly IVs of Aredia, a biophosphonate, to strengthen my bones. I continued to work full time and continued all outdoor activities.

2003 – Amyloidosis

In Aug, 2003, I had extreme fatigue after climbing one of the harder 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado. I passed it off to getting a late start and being caught in a severe storm. In Oct, 2003, I went to Nepal for a long planned trek. During this trip I began to have extreme fatigue and had to stop the trek even though I was only at 11,000 feet. After returning to Colorado I continued to feel worse and immediately visited my oncologist, Dr Fleagle at RMCC. After much testing, a GI tract biopsy diagnosed Primary Amyloidosis (AL) in Dec, 2003.

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By makalajohnson | Posted in Cancer | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Cancer Patient Experiences Football as Healing

November 23rd, 2011 - 4:30 pm

Below is an except from a blogpost written by Karon Hanson on the Healing As A Sacred Path blog.

“[He] received more rounds of chemo earlier this Fall, and when it was found the cancer was still progressing, he enrolled in a clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic, testing a promising immunotherapy drug, hoping that it will boost his own immune system to knock down the cancer. [He] hasn’t felt great many days, but he still has gone to work, he still has gone to almost every practice and all the games. He could forget about the illness, the knot in the pit of his stomach, the dread of this disease, and just enjoy the moment and enjoy sharing the experience with his son and his family and friends, all of whom have gone to every game we possibly could.”

To read the rest of this inspiring story, click here.

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By makalajohnson | Posted in Cancer | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Liver Transplant + Bariatric Surgery = the New Marshall

November 18th, 2011 - 8:00 am

Marshall Curtis was diagnosed in 2009 with end stage liver failure and cirrhosis secondary to Alpha1 Antitrypsin deficiency. Obesity and encephalopathy were additional challenges confronting the Mayo team. He was recommended for a new study program combining a transplant and bariatric surgery to improve his chances for a transplant and long term survival. Listen to Marshall and his wife, Julie, tell how close he got to death and how this experience has changed their lives. This is an absolutely remarkable story!

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By makalajohnson | Posted in Gastroenterology, Transplant | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Couple grateful for longtime care at Mayo Clinic

November 17th, 2011 - 10:21 am

                                                                                                                                                   Karl and Eileen Rauschert of Bushnell, Ill., have been coming to Mayo Clinic in Florida for 23 years. Their experiences have been anything but routine.

A visit in 2009 is a perfect example. Just as Mrs. Rauschert was about to undergo a colonoscopy, her husband, who was along for moral support, experienced a racing heartbeat.

“I mentioned it to a person at the front desk,” recalls Mr. Rauschert. “About three seconds later, I was in cardiology, and they were taking care of me.”

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By stacytheobald | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Chris Norton wins Courage in Sports Award!

November 16th, 2011 - 12:03 pm

The below excerpts come from a USA Today article:

Chris Norton, a sophomore football player at Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) who suffered a catrostrophic injury in a game last year, received the 2011 CBS America’s Choice Honor for “Courage in Sports” Sunday.

After suffering the injury, Norton was taken to the Mayo Clinic, where he says he has felt an amazing outpouring of love from those who worked around him. “Mayo has been unbelievable,” said Norton. “The support they have given us, and the relationships I’ve been able to build with the therapists, doctors and nurses has been great. They’re professionals, but they are also great friends.”

To read the rest of the USA Today article, click here. The announcement came on CBS’ The Early Show, where Chris and his family were interviewed and spoke of his remarkable recovery. Sports Illustrated also ran an article on Chris here.

Watch the Courage in Sports clip on Chris below.

Terry Norton, father of Chris Norton, spoke of his son’s experience at a Mayo Clinic all staff meeting in October, 2011. In this inspirational message, Terry emphasized the hope that Mayo Clinic gave to Chris and his family.

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By makalajohnson | Posted in Neurology & Neurosurgery, Rehabilitation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Heart attack — not shark attack — almost brings surfer down

November 15th, 2011 - 9:45 am

New imaging technology helps determine cause, treatment for heart symptoms

Many surfers fear sharks. But not Mike Politowicz, 45, a seasoned surfer with 30 years of experience. “Surfing is a form of relaxation,” he says. 

Relaxation, that is, mixed with a little adrenalin and heart-pounding anticipation of a good ride. But on Aug. 7, 2010, as Politowicz paddled out for a wave on a Florida beach, his heart sensation was something else altogether.

He began feeling sick to his stomach. He tried to paddle through it but soon realized something was terribly wrong.

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By stacytheobald | Posted in Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

International Praise for Mayo Clinic’s Nicotine Dependence Center

November 14th, 2011 - 3:30 pm

Meet Mr. Hussein Hatata, lung cancer survivor, who praises the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependency Center for helping him to quit smoking.

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By makalajohnson | Posted in Cancer, International, Pulmonary | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

Healing A WWII Veteran’s 66-Year-Old Injury

November 11th, 2011 - 3:48 pm

Mayo Clinic began because of a military connection and our commitment to servicemen and women has never faltered. As we celebrate Veteran’s Day this year, we salute the many Mayo Clinic staff members and patients who are veterans, helping to protect our freedoms. It is in their honor that we share this story about a Florida man’s long journey to healing.

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Stanley Rozycki

Eventually, something’s gonna kill you.  It’s just life. What we usually don’t know is if what that something will be.  A car accident? Cancer? It could be a falling coconut.  Some suffer.  Others go quickly.  Some see their end coming.  Many don’t.

As we think about the meaning of Veteran’s Day, we salute our heroes who fought wars at home and abroad –  who most likely  thought about their mortality and wondering if they will make it to their next birthday. Dodging bullets is a way of life, literally for these men and women.

“It was always in the back of your mind,” recalls Jacksonville, Fla., resident and Mayo Clinic volunteer Stanley Rozycki, a WWII Polish Army veteran. Rozycki, who was born in 1927, spent three years in the Underground Army as well as four years in the Polish Army under British command. But he also had the misfortune of being a prisoner of war and spent nine months in three different German POW camps. He often wondered if he’d make it to 84.

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By Jason Pratt | Posted in History, Volunteers | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

Rare treatment for rare disease: Triple transplant

November 10th, 2011 - 11:44 am

On June 14, 2011, after a 107-day wait in the hospital at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Kirk Watson, 44, received the news he’d been waiting for — a heart, liver and kidney were available for him.

He would be the fourth person to receive a triple transplant at Mayo Clinic and only the 11th in the United States.

The organs for transplant didn’t arrive without a glitch. A storm delayed their arrival via plane for a few hours. Watson and his wife, Rita, watched the thunder and lightning from the window of the hospital room while they waited.

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By stacytheobald | Posted in Transplant, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (1)