Mayo Clinic Health System
January 20, 2022
A mother’s heart: Teamwork saves new mom, son
Every birth is a life-changing event and many new parents enjoy sharing detailed birth stories to all who will listen. Some stories are about quick labor and barely making it to the hospital in time. Others tell tales of painful back contractions or long, slow labor. It’s not a competition, but if it were, the […]
Tags: Aortic Dissection, Dr. Carla Williams, Dr. Nishant Saran, Dr. Robert Wiechmann, Dr. Westley Manske, Julie Janzen, Kyle Janzen, Mark Twesme, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire
January 6, 2022
Sudden cardiac arrest sidelines coach during game
It was the first week of the football season at Waseca (Minnesota) High and Coach Brad Wendland was anticipating celebrating a 27–13 win against St. Peter with his team — not a near-death experience. As the clock ticked down the final minute, Brad felt lightheaded. Then he collapsed in a heap on the sidelines with […]
Tags: Brad Wendland, Cardiovascular Medicine, Krystal Malis, Leah Rutz, Mayo Clinic Health System, sharing mayo clinic, Sudden cardiac arrest, Troy Hoehn
December 30, 2021
New lease on life starts with bilateral hip replacement
By Joel Streed 
What do you do after surviving an extraordinary health crisis? Steve Knutson celebrated his new lease on life with a bilateral hip replacement at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Steve’s medical journey started on a typical workday in early March 2020. He and seven other colleagues came down with flu-like symptoms and felt […]
Tags: Dr. Jonathan Webb, joint replacment, Legionnaires' disease, Mayo Clinic Health System, Orthopedics
December 23, 2021
Upper airway stimulation therapy restores couple’s restful nights
Many mornings, Jerry Wojtkiewicz woke up more tired than when he went to bed. So did his wife, Sally Wojtkiewicz. Jerry was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea in 2016, but he had never adjusted to his continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, getting tangled in the hose and constantly fighting with the mask. “I don’t […]
Tags: Dr. Christopher Williams, Dr. Patrick Shinners, Jerry Wojtkiewicz, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, obstructive sleep apnea, Sally Wojtkiewicz
October 7, 2021
Surgery to correct scoliosis helps Pat Druckenmiller move again
Pat Druckenmiller is a person who likes to keep moving, whether that means playing clarinet in a community band, teaching students at a tribal college, relocating her family to the other side of the world or simply taking a walk each day. She and her husband, Doug, have lived a life full of adventure, including […]
Tags: Dr. Anthony Burrows, Dr. Jason Dauffenbach, Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Neurosurgery, Pain Medicine, Pat Druckenmiller, Scoliosis
October 5, 2021
Dan O’Bryan didn’t think his dizziness and lightheadedness were anything to worry about. Nearly 100 miles away, the team at Mayo Clinic that was remotely monitoring Dan’s heart could see the truth. Looking back, Dan O’Bryan now can see the connection between his dizzy spells and episodes of lightheadedness during spring 2021, and the slow heart […]
Tags: Atrial Fibrillation, Dan O'Bryan, Dr. Diana Trifa, Dr. Omar Yasin, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Laboratories
July 29, 2021
Complex brain surgery gives woman more time with family
Julie Berg’s life revolves around three things: family, friends and faith. The 79-year-old has a large extended family that enjoys celebrating large and small milestones together, and she has a wide network of close-knit friends across two states. Through it all, her strong Catholic faith has been the foundation of her life. When Julie’s health […]
Tags: brain tumor, COVID-19, Dr. Alla Byakova, Dr. Eric Gomez-Urena, Dr. Manish Sharma, Glioblastoma multiforme, Gwen Krogwold, Julie Berg, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Mayo Clinic Health system in New Prague, Neurosurgery
July 16, 2021
Caring COVID-line Nurse changed everything!
Written by Susan Fox I’m a 68-year-old woman in Wisconsin and have been a patient with Mayo Clinic for many years. Despite extreme caution, my husband and I both contracted COVID-19 last November. We both recovered slowly, and when our opportunity to get the vaccine came up, we enthusiastically participated. I continued to have limited […]
Tags: Carol Burgmeier, COVID-19, Kimberly Ewing, Lyme Disease, Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, Patient Stories, Susan Fox
July 5, 2021
‘Every day you don’t lose, you are winning’
Jennifer Summers, 35, is an optimistic, articulate woman. She enjoys crafting, spending time with her close-knit family, and leading small groups and organizing volunteers at her church. And she is excited that she can carry a 32-ounce water bottle. This may not feel like an important feat to some people, but it’s momentous for Jennifer […]
Tags: Dr. Daniel Anderson, Jennifer Summers, Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, Spinal muscular atrophy
May 20, 2021
Medication, surgery help Lloyd Heubner quickly recover after stroke
Lloyd Huebner of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, believes in giving back to the community. For 17 years, he has been involved with Little League Baseball, ranging from coaching to building fields at local schools. He also builds temporary wheelchair ramps for families in need as part of Interfaith Caregivers in Burnett County, Wisconsin. “Over my lifetime, […]
Tags: Angela Oldenberg, Dr. Samuel Evers, Lloyd Heubner, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, stroke, Telestroke