November 23, 2016
Body Builder Regains Energy After Surgery for Myasthenia Gravis
Six years ago, Robert Clark thought he was having a stroke. His left eye drooped shut, and he began to have difficulty swallowing. A competitive body builder used to working out six times a week, Robert rarely got sick. So when a local physician dismissed his symptoms, he sought out a friend who worked at […]
Tags: Dr. Matthew Thomas, Dr. Paul Brazis, Florida Campus, minimally invasive surgery, myasthenia gravis, Robotic Thymectomy
November 18, 2016
Relieving Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment With Microsurgery
In May 2013, at age 47, Angenette Monroe was diagnosed with invasive cancer in her left breast. After six months of chemotherapy, she had a mastectomy as part of her treatment plan. The former gastroenterology technologist had participated in many medical procedures and was well aware of the challenges people can face after surgery. But […]
Tags: breast cancer, Dr. Antonio Forte, Dr. Dawn Mussallem, Florida Campus, Lymphedema, mastectomy, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
October 31, 2016
A Mother’s Frightening Fight Against Autoimmune Encephalitis
It started with ear pain in the spring of 2014. Within a few weeks, Gloria Pena’s earache escalated into confusion and sensory loss. “I thought it was a bad cold with an earache,” Gloria recalls. “But one day I picked up my son from school and didn’t remember the way home.” From there, Gloria’s condition […]
Tags: Dr. Sebastian Lopez Chiriboga, Dr. William Freeman, encephalitis, Florida Campus, Neurology & Neurosurgery
October 25, 2016
Deep-brain Stimulation Helps A Pilot Return to Flight
As a commercial airline pilot, Tyrone Nanton spends his days in a standard blue-and-white uniform. But in his off-hours, Tyrone’s creativity emerges in two favorite hobbies: creating colorful, elaborate costumes for carnival in his native Antigua, and painting. From 2006 to 2015, though, a tremor that got progressively worse made his hands shake so much […]
Tags: Deep Brain Stimulation, Dr. Robert Wharen, Dr. Ryan Uitti, Essential Tremor, Florida Campus, Movement Disorders, Neurosurgery
September 17, 2016
Brothers Bond Over Kidney Disease, Transplant
Scott Berry is one of five children. But he and his youngest sibling, David, share a very unique bond — a kidney, to be exact. On April 12, 2016, David gave his older brother a second chance at life by donating one of his kidneys to Scott for a transplant.
Tags: Dr. Martin Mai, Florida Campus, IgA Nephropathy, kidney transplant, Living Donor, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center
September 17, 2016
Artist Back at the Drawing Board After A Stroke
Shirley and Bob Gessner have weathered some tough times during their 56 years of marriage. But nothing could have prepared Shirley for the night of April 10, 2015, when she awoke at 3:30 a.m. to a thud — the sound of her husband falling out of bed. “I asked him what was the matter, but […]
Tags: Atrial Fibrillation, Comprehensive Stroke Center, diabetes, Dr. David A. Miller, Florida Campus, stroke, Thrombectomy, tPA
August 17, 2016
After Severe Rotator Cuff Injuries, Stuart Baker Found Relief at Mayo Clinic
For Stuart Baker, flying was life. After beginning his career as a flight attendant, Stuart eventually earned a pilot’s license and flew for a major airline. But by age 40, this native of Winchester, Virginia, had torn his right rotator cuff twice, grounding his ability to fly. It took seven years, three surgeries and extensive […]
Tags: Dr. Cederic Ortiguera, Florida Campus, Orthopedic Surgery, Rotator Cuff
August 5, 2016
Double Lung Transplant Recipient Beats Cystic Fibrosis to Become A Running and Fitness Enthusiast
When Tammy Bolerjack was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 18, she found herself frequently in and out of hospitals for treatments to help her breathe. Running 5K races and half-marathons certainly wasn’t something she envisioned in her future. Little did she know then that eventually a double lung transplant at Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus would […]
Tags: cystic fibrosis, Emergency medicine, Florida Campus, lung transplant, organ donation
August 4, 2016
When Richard Oppelt arrived at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus in early 2001, his lung capacity was minimal – only 21 percent of what it should have been. A sandblaster for 24 years, Richard, from Melbourne, Florida, had developed silicosis, a lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, which can damage the lining of the […]
Tags: Dr. Cesar Kellar, Florida Campus, lung transplant, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center, Silicosis