Sharing Mayo Clinic - August 2009 Archives

Glenn Primack had his first experience with Mayo Clinic during the last year, accompanying his best friend, Bob, who had cancer. Glenn describes his journey, ...

The most recent recruitment video created for Nursing at Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus has been awarded a bronze Telly Award! The Telly Awards are the premier ...

A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is an advanced practice nurse who works with nursing staff to advance nursing practices, improve patient outcomes, and provide clinical expertise to affect system-wide changes. CNS hold at least a masters degree in Nursing and have completed the certification process issued by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus has several CNS on staff to support our inpatient and outpatient care needs. Nadine Lendzion shares her experience as a CNS, Mayo Clinic Employee, and Arizona resident below.

Tom Vanderwell is a Mayo Clinic patient from Grand Rapids, Michigan who has come to Rochester three times since 1978 for evaluation and care relating ...

This article was submitted by Scott Van Dyke, Carol's husband and caregiver Carol Van Dyke entered Mayo Clinic in June 2002 to discuss treatments for her Hepatitis C which had caused stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver. She had a blood transfusion in 1964 to stop bleeding from a hysterectomy due to a miscarriage. During her three-day checkup, she was told that X-rays had found a cancerous tumor on her liver. So, instead of talking about her Hepatitis C treatments, she was operated on at Rochester Methodist Hospital for the removal of about 10% of her liver. During surgery, another tumor near the first one was also removed. With the “clean cut,” no further treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, etc.) were required.

This article was submitted by Mayo Clinic Jacksonville patient, Fred Page In late summer 2005, after 50 days in a non-Florida hospital, a nurse helped me out of the wheelchair and into my wife’s waiting vehicle. We were going home! Our battle waged with the deadly bacteria pseudomonas had ended. However, a weight loss of nearly 30 pounds, a badly scarred torso and neck, along with a feeding tube, sporadic periods of aspirations and a paralyzed vocal cord clearly reminded us that the overall battle was only changing locations. After a brief while at home, we began to better understand where we had been and where we were then. The extended hospital stay had been laced with life-saving circumstances and events. These included, among others, recovery from a code and having two liters of infection surgically removed from my chest cavity. Although considerable healing had taken place, significant medical needs continued including additional hospital admissions and surgeries to treat the ravages of the battle with infection. These challenges were exceedingly difficult for me and for my family. A very important conversation took place in the summer of 2006 with my attending gastroenterologist. At that time, he shared with us that he believed my needs could best be served in another setting. He went on to say that, with our approval, he would refer me to Dr. Michael Wallace of Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

This story was submitted by J. Daniel Skinner from Rochester If you look at my Mayo record you will discover that I am more than a ...

I’ve always enjoyed reading.  Browsing through bookstores and antique shops looking at books both old and new fascinates me.  Handling old books and thinking about the many other hands that have touched the same book, leafed through the same pages and enjoyed the same printed words piques my imagination. Therefore, working in the Mayo Foundation History of Medicine Library is almost too good to be true.  The volumes of rare medical classics and early journal literature comprise the core collection of primary literature on all aspects of medicine dating as far back as 1479.  I like to think of this specialized section of the library as the jewel in the crown of the Mayo Library system. 

Doctors at Mayo Clinic in Florida and Minnesota are using a new technique to stabilize glaucoma and preserve vision. Glaucoma is an eye disease that slowly damages the vision. A leading cause of blindness, it occurs when the eye’s natural drainage system fails to work properly. Fluid builds up inside the eye leading to elevated pressure that can permanently damage the optic nerve.

This story was submitted by Nimaat Al Azzah, Breast Cancer Survivor and Mayo Clinic Patient Life is full of surprises -- some are happy and some can flip one’s world all around. In October, on my 37th wedding anniversary, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was looking forward to celebrating this day with my family but with a casual visit to the gynecologist, this dream was shattered. He felt something suspicious on my right breast and arranged for an immediate mammography appointment. On the day of the mammogram I got dressed like any other day but the fear, anxiety, worrisome was not like any other day. Two of my daughters came along to the lab. After the mammogram, the specialist asked to meet with me and my daughters and told me that I had cancer in my right breast and that I could live for another five years. While she was talking, my eyes were on my daughters -- one of them was crying and the other was in shock. As soon as she finished, my motherly instinct was to protect my daughters from the hurt and reassured them that people’s lives and destinies are all in God’s hands, and it is only for God to determine how long each of us will live. I thanked her and left the lab.