Sharing Mayo Clinic - February 2013 Archives

Words can't begin to describe my feelings on that cold February morning as I watched thousands of people run through the start line at the sixth annual 26.2 with Donna: National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer. As an intern at Mayo Clinic in the Department of Public Affairs, I had assisted with preparations for this event. But as I stood there watching the runners and walkers, I realized there was so much more to it. The energy was almost palpable. The passion and commitment of the participants, despite a half hour delay and the near freezing temperatures, was obvious. It seemed like everyone was smiling. Working with Team Mayo Clinic, I learned the Donna event was not just about breast cancer.  While 70 percent of the proceeds received from the 26.2 with Donna events support breast cancer research, other programs at Mayo Clinic also benefit from the findings, including those aimed at lung, pancreas, thyroid and ovarian cancer. https://twitter.com/moniquedamm/status/303134108433907712

Sometimes miracles happen when you least expect them. No one believes that more than Fleming Island, Florida resident Shirley Thompson, whose tale of how she received two new lungs while in a medically induced coma at Mayo Clinic hospital in Florida isn’t exactly the typical scenario. The 48-year old married, mother of two was first diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) in March 2012 by her local pulmonologist after undergoing an EKG and experiencing shortness of breath. She was eventually referred to Mayo Clinic for an evaluation and was put on continuous high flow oxygen during treatment for her lung condition.

My name is Bill Kalmer, and I have been a patient for the past 24 years at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My medical ...

The sixth annual 26.2 with Donna: The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer is less than two days away and many of the 10,000-plus participants are anything but seasoned athletes. Take Karol Rajos, a Mayo Clinic employee, who wanted to find a way to honor her Aunt Esther, a breast cancer survivor, and her grandmother Ninita, who passed away from the disease. The annual marathon held each February seemed like a good outlet. So in 2011, Rajos ran her first half marathon.

In the fall of 2004, Devi Chettiar was a healthy, active college student. Living in the Twin Cities, Devi was a sophomore who enjoyed her studies at the University of Minnesota. She also actively participated in a dance company and liked spending time with friends. In November of that year, though, things changed. Devi started having painful urinary symptoms that wouldn't go away. Those symptoms were the beginning of a medical dilemma that led her to Mayo Clinic.

While one would expect members of Mayo Clinic’s department of neurology to support community events, you’d probably assume it would be related to things like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s or Lou Gerhig’s disease (also known as ALS). But breast cancer? Indeed. It seems as if everyone knows someone who is affected by the disease and Mayo Clinic neurologists Elliot Dimberg, M.D. and Kathleen Kennelly, M.D., Ph.D. and several of their colleagues, are no exception. While Dr. Dimberg’s practice clearly does not focus on breast cancer patients, research opportunities are important to the neurologist, who says he’s lacing up his sneakers on for a third time to participate in the 26.2 with Donna in part because of the great relationship between the organization and Mayo Clinic. He cites the marathon’s contributions to help spur bench research. “I love being a part of something that directly benefits both the clinic and the local community,” he says.