Archive for October 2022

Editor’s note: This story was written by Jacki Crane, a Mayo Clinic patient. In summer 2018, I found myself struggling to breathe. Living in South Florida, this was the height of red tide: a higher-than-normal concentration of algae. News outlets were reporting that 50,000 pounds of dead fish were washing up on the shores every…

Always active, Lisa Luskey-Lestrud of Kensett, Iowa, played volleyball and softball in high school and worked physical jobs requiring hours of standing and heavy lifting. By the time she was 47, her aching knees reminded her daily of the toll that wear, injuries and having rheumatoid arthritis were taking on her ability to remain active.…

Dawn Botsford was sitting in a chair at the hair salon in 2011 when her hairdresser commented on a spot on the top of her head. It was bug season in North Dakota, so Dawn didn’t think much of it. “When I told my hairdresser that, she said, ‘I really think you need to get…

Every day, people receive cancer care in the Albert J. and Judith A. Dunlap Cancer Center at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. While administering chemo, radiation or preparing a patient for surgery, the care team is quick to provide a listening ear, warm hugs, blankets and caring smiles for patients. In July, the care team…

Parents usually gush over a newborn’s cute little fingers, toes, nose and ears as they get to know their baby. Lindsey and Michael were no exception when they welcomed their daughter, Adelyn, in March. The couple, along with big sister, McKenzie, were thrilled with her arrival and admired her personality and features. “She is a…

Near the end of 2021, Lisa Hocking developed symptoms of head congestion, sinus pressure and headaches. After taking antibiotics for what was thought to be sinusitis didn’t ease her symptoms, she underwent a CT. The CT revealed a mass that extended from her sinuses through the base of her skull adjacent to her brain.  With…

Alex Kraatz is a creative, determined optimist who loves playing the guitar, taking photos, and spending time with his family. Softspoken with a gentle nature, Alex’s mettle isn’t immediately obvious. But there is no doubt, Alex is a fighter to the core. Just 34 years old, Alex has survived not one, but two different types…

Fiercely independent, Anya Magnuson has always been driven. Even now, after surviving multiple near-fatal medical events, her sights are set on returning to work, to her life, to resume her place in the world after suffering through so much to remain in it. The medical journey Anya has endured unfolds like a suspense novel, with…

Jeff Helfrich, 41, began running in 5th grade. He competed from grade school through high school in Illinois and was good enough to walk onto the track and cross-country teams at Harvard University, an NCAA Division I school. Then came the summer of 2002, an injury, and what became a 20-year search for relief. Running…

When he was in 5th grade, Dane Cripe’s buddies gave him a cool nickname: Tony. As in Tony Stark, Iron Man’s alter ego. Like the superhero, Dane had an indent in his chest. While Iron Man’s came courtesy of an injury, Dane’s was the result of a condition he was born with: pectus excavatum. In…