Category Archives: brain/spine/neurosurgery

Oneida High School student learns to live with brain cancer

Posted on March 22, 2017 by

  BY JIM HOWE A run of severe headaches over a couple of weeks in 2015 led to an Oneida teen’s diagnosis of brain cancer. “I would throw up a lot and couldn’t eat. It hurt really bad,” describes Breonna … Continue reading →

Posted in adolescents, brain/spine/neurosurgery, cancer, health care, HealthLink on Air, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | Tagged , , , , ,

Back pain? Spine practitioner aims to get patients best possible treatment

Posted on January 23, 2017 by

BY AMBER SMITH Denise Karsten is someone you might not expect to find in the office of a neurosurgical practice, but she’s an important part of the Upstate Brain and Spine Center team. Karsten, a chiropractor and registered nurse, is … Continue reading →

Posted in bones/joints/orthopedics, brain/spine/neurosurgery, disability, health care, HealthLink on Air, physical therapy/rehabilitation, surgery | Tagged , , ,

FAST response: Swift recognition, treatment saves stroke patient

Posted on September 28, 2016 by

BY SUSAN COLE It had been a typical day for Joan Izyk, 72, of Oswego. She had enjoyed a breakfast out and was relaxing in her living room with a coloring project. When her husband arrived home, she stood up … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/neurology, brain/spine/neurosurgery, community, death/dying, drugs/medications/pharmacy, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, illness, patient story, stroke, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Quick call to 911, prompt response and fast flight to Upstate stroke center helped save the life of Larry Deshaw

Posted on September 20, 2016 by

Tuesday afternoons are usually when Nancy Humphrey golfs. But she was still home a little after 4 p.m. on July 19 because that day’s tournament didn’t start until 5 p.m., and the Clayton Country Club is only about a quarter … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/neurology, brain/spine/neurosurgery, community, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, patient story, public health, stroke

Grateful patient loses his voice … creates Voice of PALS

Posted on September 19, 2016 by

BY BETHANN KISTNER Cliff Maus woke up one morning with slurred speech. He and his wife knew something was wrong, but neither imagined he would be diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. After several … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/neurology, brain/spine/neurosurgery, disability, fundraising, health care, illness, patient story, research, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

A 50-year anniversary: Meet one of Upstate’s oldest living pediatric brain tumor survivors

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH Some of the details are fuzzy, but 50 years after her treatment for a brain tumor at Upstate University Hospital, Michelle “Shelly” Kikta-Kiner, 62, still considers her survival a miracle. The Verona woman is one of Upstate’s … Continue reading →

Posted in adolescents, brain/spine/neurosurgery, cancer, depression, health care, history, illness, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, surgery, technology

Have you seen the summer issue of Cancer Care magazine?

Posted on August 12, 2016 by

Welcome to Cancer Care magazine’s summer 2016 issue. Medical student Ogochukwu Ezeoke, smiling from our cover, aspires to a career in cancer research, and like many scientists she’s intrigued with the idea of using a patient’s immune system to fight … Continue reading →

Posted in bioethics & humanities, bones/joints/orthopedics, brain/spine/neurosurgery, cancer, dermatology/skin care, genetics, health care, history, kidney/renal/nephrology, research, surgery, urology, women's health/gynecology

Grateful parents: They support surgeon’s mission to remedy hydrocephalus without surgery

Posted on June 24, 2016 by

BY JIM HOWE The urge to help a 6-year-old Vernon girl and others with a painful disorder has inspired her parents and her surgeon. Tom and Kim Clough’s daughter, Elyse, has a condition in which fluid builds up to dangerous … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/spine/neurosurgery, fundraising, health care, HealthLink on Air, illness, patient story, research, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics

‘It’s treatable’: Lung cancer responds to gamma knife, chemotherapy

Posted on June 13, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH Cynthia Springstead of Auburn gathered her brother and three sisters soon after she received her cancer diagnosis. It was time to let the rest of the family know what her husband and two grown sons already knew. … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/spine/neurosurgery, cancer, drugs/medications/pharmacy, health care, illness, lung/pulmonary, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Toddler gets early boost to help battle difficult diagnosis

Posted on April 7, 2016 by

BY JIM HOWE Before he was born, Mason Campbell underwent spinal surgery. Now an energetic 2-year-old, Mason and his parents, Jesse and Chris, aided by a variety of medical specialists, have been working to overcome his complicated diagnosis. Mason has … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/spine/neurosurgery, disability, health care, illness, patient story, physical therapy/rehabilitation, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics