Category Archives: patient story

Subtle symptoms: Her ovarian cancer required surgery and chemotherapy

Posted on December 30, 2019 by

BY AMBER SMITH She’s 52 and still alive, so Aimee Derbyshire feels as if she had survived a family curse. She lost a great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, aunt and sister to various cancers, each before they turned 50. Derbyshire and another sister are … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, chemotherapy, health care, patient story, surgery, women's health/gynecology | Tagged

 Living his life: He worked treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma into his college schedule

Posted on December 27, 2019 by

BY AMBER SMITH John Hrbac is a junior at George Washington University. He travels the East Coast with the school’s debate team. Over the summer he visited Europe. He’s studying for the law school admission test. At 21, the young … Continue reading →

Posted in blood/blood-related conditions/hematology, cancer, chemotherapy, health care, immunotherapy, patient story, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | Tagged

Noah, a young cancer patient, thinks he’s famous

Posted on December 23, 2019 by

The kids and the doctors you see on Upstate Medical University banners and billboards are real kids and real doctors. Meet Noah Axtell, who is now 7. Maybe you saw him on a billboard, or on a banner hanging inside … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, chemotherapy, health care, kidney/renal/nephrology, patient story, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | Tagged , ,

Making a change: She succeeded in quitting after a cancer diagnosis

Posted on December 13, 2019 by

This is one of a series of articles focusing on lung cancer. When Peggy Strong, 47, of Liverpool was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, “my first reaction was to have a cigarette.” She had smoked since the age of … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, HealthLink on Air, lung/pulmonary, patient story, Smoking Cessation

Pint-sized patient: Glimpses of a girl who fought cancer — and won

Posted on December 11, 2019 by

PHOTOS BY MARANIE STAAB/TEXT BY JIM HOWE Kaylee Marshfield of Lakeland received unforgettable news on Feb. 1, 2018. It was her sixth birthday: She had cancer. A strange lump led to tests that detected a Wilms tumor on her left … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, chemotherapy, health care, kidney/renal/nephrology, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | Tagged , ,

Warmth, kindness and radiation, too

Posted on December 6, 2019 by

BY AMBER SMITH It had been a rough 2019 for Joan Gorton of Hamilton. Starting early in the year, the 83-year-old woman had a series of medical issues — a lingering cough, then a suspicious lump on her leg that … Continue reading →

Posted in aging/geriatrics, cancer, health care, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, women's health/gynecology

‘We are your neighbors’: Money raised for pediatric cancer helps kids here in Central New York

Posted on November 4, 2019 by

BY EMILY KULKUS Everywhere we go, Archie makes a new friend. He’s quick to smile and always chatty — not to mention pretty darn cute. So lately, lots of people stop to talk to us. Mostly him. They tell me how cute … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care, kidney/renal/nephrology, patient story, research, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | Tagged

Tackling a disease: SU offensive lineman keeps rare disorder in check with infusions at Upstate

Posted on November 1, 2019 by

BY JIM HOWE He’s 6 foot 4, weighs nearly 300 pounds and plays football for Syracuse University. And, about every three weeks, Sam Heckel settles in for 12 to 16 hours of infusion treatment at Upstate to deal with a … Continue reading →

Posted in blood/blood-related conditions/hematology, genetics, health care, patient story, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | Tagged , , , , , , ,

She’s beating the odds, thanks to her ‘tenderhearted’ oncologist

Posted on October 25, 2019 by

BY SUSAN KEETER On an August day, Kathi Tamer and her cousins were making Lebanese string cheese. The process involves kneading hot cheese curd into braids and rolling them in caraway seeds. While they cooked, they talked about oncologist Stephen Graziano, MD, … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, chemotherapy, drugs/medications/pharmacy, health care, lung/pulmonary, patient story | Tagged , ,

A difficult diagnosis: Psychiatrist with cancer shares his coping strategies

Posted on October 23, 2019 by

BY AMBER SMITH First of all, being a psychiatrist himself hasn’t been that helpful with his diagnosis. “I’m a human being first, and I experience emotions after a life-altering diagnosis just like anybody else,” Adam Stern, MD, explains. “Often, I know what I … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care, HealthLink on Air, medical student, patient story, psychology/psychiatry | Tagged ,