Top Patient Stories of 2019

At CentraCare, we are surrounded by stories of hope, courage and rising against adversity. In 2019, here were some of the most popular stories we were able to share.

Counting Your Blessings
Being in the right place, at the right time is considered lucky. But what about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people and the right equipment? For Dr. Joe Blonski, that is what he calls a miracle.

Joshua's Story
“It’s crazy to think how much we struggled and lost sleep just trying to make him drink 20 milliliters, and now he’s draining multiple bottles a day.”

Steve’s Story
At age 54, Steve regarded himself as active and in good shape. So, he was puzzled when his workout just didn’t feel right.

Bernie’s Breast Cancer Story
Through an emotional journey of treatment for her breast cancer, Bernie has made it through a long and challenging road of chemotherapy and 16 radiation treatments.

Dan's Story
Being an avid bow hunter, Dan was preparing for the fall 2018 deer season like he had in years past. Oddly, he didn’t have his normal amount of energy.

Karen's Story
At Karen's visit to the CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center, she asked her cardiologist Jacob Dutcher, MD, and found she qualified for the Amulet research study. She received her device last February. While the procedure doesn’t cure aFib, stroke risk is reduced, and she no longer needs blood thinners.

Bryant B's Story
Running a half marathon is challenging. Running it after experiencing a near-fatal heart condition and being placed on a heart transplant list is a whole different story.

At CentraCare, Mothers Are in Good Hands
Leah’s pregnancy was complicated by the fact that ultrasounds revealed a suspected problem with her baby’s umbilical cord that threatened the growth of the fetus. At 27 weeks, Leah delivered her daughter, Raelyn. Leah remained in the hospital for three days, while Raelyn spent 102 days in the NICU before going home.

Becky’s Story
Becky has plantar fasciitis, a reoccurring and painful inflammation in the heel and bottom of the foot. The pain is especially bad in the mornings and makes walking or standing for long periods of time extremely difficult. She went to Certified Massage Therapist, Shawn Linn, at Lifestyle Health. At an early visit, Shawn suggested Kinesio taping as a way to treat her plantar fasciitis.

Meg’s Story
for the past 10 years, Meg’s right shoulder has been in pain. Meg worked with Acupuncturist Nedda Greer once a week for about two months. Through her visits with Nedda, she found lasting relief from her shoulder pain.