Sep 17, 2015 | Patient Story, Sickle Cell Disease
Guest post by Jamal Joseph, Jr. & Sr.
It is never easy for a parent to see their child being treated in the hospital. Jamal Joseph, Sr. knew what it was like for the first time to feel helpless when his son, Jamal Joseph, Jr. said, “Daddy, do something” while receiving doses of morphine to manage the pain caused by Sickle Cell Disease. At the time, there was very little research on Sickle Cell Disease, no real treatments, and life expectancy was short. Joseph, Sr. knew that there was not much he could do for his son. He knew that “it would take a village, the action of parents, family, the doctors, nurses, and medical community to do something” and to make an actual difference for those living with the disease. (more…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Patient Story
Guest post by Brooke Hodkinson
My name is Brooke, I am twenty-two years old, and have had hyperhidrosis for as long as I can remember. It first became apparent to me in gym class during my elementary school years. We were asked to hold hands with a partner, and mine was completely grossed out to the point that they asked to hold onto my wrist. From then on my sweaty palms were all I could think about, and I began to withdraw from many social interactions. I was not only embarrassed, but also felt sorry for whoever was victim to touching or being touched by my hands. You don’t realize how often people use their hands until yours are literally dripping from the fingertips. For years I didn’t hold my boyfriend’s hand, give anyone a high five, or even reach my hand out to the cashier giving me change back! I would dread any attendance sheet being passed around a classroom because my hands would instantly soak the page and there was no way of hiding that from the next person to sign. Through my dermatologist, I had begun to try many treatment options including an antiperspirant called Drysol, Botox injections, and an attempt at a machine called Iontophoresis. Nothing had worked. (more…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Patient Story, Pediatric Care, Pediatrics, Transplant
Guest post by Kelly Smith, donate life advocate and Cloudy Day Gray blogger.
Before Matilda was born, I didn’t know anything about pediatric organ donation. I had never really considered the fact that children even experienced organ failure. And, I certainly had never considered the fact that the organ donors may need to be children themselves. These aren’t the things that parents want to think about. (more…)
Sep 29, 2014 | Al-Sabah Arryhthmia Institute, Cardiology, Patient Story
Guest post by Stephan Danik, MD, MSc, Director of the Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt
When 61-year-old Franklin had his hip replaced three years ago, routine pre-operative work revealed that he had a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation (or AFib). Because he never had chest pain and never felt his heart beating irregularly, Franklin didn’t know anything was wrong. But fatigue and having low energy are two of the most common symptoms of AFib that people ignore. (more…)
Sep 10, 2014 | Cancer, Men's Health, Patient Story, Prostate Cancer
Guest post featuring Caner Z. Dinlec, MD Physician-in-Charge, Division of Endourology and Stone Disease at Mount Sinai Beth Israel
Howard has always taken great care of himself. The 60-year-old is active, doesn’t smoke, eats a healthy diet and is diligent about seeing his doctor for annual wellness exams — through which his PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels have been tested for years. About five years ago, Howard’s PSA levels started increasing. It wasn’t long before Howard’s PSA levels exceeded the 4 mg/mL mark, which is when levels are considered abnormal or high. (more…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cardiology, Heart Disease, Patient Story, Surgery
The 100-year anniversary of World War I this year is uncovering new truths. One surprise concerns the origins of heart surgery. To put the breakthrough in context, one should know that in 1896, the standard textbook “Surgery of the Chest” declared: “Surgery of the heart has probably reached the limits set by nature; no new methods and no new discovery can overcome the natural difficulties that attend a wound of the heart.” The leading surgeon in the world at that time, Theodore Billroth from Germany, had gone so far as to declare, “The surgeon who operates on the heart will lose the respect of his colleagues.” (more…)
