Just a few years before the launch of the first national breast cancer awareness month, I found a small lump in my left breast. I …
Author: Sara Wykes
“Liberated from LVAD support”: One patient’s story
One of the first things I noticed about Donna Jackson -- 68 years old when I met her in 2011 -- was her decisive nature. …
At Stanford Health Policy Forum, panelists dig into the issue of organ donation
Sally Satel, MD, was a practicing psychiatrist with a long history of scholarly research and policy-making in health care when a diagnosis of kidney failure …
Free skin cancer screening being held Saturday
Screening for skin cancer is advised for people with many moles or atypical moles, fair skin or a history of excessive sun exposure, a personal …
When a rash isn't just a rash: A patient's battle with mycosis fungoides
Paul Raffer, MD, is a doctor, accustomed to avoiding the kind of leap that non-physicians often make by assuming common symptoms are something far more …
2014 Stanford Women's Health Forum to focus on global health
I'll be spending next Wednesday afternoon at the Fifth Annual Stanford Women's Health Forum, where the best thing about the event is also its most …
Living long term with transplanted organs: One patient's story
Organ transplant has been a life-saving option for decades now, but its science is still evolving. One of the most pressing questions is why some …
A closer look at the autoimmune disease vasculitis
When various forms of news media last week reported the cause of death of Harold Ramis, the writer/director/actor, as complications from the "rare autoimmune disorder vasculitis," …
Following treatment for thoracic outlet syndrome, Stanford athlete dives back to life
Those of us who spend hours on a keyboard each day - especially ones that torque our wrists and thumbs out of their natural stance …
SICKO web-based game helps surgeons practice decision making
Simulation in various forms has become an accepted form of medical education, especially for those techniques needed for surgical procedures. It's obviously safer to practice …
"Hey now, hey now, the chemo's done:" Stanford oncology nurses show support for patients in song
Even before he began radiation and chemotherapy, Stanford Hospital & Clinics patient Kenneth Olson had endured a difficult surgery, which included two skin grafts, to …
Image of the Week: aKNITomy
Vermont-based artisan Emily Stoneking admits to a scientific mind that’s less than well-tuned, but she’s being modest. Her aKNITomy collection — knitted interpretations of the …
Stanford's first cataract laser surgery patient shares her story
As she approached 80, Mary Savoie knew it was time for cataract surgery. Cataracts, produced by the yellowing of the eyes' lenses, were interfering with …
Stanford hospital patient turns to microwave ablation for "inoperable and incurable" tumors
Interventional radiology, like its cousin interventional cardiology, is one of those medical specialties that runs along quietly without much fanfare until it does something that’s …
At Stanford event, cancer advocate Susan Love talks about "a future with no breast cancer"
With conversations still fresh in the air about Angelina Jolie’s decision to remove her healthy breasts as a protective measure against a high probability of …
The big downside of some life-changing medications
Several years ago, I listened in a state of semi-shock as a doctor gave me a classic bad news-good news combination: The autoimmune system disorder I …