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Patient Stories
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Harrison Schaufer & Annelise Schaufer
Mother And Son Share Special Bond And Kidney
NapaValleyRegister.com reports on the story of Harrison Schaufer, the recipient of a donor kidney at 22 months old, and his mother Annelise, his living donor. A patient at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco since birth, Harrison, and his mother have attended the annual UCSF Pediatric Transplant Picnic annually. This year Harrison was asked to speak at the event. Harrison Schaufel never shies away from the spotlight, so when he was invited to give a speech about his experiences as a kidney transplant recipient, he couldn't refuse. Schaufel's story is nothing short of [...]Story Tags: Kidney Transplant -
Rose Gutierrez
Letting Patients Call the Shots
The "shared decision-making" model fosters a higher level of collaboration between doctors and the people they treat. Rose Gutierrez has a big decision to make. Gutierrez, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last spring, had surgery and 10 weeks of chemotherapy. But the cancer is still there. Now Jasmine Wong (pictured right), a surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, is explaining the choices—Gutierrez can either have another lumpectomy followed by radiation, or she can get a total mastectomy. "I think both options are reasonable," Wong said. "It's just a matter of how [...]Story Tags: Breast Cancer - Marla Levy
"Miracle Patient" Receives the Gift Of Life
My name is Marla Levy and I owe my life to Dr. Scot Merrick, Chief of Adult Cardiothoracic Surgery at UCSF. My story begins in Southern California when I was 21 and diagnosed with a congenital heart defect: supravalvular aortic stenosis or SVAS. SVAS develops before birth and causes narrowing of the aorta, the large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. At age 27, I had my first open heart surgery. My aorta was replaced with a human valve, and when doctors couldn’t get my heart to start after the procedure, I received an emergency right coronary bypass.[...] - Ken Byk
An Unexpected Journey After Crossing the Finish Line
I had just crossed the finish line at Bay to Breakers, a 12 kilometer footrace that takes place in San Francisco each spring, when I suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed on the ground. Luckily for me, of the 10,000 race participants, the one that rushed to my aid was an anesthesiologist who performed CPR for 20 minutes before restoring my pulse. I was taken by ambulance to the University of California, San Francisco, where I had a second cardiac arrest and was again resuscitated. I later learned that I had severe coronary artery disease. There were two 90% blockages in my arteries,[...]Story Tags: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) - Lata MohanStory Tags: Colon Cancer
- Mike Schofield
- Herbert E. Barker Jr.
"Exceptional" Care at UCSF Center for Colorectal Surgery for Rectal Cancer Survivor
I too am a rectal cancer survivor. My relationships with the hospital at UCSF and with Dr. Varma’s team was like yours: exceptional. I am now nearly four years out from “D Day” (April 17, 2009) and thus far, no recurrence. We are truly fortunate and blessed to have been exposed to this disease when we were. There is now so much that can be done with the number of treatments available. Hope you are now and remain ok. I continue to support the UCSF Center for Colorectal Surgery as I participate in the research project. And, I too got back to a gym routine and feel great. Good luck! -Herbert[...]Story Tags: Rectal Cancer - Dan Martin
Minimally Invasive Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) Rules Out Cancer
Earlier today Dr. Hueylan Chern called me to let me know that I don’t have cancer and that the transanal endoscopic microsurgical (TEM) excision procedure was a success. I really don’t know how to say ‘Thank You’ in a way that relays my true emotions. Obviously, I’m ecstatic and my family is also. You were my first contact at UCSF, you made the recommendation to use this procedure and it will forever positively impact my life. I am also especially happy that we went with the TEM over the more invasive procedure. Along the way you helped reassure me that you thought this was the right[...]Story Tags: Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) - Tom Bassett
Hitting Cancer "Hard and Heavy"
I found out I had colorectal cancer at 47. As an otherwise active and healthy person, when I saw traces of blood where they shouldn’t be, I chalked it up to my bike riding. Yet because of a family history of colon cancer and a father-in-law in the medical field, I thought I would preemptively get a colonoscopy, which turned out to be a wise decision. Results for patients who discover colorectal cancer early are generally good, and the majority of patients with early stage disease are cured. However, despite my luck at finding the cancer early on, it was staged as III. I would require[...]Story Tags: Colon Cancer - Courtney Annotti
Life After Ulcerative Colitis Surgery Feels Amazing
My name is Courtney Annotti. I’m 22 years old and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) eight years ago. UC is a chronic condition that causes long-lasting inflammation in the large intestine. For years I experienced pain that would come and go, and the anxiety of always having to know where a bathroom was. I tried several medications to control my symptoms, but to no avail. Concerned that my condition was worsening day by day, my gastroenterologist referred me to UCSF to meet with Dr. Madhulika Varma, Chief of Colorectal Surgery at UCSF. When I met with Dr. Varma, I immediately felt[...]