The Comeback: Recent Episodes
Cleveland Clinic Corporate Communications
A medical journey can be a transformational point in someone’s life. Tune in as Cleveland Clinic patients, together with their physicians, share experiences of perseverance and determination. In their own words, hear how these health heroes have made the ultimate comeback.
When a young woman needs chemotherapy it’s important to protect her fertility if she wishes to start a family in the future, as the side effects of chemo can make it difficult or impossible to have a baby. Join us as breast cancer survivor, Brittney Rinella, and her oncologist, Halle Moore, MD, tell listeners how a special treatment protected her ovaries – and her dream of becoming a mom.
Ajit Tolani was living with a rare autoimmune disease called scleroderma, until his condition worsened and it started to affect his lungs. Doctors in India told him he had three months to lives. He flew from India to Cleveland Clinic for a lifesaving lung transplant and innovative antireflux surgery. Join Ajit and one of his doctors, Dr. Atul Mehta, to hear how he how fought to get a second chance at life.
At 10 years old, a virus attacked Sophia’s heart. She went into cardiac arrest twice. Doctors had to treat her with a device that provided breathing and heart support. Join Sophia, her mother and one of her doctors, Dr. Gerard Boyle, to hear how she persevered to regain her health and went back to playing sports again.
Carole Motycka, a 44-year-old mother of four boys from western Ohio, never expected a trip to the hospital for back and shoulder pain to end up being stage 4 colorectal cancer. Join Carole and one of her surgeons, Dr. Cristiano Quintini, as they walk listeners through her shocking diagnosis and explain how a new treatment option – liver transplant – helped save her life.
Peggy Notman’s pulmonary hypertension was bringing her life to a screeching halt – that is, until an innovative procedure helped her breathe easy again. Join Peggy and her physician, Dr. Gustavo Heresi, as they describe a series of procedures that are allowing her to enjoy life, and her young grandson.
65-year-old Joyce McCain believes everything happens for a reason – even breast cancer. Join Joyce and her radiation oncologist, Chirag Shah, MD, as they talk about a special type of radiation treatment designed to treat Joyce’s breast cancer and protect her heart – and the pre-radiation testing that revealed another hidden cancer. Keyword/tags: Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, Chirag Shah, breast cancer, early stage breast cancer, left breast cancer, breast cancer in left breast, heart sparing radiation, protecting the heart, heart saving radiation, kidney cancer.
Al Sidoti, a 42-year-old plumber from Ohio, opted for a unique type of surgery to save his life after conventional treatments didn’t work in treating his bladder cancer. Doctors reconstructed Al’s bladder using tissue from his small intestine and he’s been cancer free for 5 years. Join Al and his surgeon, George Pascal Haber, MD, PhD, as they walk listeners through the robotic procedure that allowed him to continue living life to the fullest with a new wife and growing family.
Jennifer Buckland, a mother of two, knew battling breast cancer would be grueling. She was determined to protect her young family from one of the most visible signs of cancer treatment – hair loss. Join Jennifer and her oncologist, Jame Abraham, MD, and learn how she beat breast cancer while using an innovative device to keep her hair intact, preserve her identity and keep a sense of normalcy in her family’s daily life.
While visiting her mother in Cleveland, OH Cathy Alexander suffered a lethal type of stroke – an intracerebral hemorrhage, or ICH. Doctors used an experimental procedure designed to remove blood clots and protect brain tissue. Today she can walk, talk and play with her grandchildren. Cathy is joined by her husband, Mike, and her neurosurgeon, Mark Bain, MD, as she explains how being in the right place, at the right time likely saved her life.
It wasn’t the first time Terry Keith had sought help for an addiction to opioids – but after several overdoses and the threat of losing his job – he knew he was finally ready. Terry is joined by Dr. David Streem and Rudy Kump from Cleveland Clinic’s Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center as he walks listeners through his personal opioid crisis and how treatment transformed his life.
Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick is overcoming a life-threatening lung disease, 2 double lung transplants, and cancer to live her dream as a world-renowned opera star. Her physician, Marie Budev, DO, MPH, is recovering from an unexpected stroke to lead one of the busiest lung transplant centers in the country. Listen as they share their journey from sickness to health, and how their friendship helped them heal along the way.
One month after Mary Beth Zolik-Smith tried a new type of gene therapy, her cancer – the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma – was gone. Join Mary Beth, and Brian Hill, MD, as they take listeners through her unexpected cancer diagnosis and the experimental treatment that led to remission.
Cindy Tedrow had been looking for answers to unexplained seizures, fatigue and a host of other medical diagnoses for decades. Join Cindy, and Mark Hyman, MD, as she recounts how functional medicine unraveled her complex medical mystery.
Annie Schreiber is a busy mother of three young children – the last thing on her mind was colorectal cancer. So she was surprised to learn that she was part of a growing trend of younger adults being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Annie and her physician, Scott Steele, MD, talk through her diagnosis and the treatment designed to help preserve her active lifestyle.
Judy Slater loves nothing more than cuddling with her grandchildren, but after suffering a stroke, she had difficulty even wrapping her arms around them. Judy enrolled in a study to look at whether deep brain stimulation could help her recover and regain the use of her arm and hand. Judy and her physician, Andre Machado, MD, take listeners through her experimental journey from immobility to independence.
Gene Shimandle knows a lot about the heart. For more than three decades he taught CPR – a lifesaving procedure when someone is suffering cardiac arrest. But, he never expected his own heart to fail, or to need saving himself. Gene and his physician, Randall Starling, MD, chronicle his journey to a heart transplant – and his first 5K.