Gary Sawyer, a self-employed contractor from Holton, Kansas, never imagined he would face another cancer diagnosis after overcoming prostate cancer in 2010. “I had a lot of probes and scans back then, and in my mind, I figured if something were wrong, it would have shown up,” Gary recalls. However, last year, he found himself…

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women; it is also the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a month set aside to increase awareness and education of colon cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, almost half (47%)…

March marks National Athletic Training Month, a time to honor and recognize the contributions of our Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) at The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus. These dedicated professionals play an important role in ensuring athletes of all levels receive optimal care, keeping them healthy and actively engaged in their respective…

Our medical weight loss team is dedicated to raising awareness about the complexities of obesity, promote understanding and encourage compassionate care. Obesity is undoubtedly a chronic illness rooted in powerful biology, not personal choice. Its health impacts can manifest early, but it is a treatable condition.

“The Worst WLS Mistake You Can Make” By Katie Jay, MSW: Certified Wellness Coach Have you heard the Aesop’s fable about the dog and his shadow? In the story, a hungry dog manages to get a morsel of meat. Thrilled with his acquisition, the dog decides to take it back to his den where he…

Perhaps one morning you wake up with soreness in your shoulder and just pass it off as “sleeping on it wrong.” Later that week, the pain increases and you try not to use that arm. By the next week, you can hardly move that arm and shoulder without pain. You have a frozen shoulder. What…

Our bodies are wonderful examples of superb electrical engineering, but problems like carpal tunnel syndrome can cause pain. When you press a button on your phone or type words on your keyboard, electrical signals travel from your fingertips, down the median nerve through your wrist, up your arm to your spinal cord and then to…

People who feel pain in their dominant hand when opening a jar or turning a doorknob may be developing thumb arthritis. If you are experiencing this pain, contact the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine team at The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus to schedule an appointment. What is thumb arthritis and its symptoms? Thumb…

Along with the ever-present possibilities of catching a cold, the flu or COVID-19 is the danger that these diseases may cause pneumonia to develop in our lungs. Have you or a family member suffered through pneumonia? Jamal Akhtar, M.D., internal medicine specialist at The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus, answers questions about pneumonia…

Rich and Norma Vink have been dealt a tough hand, but you wouldn’t know it just talking to them. Through two separate cancer diagnoses – Norma learned she had breast cancer in 2016, Rich was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in January 2021 – gratitude still radiates from the couple who’ve been married for…