Patient Testimonials

Cancer

	Betty Phillips It’s easier to say nice things about a hospital stay when it lasts only a day or two. But when your stay is unexpected, nine days long, and comes at the end of an aggressive course of cancer treatment, compliments might come less easily. Still, Betty Phillips has wonderful things to say about her care from the nurses on Bronson’s General Medical (oncology) Unit. Read Betty's story.
	Norm Anderson As a retired surgical nurse, Bev Anderson knew that the treatment for her husband Norman’s colon cancer would involve many different doctors. What she didn’t expect was fast, seamless referrals and communication among all the care providers – coordinated by Bronson’s Oncology Nurse Navigator Service. Read Norm's story.
	John McCraney John McCraney did not expect to be diagnosed with cancer at his age. He and his family are grateful for Bronson's Oncology Nurse Navigator Service. John says having someone always there for you is "priceless" and he recommends the service to anyone dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Read John's story.
	Debbie Bach Debbie Bach was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2010 and immediately started an aggressive treatment plan. With so many life-changing decisions and appointments happening so quickly, Debbie says Jill, her patient navigator from the Bronson Center for Women, has been a lifesaver for her entire family. Read Debbie’s story.
	Dan Ebenhoeh For Dan Ebenhoeh, volunteering for the American Cancer Society Resource Center at Bronson was an easy decision. After having surgery to remove a brain tumor, Dan now gets to share his story with other cancer patients and encourage them on their journey. Read Dan's story.
	Betty Stallard Betty Stallard was shocked to learn her mammogram found a lump that needed evaluation. Fortunately for Betty, she didn't have to go through the process alone. She had a patient navigator from the Bronson Center for Women to help her. Read Betty's story.
	James Dean After James "Jim" Dean was diagnosed with prostate cancer, his doctor recommended robotic-assisted surgery as a treatment option. Jim's surgery took four hours. He was home in two days. And, six days later, he attended an open house at Bronson to see the da Vinci® Surgical System. Read Jim's story.

Children's Health

	Bailey Bennet When five-year-old, Bailey Bennet began complaining of headaches, his parents knew something was wrong. Their greatest fears became reality when an MRI revealed a malignant tumor in his brain. Read Bailey’s story.
	Ryan Gildea The staff at Bronson Children’s Hospital noticed something unusual while delivering newborn, Ryan Gildea. Tests revealed that he had suffered a stroke in utero, causing a rare brain condition called hydrocephalus. Read Ryan’s story.

Diabetes

Brooke Chapman
Diagnosed at age two, Brooke Chapman has battled type 1 diabetes for more than 10 years. A recent switch from insulin shots to an insulin pump has changed Brooke's life, allowing her to continue playing softball and be a normal teenager with less stress and worry. Attending Bronson Diabetes Education Center helped Brooke and her family adjust to daily life.
Read Brooke's story.

Heart

	Edo Weits Edo Weits, EdD doesn’t just believe in living a healthy lifestyle, he is an academic expert on the subject. He has always been dedicated to daily exercise, a heart-healthy diet and regular checkups. That’s why Dr. Weits was shocked when he began to have heart problems in July 2010 that led to open heart surgery. Read Edo's story.
	Ed Annen It was in August when Ed Annen, former Kalamazoo mayor, first felt a dull ache in his arm and chest and began sweating. Soon after arriving at Bronson, Annen was diagnosed with a completely blocked artery and had a stent put in. Read Ed's story.
	Maggie Bullard-Marshall It was an ordinary Saturday for Maggie Bullard-Marshall until she found out her mom was having chest pain. After having a series of tests at Bronson's Chest Pain Emergency Center, a heart attack was ruled out.Read Maggie's story.
	Carrie Kotecki When Carrie Kotecki found out her father was having chest pain, she made sure he went to Bronson's Chest Pain Emergency Center. Shortly after his arrival, her father was diagnosed with a severely blocked artery and a stent was immediately put in place. Read Carrie's story.
	Deb Lyons Shortly after arriving to Bronson's Chest Pain Emergency Center, tests revealed that Deb Lyons' father had three blocked arteries. Within 24 hours, he was recovering from open-heart surgery. Read Deb's story.
	Sarah Thurston When Sarah's husband was dizzy and experiencing chest pain, she thought the worst. Shortly after his arrival at Bronson's Chest Pain Emergency Center, her husband underwent several tests and a heart catheterization. Read Sarah's story.
	Chuck Ritter When Chuck came to Bronson for a heart scan, he had no symptoms, no problems, and expected to receive a clean bill of health. Eleven days later, Chuck had five bypasses and spent five days in the hospital. Read Chuck's story.
	Vince Long Vince Long and his wife were visiting Kalamazoo for a conference. On Sunday morning, Vince woke with what he thought was a bad case of indigestion. Long was having a heart attack. Read Vince's story.
	Ronald Dundon Ronald Dundon had a sudden cardiac arrest. The attending emergency team's use of CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) saved him. Read Ron's story.

Neuro

	Marta Gagie Kindergarten teacher, Marta Gagie, experienced a sudden and terrible headache that almost took her life. Discover how Bronson Neuroscience Center's team of experts quickly identified and treated her rare brain aneurysm, and watch Marta and her and her family tell her remarkable story of rescue and recovery. Read Marta's Story. Watch Bronson Neurosciences: Marta's Story .
	Laurel Rosebush What started as a trip to buy new eyeglasses led to one of medicine’s scariest diagnoses for Laurel Rosebush. Her journey took her to the Bronson Methodist Hospital, where minimally invasive surgery and new technology saved her life. Read Laurel's story.
	Michael Marshburn Michael Marshburn had been feeling tremors in his right hand and leg for some time. When he explained the symptoms to his doctor, his doctor referred him to the Bronson Neuroscience Center. Read Michael's story.
	Patrick Kimble No one watching Patrick Kimble swing golf clubs last February would have ever guessed that just six weeks prior, a stroke had rendered him paralyzed. Read Patrick's story.
	Wellington Dunn Even at age 70, Wellington Dunn showed no signs of slowing down. He stays active and fit by tending to his goats and cattle and tilling his own soil for farm fresh vegetables. However, not all the fresh air and exercise were able to prevent a brain aneurysm from threatening his life. Read Wellington's story.
	David Dameron In May 2009, David Dameron noticed a tremor in his right arm. At first, he assumed it was from stress. He knew something was wrong when the tremors got worse. Dameron was shocked when a doctor revealed his diagnosis of stage one Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It develops gradually, often starting with a barely noticeable tremor in one hand and eventually causing slowing or freezing of body movement. Read David's story.
	David Loveland For David Loveland, an incident at his brother's wrestling match had him wrestling with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a tangle of abnormal blood vessels in the brain that disrupts normal blood flow. Read David's story.
	Astrida Rozenbergs Astrida Rozenbergs went to her family doctor because of constant lower back pain. Tests showed that she had lumbar spinal stenosis or LSS. After having the X-STOP® procedure, a new technology that offers a minimally invasive alternative for LSS, the pain was gone. Read Astrida's story.
	Lawrence Price Lawrence Price had been living with lower back pain and leg pain for five years. After having the X-STOP® procedure, a new technology that offers a minimally invasive alternative for LSS, the pain stopped immediately. Read Lawrence's story.
	Debra Burke When hospice nurse Debra Burke kept dropping her cell phone as she talked to a colleague, she didn't think "stroke." A few hours later, Bronson's stroke team was retreiving a massive blood clot with a new device that saved her life. Read Debra's story.

Orthopedics

	Dave Bunt Dave Bunt is a personal trainer at the Bronson Athletic Club. When Dave tore his ACL in a basketball accident, he was worried that he would never be able to resume his daily activities. Bronson Orthopedics & Sports Medicine literally gave Dave another shot at playing basketball again. Read Dave's story.
	Nora Hardy Every time Nora Hardy walked into a room, she looked for something to lean on. When the pain from standing became unbearable, Nora went to Bronson Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. After two hip replacements, Nora is back to work without the pain. Read Nora's story.
	Jane Reetz Just six short weeks after total knee replacement surgery, Jane Reetz was walking on the beach in North Carolina. She was amazed by how quickly she had recovered from total knee replacement surgery and returned to her favorite activities. “I was able to take stairs to the beach without pain or the use of a cane. I was even able to play on the beach with my grandkids!” Read Jane's story.

Surgery

	Anna Rose Anna and her doctor tried many ways to regulate her menstrual cycles. A total hysterectomy with Bronson’s daVinci Surgical System® and a single pain pill took care of the problem. Read Anna's story.
	Sandy Morris Just nine hours after her complete hysterectomy, Sandy Morris felt well enough to walk the halls at Bronson. And she went home the next day, thanks to her surgeon and Bronson’s daVinci® Surgical System. Read Sandy's story.
	Brian Cotton In eight years since Brian Cotton’s first back surgery, technology advancements like Bronson’s O-arm® surgical imaging system have made spine surgery faster and recovery less painful. Bronson is the only hospital in southwest Michigan to offer surgeons this important tool. Read Brian's Story.
	Angela Castellani Angela Castellani suffered from uterine prolapse since having her first son in 1988. After receiving a referral to Paul Berkowitz, MD, she decided to become the first person at Bronson to receive a total hysterectomy using the da Vinci® surgical system. Read Angela's story.

Testing & Imaging

Jill Vroegindewey
Jill Vroegindewey of Kalamazoo was experiencing gastrointestinal issues and needed an advanced endoscopy. Jill was thrilled to find out that the new technology was available at Bronson, her hospital of choice.
Read Jill's story.

Weight Management

	Josephine Fowler Josephine Fowler of Van Buren County cannot believe she’s training for a 60 mile walk next summer. This 27-year-old mother of twins used to have a hard time just walking up a flight of stairs. Not any more. She has lost more than 145 pounds thanks to the Bronson Bariatric Surgery Program. Read Josephine's story.
	Susan Imanse Susan Imanse has lost more than 100 pounds in the last 10 months thanks to bariatric surgery and major lifestyle changes. Susan credits Bronson’s Bariatric Pre-Surgery Program and the caring staff there for the changes she has finally been able to make after decades of struggling with her weight. Read Susan's story.
	Eric Phillips When Eric Phillips decided to enter Bronson’s bariatric surgery program in January 2009, he was amazed at the support he received. Today, Eric says he feels like he did in high school ten years ago and his new lease on life helps him keep up with an active two-year-old. Read Eric’s story.
	Nora Chaus Nora Chaus, 60, had battled weight since her freshman year of college. After completing a self-directed weight loss program at Bronson, she has lost about 85 pounds. Read Nora's story.
	Dan and Julie Reisner Julie's moment of truth came when she couldn't buckle the seatbelt around her waist while go-carting with her son and daughter. Dan was 5'9" and weighed 311 pounds. They both decided to have bariatric surgery. After surgery, they've lost a combined weight of 266 pounds. Read Dan and Julie's story.
	Stacy Taft For years Stacy Taft was too scared to consider bariatric surgery. It seemed “too extreme.” Then she realized her health was in serious danger, and she needed an aggressive solution for her weight problem. When Stacy met the right doctor and learned she could have the procedure at Bronson her fear disappeared. Today she’s enjoying a full, healthy life, thanks to exercise and bariatric surgery. Read Stacy's story.
	Sheryl Walker Sheryl Walker decided to lose weight for good when she was huffing and puffing going up the stairs to her third floor apartment. Sheryl's doctor recommended the New LEAF Program. After completing the 10-week program, she has lost 40 pounds and continues to lose weight. Read Sheryl's story.

Bariatric Surgery

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