Sanford Women's - Here for You as Life Happens Patient Stories
Guard Your Skin!
When Jackie Ulrich went to Sanford Dermatology for a spot check, she never expected to receive a whole-body skin exam. It may have saved her life. Say yes to skin cancer screenings!
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Her Life Without Pain
Constant debilitating pain was taking away everything that Karen Berning loved about her life, but nobody could figure out what the problem was. A Sanford urogynecological specialist not only found out what was causing her problem, but also helped lead the treatments to end the pain and bring back the joys of life.
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NICU: A Place of Comfort Healing and Support
At just 27 weeks along, Robyn Amiotte had to prepare herself to give birth to pre-term twins, one who passed away shortly afterwards. Supported by advanced technology, expert care and breastfeeding support at Sanford NICU, her bittersweet experience was worth every minute.
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Trusting Their Instincts
Sanford's Reproductive Medicine Clinic was like a village helping in the birth of Liv and Hadley Erickson
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Special Delivery
Harper first met her daddy over the computer. He’s far away in Texas, serving in the South Dakota Air National Guard, but modern technology has kept them connected. Even as she took her very first breaths.
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A First Look
Expectant moms get extra peace of mind at Sanford Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic and Sanford Women’s Health Plaza. Vscan technology lets families hear and see their baby during their first prenatal appointments.
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Breathing Easier
The Sanford Fetal Care Center isn’t an actual place. It’s a concept of care centered around two patients – a pregnant woman with a high-risk pregnancy and her unborn child.
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Closely Knit
Every bundle of joy born at Sanford Family Birth Center receives a comfy, cozy hand-knit cap. Volunteers make it happen, including Erma Stordahl. She’s knit over 6000 caps for newborns!
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Not Leaving Her Health to Chance
At age 20 – the age most of us are just learning how to navigate the world around us – Pam got pregnant. Alone, and with many difficult decisions to make, the only thing Pam knew for certain was that she could not give the baby the life it deserved.
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Preparation for Baby…And So Much More
Erin and Scott Weyers were new to the city and expecting their first child. Learn how CenteringPregnancy sessions helped them get ready to be new parents, giving them the information and support they needed.
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All A-Twitter About The Birth Place
When Calvin Kramer was born, his parents had such a great experience at The Birth Place, they had to share the news. Learn why this family used Twitter to "live tweet" the story about their son's birth.
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A Mom’s Support Team
Living at a house with five boys, Kim Jansen knew that she couldn’t let breast cancer keep her down. Her own attention to her breast health and great follow-up treatment at Sanford Health will let this mom nurture her family for years to come.
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The Birthday Gift
Carla Hansen expected her mammogram at age 53 would be normal, just like all the earlier ones. But when the unexpected happens? Today she fully appreciates the value of this lifesaving tool.
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Best for Mom and Baby
New mom Micaela Rueckert knew she wanted to breastfeed her new baby, but it was nice to have a little help before and after Nyla was born. Learn how Sanford Lactation Services help moms give their babies the best kind of start.
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Ending Her “Losing” Battle
For years, Audrey Richardson knew that she wouldn’t really keep her New Year’s Resolution to drop a few pounds. How would this Fargo nurse get the support and tools she needed to make a long-lasting change?
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Righting A Wrong
Sanford Researcher David Pearce knows what it’s like to lose a loved one to breast cancer. This leading expert in childhood genetic disease explains how the Sanford Health BioBank will unlock the answers to breast cancer treatments and eventually a cure.
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Lifting the Weight of Incontinence
Jana Peterson enjoys life too much to be slowed down by urinary incontinence. Learn how a surgeon from Sanford Female Pelvic Medicine solved her problem and gave her back the lifestyle she loves.
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Losing Her Way to Motherhood
After eight years of dreaming about a baby, Breteni Morgan took action to become a mother. Find out how weight loss surgery helped her move from the sadness of infertility to the joy of new life.
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A Miraculous Moment
Broderick Winter’s first look at his mother and father was through the warm, calm water of a birthing pool. Read about how waterbirth gave their family the perfect birth experience.
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A Hope For Change
Yvonne Lee never gave up hope that she could treat her breast cancer, says her son, Dr. John Lee. Sanford’s biobank will allow patients like his mother to get world-class treatments and care, close to home, the cancer researcher says.
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Images of Life
DeAnn O'Hara expected the tiredness and nausea of early pregnancy. But the diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer? See how a complete medical team comes together to save not one life but two.
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A Beautiful Birth
When it was time to have their third child, Kyle and Sarah Caskey wanted a natural, relaxing experience. Waterbirth was everything they wanted and more.
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Finding her Balance
Susan Biggins needed to learn how to find boundaries with her body and illness. A Sanford health behavior coach helped her learn how find her own balance between exercise and her multiple sclerosis.
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Mother Nature's Helper
After four years of trying to get pregnant, Caren and Ben Hammer knew it was time to seek help. They put their confidence in the place they knew best: Sanford Reproductive Medicine Clinic.
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Prepared for Purple Crying
Before Ashley Brost brought her son home from the hospital, she learned about “The Period of Purple Crying.” Learn more about this new way to understand a newborn’s first few months.
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Training for a New Dad
Before his son William was born, Bernard Stockwell had never cared for a baby. Learn how Sanford’s Training Camp for Dads prepared him to bond with his newborn son.
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An Active Approach to Pregnancy
Third-time mom Kathryn Wiese knows she feels better when she exercises during pregnancy. A Sanford’s Certified Nurse Midwife explains how keeping active enhances pregnancy and labor.
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Family Forever
When the Wullstein’s pregnancy took a devastating turn, a Sanford Family Birth Center nurse supported them all the way. And when they gave birth a year later? She was there again, this time with joy.
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Inspired to Navigate
Donna Dwire first met radiologist Thomas Cink when she was being diagnosed with breast cancer. Learn how the doctor and his colleagues at the Breast Health Institute both healed her and inspired her to become a patient navigator.
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More Protection for Baby
Expectant moms have a new way to protect their baby from whooping cough. Find out why one new mom opted to receive the pertussis vaccine during her pregnancy.
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Woman on the Run
How do you train for a marathon with a busy job and family life? It’s no problem for Karoliina Slack. This busy mom and Sanford Clinic director knows that exercise is an essential part of women’s health.
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Loving Her Curves
Morgan Boettcher was watching her life and her body shrink as she struggled with an eating disorder that threatened her future. Learn how this 20-year-old woman has learned to love and accept her body.
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Never Too Old to Heal
Aileen Busche knew she was in for a siege when the sore on her ankle refused to heal. In her 90+ years, she’d traveled this path before. But never had she visited Sanford Wound Care Center!
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The Next Chapter
Five days after graduating from college, Nicki took another step to success: weight loss surgery. “It was life-changing!” she says. Energized and healthy, she never wants to go back to 377 pounds.
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Celebrating Her Victories
A small lump under Eva Horner’s arm led to over a year of treatments for breast cancer. Throughout surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, this Hudson woman embraced life and was confident that she would get better.
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A Blessing Any Day
People the world over recognized it as the granddaddy of all dates: 11-11-11. But for the Middel family from Tower City, N.D., it was all about the baby. And any day would've been perfect!
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A Hug for Mom
Sherry Schock wanted to be a good mom, but obesity was weighing down her body and her spirit. How did weight loss surgery change her lifestyle and give her the confidence she craved?
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Backstory
Alice Olson’s hands were swollen and dark blue, but that wasn’t the reason she was at Sanford Pain Management. See what happens when help for back pain turns into relief for a longstanding disease.
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Angels Among Us
Jeff Kezar and his wife Beth Sheehan eagerly anticipated the birth of Oliver. But when the unexpected happened? See how care teams, technology and more came together to save a mother and her baby.
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Getting Her Life Back
Retirement for Beverly Young was supposed to be about travel, camping and sculpting. When an overactive bladder put limits on her lifestyle, she worked to find a way to get her freedom back.
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Listening to Her Body
Sue Theobald wasn’t feeling good, but she had no idea what was wrong. A diagnosis of ovarian cancer saved her life and she now urges other women to listen to the messages their bodies send.
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Preserving a Chance for Life After Cancer
When Brandy Hummel began treatment for a brain tumor, her first concern was whether the treatment that would kill the cancer could stop her plans for children someday. A rare surgical procedure allowed her to bring a new baby girl into the world.
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Hope and "Hart" Launch Edith Sanford Breast Cancer
The event in August drew dignitaries, special guests -- and well-known TV personality Mary Hart. But that's just the start. Find out how Edith Sanford Breast Cancer will transform care...and find a cure.
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The Road to Normal
Susan Berg never expected to get breast cancer. So when it happened? She set her sights on getting through treatment and getting back to normal -- including breast reconstruction.
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Together…Naturally
Bonding with her first baby was so easy. Would it be just as easy with her second? Sanford Family Birth Center’s “rooming in” provided just the connection Linsey Culkins needed.
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Two Wheels for Health and Fun
Sanford OBGYN doctor Pamela Ephgrave puts in hundreds of miles per month training on her bicycle for long-distance rides. Learn more about why this Sioux Falls Specialist loves to hit the road on two wheels.
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Every Step of the Way
For most families, expecting a baby is a joyous journey. But what happens when things don’t go as expected? Sanford’s Maternal Fetal Care Center provides the medical expertise and emotional support needed at a very critical time.
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Focused at Birth
When Melinda Wood delivered her second baby, HypnoBirthing classes helped prepare this Sioux Falls mom for a calm, comfortable labor and delivery.
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Small Town. World-Class Care
Crystal and Jason Carlson picked Sanford Vermillion Medical Center for the birth of their daughter because it was close to home. What they discovered was a local medical center where each family member received exemplary care.
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Committed to Health and Happiness
She walked with a cane and a wheelchair was next. Kelly Rafferty never imagined her obesity could lead to disability. What a difference when weight-loss surgery enters the picture!
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Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Announced
Edith Sanford Breast Cancer will pioneer the future of breast cancer care and research. We will connect and mobilize women to participate in research. We will decode the genetic make-up of every woman and work to evaluate each woman's risk, identify best treatments and ultimately end breast cancer.
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Caring for Body and Mind
For two weeks Kay Cameron tried to figure out her odd emotional outbreak. Stumped, she turned to her trusted doctor … who practices next to a psychologist. Discover Sanford’s new approach to effective mental health care!
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Save Your Skin!
At age 15 Megan McManus never expected to fight melanoma -- the most dangerous skin cancer. Today this 21-year-old survivor brings an important message that could save your skin -- and your life.
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Strong Women Unite
A spirited 51-year-old, Kristen Rohde loves motorcycling, horseback riding and scuba diving. What happens when a simple medical test shows diminished bone mass? Can she still pursue her active life?
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A Dose of Faith and Hope
A rare condition called twin to twin transfusion endangered the life of both Faith and Hope Waldner months before their birth. Could doctors save these little girls?
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A Journey Toward Health
When Laura Fjellestad’s friends cared enough to say they were concerned about her health, she began making changes. Her weight loss of 170 pounds has both enriched and improved her life.
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Behind Her Smile
Incredibly heavy menstrual cycles were making it hard for Sandy McIlravy to run her store and keep up with her life. Find out how a new procedure helped this Brandon woman control the bleeding that drained her energy.
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Voice of Victory
Year after year Terri Ferragut went in for her mammogram -- never a problem. Not so last November. Discover the remarkable difference when breast cancer is detected early!
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A Tale of Two Moms
An avid runner, Tarah Bjorem hoped pregnancy wouldn’t stop her. In fact she ran right up to the day before childbirth -- and delivered outstanding results. Could safe exercise during pregnancy make a difference for you?
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A Simple Touch
Anita Jalbert expected the birth of her second child to closely match the birth of her first. But one change immediately after birth made a surprising difference. “I’m truly excited about the experience I had with Emme,” she says.
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Making Memories
When Diane Maher gave birth to each of her three children, the experience was relaxing and rewarding. Find out why this mom chose a certified nurse midwife to guide her through childbirth and beyond.
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New Moms Together
As Jennifer Bannwarth was preparing for the birth of her first baby, sharing that experience with a group of women was a way to learn at Sanford’s CenteringPregnancy program.
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Small Steps for Health
With a birthday approaching, Laura Haack knew she wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. See how a health behavior coach helped her take control of her health by making small, but effective changes.
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Freedom to Play
An overactive bladder kept getting in the way when Karon Gubbrud tried to play with her grandchildren, travel or even just enjoy a conversation with friends. Find out how a minimally invasive procedure ended her incontinence and opened up her world.
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A Surprising Path to Pregnancy
For Nichole and John Truhlicka, the dream of a bigger family came to an unexpected halt. For reasons nobody knew, pregnancy simply didn’t happen. Where would they go to get the help they needed? Would it work?
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Like Mother, Like Daughter
The mother-daughter team of Helen Nelson and Connie Schmidt have battled and survived breast cancer for years. The medical care that helped them? All close to home in Bemidji, Minn.
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When You’re Ready for Baby, Sanford Women’s is Here for You
When you’re ready to welcome a baby to your life, Sanford Women’s provides preconception and genetic counseling, a variety of prenatal care options, reproductive medicine services and a range of classes to help you prepare for and manage your pregnancy.
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Life Without Limits
Barbara Angerhofer knew where her incontinence was likely to lead and wanted a different lifestyle. Surgery gave her back her freedom and the ability to live life without her eye on the bathroom door.
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A Woman Knows...
Marsha Holman knew she needed surgery to remove a large uterine fibroid. But she wasn't quite ready for a hysterectomy or a lengthy recovery. Welcome to the world of robotic OB/GYN surgery!
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The Littlest Angels
A neonatal intensive care nurse in Fargo, Alexia Stein had helped hundreds of tiny babies survive, thrive and go home. Why not her own? What can possibly help the Stein family get through this heartbreaking time?
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