In his role as an electrical engineer who was a contract employee for NASA, Larry Ritterbush worked to develop future technologies. But when he envisioned his retirement years, he never imagined being confined to a wheelchair, unable to care for himself and facing the possibility of having his foot amputated. Due to the comprehensive medical care…
A physically active lifestyle has been a hallmark of Charlotte Cone’s 100 years. A regular walker and tender of flower and vegetable gardens even into her advanced years, she made it a point to stay fit. The daily walks and gardening may be history, but she believes regular exercise at the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds…
You don’t have to ask Gail Ragland whether or not she believes in miracles – she counts herself as one. Medically she has defied all odds to survive not only a horrific car accident, but also the stress that followed it. In February 2010, Gail Ragland, of Marshall, and her husband, Roy, were driving in…
What few details Jean Rugamba knows of the morning of July 20 he has learned mostly secondhand. He was driving alone, and the roads were wet. He lost control of his vehicle and hit a pole at approximately 70 mph. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown out a window. In the process,…
When many people think of varicose veins, images of enlarged and bulging vessels visible through the skin come to mind. While that is often a telltale sign of the condition, varicose veins can sometimes exist deeper beneath the skin’s surface. “I didn’t have the typical symptoms,” said Lorraine Frazier, Ph.D., R.N., former dean of the…
For two years, 18-year-old Paige Collins of Harrison thought her fate was to live with a tilted neck following a 2012 car accident — until she came to UAMS. A tilted neck wasn’t her only injury. She endured a broken neck, fractured femur and tibia, internal bruising, and a T6 fracture. But after undergoing surgery…
After undergoing surgery for breast cancer in 1997, Ann Elmore knew something wasn’t quite right with her left arm. “My arm would swell, and I would get it treated, time after time,” she said. In 2002, after numerous appointments with her doctors, she was referred to Dr. Reed Thompson at UAMS. Dr. Thompson diagnosed Ann, a retired…
Coleen Hyde has fond memories of idyllic days in the sun during her youth. Living in California near the coast, deep tans were in vogue, sunscreen was not widely available at the drug stores and she wasn’t aware of damage from the sun’s rays. After she moved to Arkansas 22 years ago, Coleen began using…
At UAMS our goal is to provide the best care for every patient every day. Our patients say it best, and their stories are really the story of UAMS. All the formal awards and accolades just can’t tell the UAMS story better than the words of our patients. UAMS patient Stephen Duffel, the general manager of…
Dec. 22, 2011 | Brad Welch, 57, doesn’t look or act like a lung cancer survivor who had his entire left lung removed just six months ago.