Family

Hoag is Well Worth the Trip for Santa Barbara Tonsil Cancer Patient

I didn’t know anybody at Hoag; I just knew it’s where I needed to be

“I have no doubt that if we had landed at any other hospital, Mark wouldn’t have made it,” Cindy says. “It sounds corny, but Hoag is special.”

For Sam Wolgemuth the problem was perplexing. After a day of clearing fallen trees on his vacation property in Wisconsin, Wolgemuth felt something he hadn’t ever felt before. His heart was pounding. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. It definitely wasn’t a heart attack, but then what was it? Wolgemuth’s wife, a nurse, listened to … Read More

Ken Darby was in pain. His aortic valve had grown so calcified, his cardiologist likened it to porcelain. He couldn’t walk up hills without getting winded, he was tired all the time, and a trip he and his wife, Annette, had planned to France had to be put on hold. He needed surgery. Darby had … Read More

For about a year, Huntington Beach resident Janis Kirkpatrick, was experiencing irregular bleeding, so she decide to speak with a physician about it. She was referred to Jonathan Wheeler, M.D., a Hoag-affiliated Obstetrician/Gynecologist who discovered that Janis had been through menopause, and that the spotting she was experiencing was post-menopausal. “I didn’t even realize I … Read More

Robotic surgery is also utilized in the fight against cancer – as was the case for Gloria Medlin, a devoted mother, grandmother and energetic Irvine resident. During her annual well-woman check-up, Gloria discussed with her physician that she had been having post-menopausal spotting. She was referred to a gynecologist who performed a biopsy, which determined … Read More

​When cancer strikes “below the belt,” the results can be devastating to a couple. In addition to standard fears that accompany a diagnosis of the “Big C,” reproductive cancers carry the potential for sexual dysfunction and loss of intimacy. The Pinterpes of Huntington Beach faced those fears. Twice. Sam Pinterpe, 69, was diagnosed with prostate … Read More

​​In 2011, Jennifer Yee went from being a happily married woman expecting her first child to an ovarian cancer patient overnight. The elation she felt after years of trying to conceive was suddenly at risk as her world turned upside down. The questions, confusion and fear could have been overwhelming for someone facing two significant, … Read More

For Lindsay Susskind, life is good. Wearing a bright sundress and a sunny smile, Lindsay’s excitement towards life shows as she talks about her recent engagement.