Bedside Stories Bedside Stories

Forty-three-year-old Nicole DiCamillo of Arizona has stage 4 cancer – and she feels absolutely the best and happiest she’s been in years. If that sounds odd and unexpected, we’re just getting started in this episode on the strange, fascinating world of radiation treatment and nuclear medicine.

When Janice Cmeyla sought help for difficulty breathing, she had no idea that would involve a “three-armed surgeon” – or that major breakthroughs in new technology would save her months of treatment and recovery.

A hospice music therapist and a 37-year-old Phoenix woman with terminal cancer spent four months creating deeply personal music, as a legacy for the patient to leave her family. One of the powerful songs features her heartbeat as a rhythmic part of the track.

Deanna Spizzirri’s diagnosis with one of the most severe cases of Tourette’s syndrome didn’t stop her from becoming an elementary school teacher, and helping other patients learn to manage their tics and enjoy life. She shares her highs and lows with us, and we speak to a Banner doctor who has Tourette’s and treats patients with the disorder.

Patient Kim Alten’s annual mammogram led to an option to have genetic testing for cancer, which can help determine whether someone – and their family – has a higher risk of developing certain cancers, and passing some genetic disorders to their children. We spoke with Kim and our experts to learn more. 

(Episode was recorded in February 2020.)

Thirteen-year-old Ben Zaccardi took a ride around the block on his dirt bike that ended with him hurling into a cinder block wall, demolishing his body. But his story has a happy ending, as thousands of people have cheered on the upbeat boy through every milestone of his unexpected recovery.