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With clinicians’ commitment to innovative care, the Heart Center has become one of only eight programs in the nation to perform this rare, lifesaving procedure.

Debbi Jesse, 51, is outside mowing her lawn, an activity she couldn’t do prior to her ultra-minimally invasive—also known as endoscopic—spine surgery at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. For years, Debbi had been in pain, which ranged from stabbing to sharp to shooting throughout most of the lower half of her body, including her back, hips, and glutes.

When Ashley developed a rare condition following a heart transplant, she turned to Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

But the minor twinge that started after one of her regular weight-lifting sessions soon grew into intense shoulder pain with accompanying arm and wrist weakness that threatened to sidetrack her busy life. She had a ruptured disc in her cervical (neck) spine.

Two wheels sped down a rural Missouri highway, and a 14-year-old fell in love. “It was a freedom feeling,” Tom Waller says, more than six decades after his first motorcycle ride. “And I’ve never lost it.

Bill Bunch’s favorite activities include golfing, tending to his yard, and playing catch with his grandson. Each one became more difficult and less enjoyable for the retiree during a six-year span in which a worsening back condition affected his hips, legs, and feet.

Injuries or illnesses can happen quickly, and knowing where to get medical care is important. Waking up with a sore throat, tripping when walking the dog, or having trouble breathing are different situations, and understanding the differences is essential to receiving appropriate care. It’s always stressful to figure out where to go for your care, especially if the injury is too severe for your regular primary care physician, or your illness happens during the weekend or evening.

If you have a visitor from out of town who gets sick or hurt, you might wonder how to get them medical care away from home. For guests of Missouri and Illinois residents, BJC has several health care options.

Courtney Ewert knew something in her body felt odd, but she gave it little thought until she began losing weight. “I noticed over a few weeks that my size was smaller and when I weighed myself, the change was not normal.”