Morning Medical Update

Jenny Nelson's cancer returned as stage 4, but she's not letting it define her. With care from The University of Kansas Cancer Center and support from her family, she's living life fully—renewing vows, embracing love, and proving cancer can't touch the joy of a well-lived life.

Born with a rare condition called 'prune belly' syndrome, he faced impossible odds—until his mother gave him the ultimate gift: a life-saving organ transplant. Now thriving in grade school, his journey is a powerful testament to love, resilience, and the life-changing impact of organ donation.

Her seizures started when she was just a baby. An implant only brought partial relief. Now a new treatment greatly reducing this patient's seizures.

She's in her 30's and reaching a new milestone thanks to an implant that controls her seizures. Patient Mallory Contreras and her doctor talk about how her life has changed.

Calm in chaos, first to help, and last to rest. Emergency Department and Trauma nurses do it all, and we are taking you inside their worlds. See what it really takes to work the front lines.

Music, medicine and whole lot of heart. There's an incredible story behind a recent jam session inside a Lee's Summit infusion clinic. Meet the patients turned performers and the nurses who believe in more than just medicine.

Dr. Doug Burton refuses to let brain cancer define his days. With unwavering courage, he's embracing every moment, determined to make the most of his time. Now, he's opening up about the groundbreaking treatments that are giving him more chances to laugh, love, and create lasting memories with his family.

A patient beats grim cancer survival rates. Learn about the immunotherapy and other strategies that give people hope. Plus, we discuss survivor's guilt when you defy the odds.

A cancer journey spans from the Caribbean to Kansas City. It all started with a bump in a patient's beard. Learn how doctors removed cancer helping a survivor avoid chemotherapy.

Patient Jon Bohnsack understands endurance. A different kind of endurance was tested when doctors discovered head and neck cancer. Learn about his treatments that didn't even require surgery.

Finding warmth and comfort despite extreme pain. Becky Smith has nothing but gratitude for the team that kept her informed and encouraged. We reunite Becky with the nursing team that saw her through a ten-day hospital stay.

Cancer can be lonely and isolating. Meet a patient who has started a special support group to help fellow cancer patients.

Ginny Curtin is living with sarcoma. She's not just surviving- she's thriving and sharing her perspective with fellow patients. This includes amazing adventures packed with incredible photography.

Life after an organ transplant is evolving. Meet a patient who endured serious setbacks just as life was getting back to normal. We discuss keeping faith and hope alive.

From breast cancer to liver cancer a patient finds new hope with metastatic cancer. People are living longer with new radioactive treatments.

Patients need to celebrate moments that matter as they recover. One patient celebrates 100 days in his medical journey- another finally says, “I do.” Meet the team helping patients get better and truly live life no matter the geography.

More than 15,000 people are waiting for a liver transplant. The average wait is around 150 days. Meet a man who endured his time on the waiting list and see the life he now leads thanks to donation. Guests include transplant hepatologist Dr. Ryan Taylor and liver transplant patient Terry McInteer.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30s. Her reality reflects the latest cancer statistics- younger women are being diagnosed with breast cancer. Hear her message for other young women about the importance of early detection. Guests include breast cancer survivor Alex Owens, breast cancer patient Emily Moritz, and Dr. Lindsay Kilgore, Breast Surgical Oncologist with The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Meet a woman who needed more than medicine to manage her liver disease- she needed a transplant and then another one. Learn how doctors overcame complications to get a woman back to good health.

A German bone marrow transplant donor stepped up to save the life of a stranger. Their new bond turned into a special friendship. Guests include donor Silja Löw, Dr. Joseph McGuirk, division director hematologic malignancies and cellular therapeutics, The University of Kansas Cancer Center and Mindy Allen, lead blood and marrow transplant coordinator, The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Where you live matters. This is especially true for pregnant mothers. We look at the gaps in maternity care for many expectant mothers especially in rural areas. Plus, what's being done to bridge that gap. Guests include health system OBGYNs Dr. Emily Mathiesen and Dr. Tara Chettiar, and Jodi Schmidt, Executive Director, The University of Kansas Health System Care Collaborative.

Baseball is a game of skill, strategy and endurance. Behind every great player is a team dedicated to keeping them healthy on the field! Meet the athletic trainers. Guests include orthopedic surgeon Vincent Key, MD; certified athletic trainer with Kansas Team Health Jeff Roberts, and Kyle Turner, head athletic trainer for the Kansas City Royals.

Some cancers can be cured, even after they spread. The new approach offering hope in the later states of cancer. Guests include prostate cancer patient Chester Fitch and Dr. Krishna Reddy, radiation oncologist.

90 thousand people are waiting for a kidney transplant. One donor's gift recently set off a life-saving kidney chain. It led to 24 surgeries across eight different states.

Good health means good sleep. We ask what's keeping us from a restful night in bed? Learn from the expert.

A young mom discovers a lump and learns she has triple negative breast cancer. She shares her journey and the supports she found from family, friends and faith.

She spotted her own ovarian cancer. Now she's keeping it in check. Hear one woman's story regarding her diagnosis and survivorship.

Blocking blood flow can reduce joint pain. GAE is a less invasive treatment for arthritis. Hear from patients and the interventional radiologist

She was diagnosed with cancer less than a year after her father died from the same cancer. A teenager opens up about her diagnosis and stomach removal surgery due to the CDH-1 gene.

She was told she had 90 days to live. A liver donation saved her life.

We celebrate a milestone for the first-ever proton therapy center in Kansas City. 500 patients and counting have received this innovative cancer care. Meet the young and old patients who received this beam of hope.

Colon cancer rates are rising in younger patients. A newly wed in his 20's shares his battle to help others learn the signs and symptoms.

More than a million Americans live with ulcerative colitis. A local woman advocated for herself and got a second opinion that changed her life.

The FDA has approved a new treatment for Parkinson's. It takes away the on and off time of medications by delivering it continuously through a pump. 

It's always great to connect with old friends. In this case, the positive power of social media helped a breast cancer patient find specialized care.

For some people, depression can be treatment resistant. There's another option for patients in the form of a nasal inhaler to help those patients. A local woman shares how Spravato has changed her outlook on life.

A second opinion can mean everything. And that was the case for a patient who found a lump in his throat. His doctor told him it was benign. A closer look with a University of Kanas Health System specialist revealed cancer.

An aggressive cancer needs an aggressive approach. For Tyson Bell, a second opinion revealed a new treatment option. The option that kept bell active and working, even during cancer treatment. Plus, the mom intervention that led to his second opinion.

Meet a man who had to fly hundreds of miles to donate part of his liver. And learn how and why you can become a living liver donor without making the same journey. Guests include Dr. Ryan Taylor, medical director, Liver Transplantation; Dr. Timothy Schmitt, director of transplantation; Dr. Sean Kumer, transplant surgeon and chief medical officer, Kansas City division; living liver donor Jeff Risinger, living donor recipient Jeff Hull, and his wife, Susan.

When Thanksgiving conversations heat up, it's time for a cool down! Psychologists share their best tips for keeping the peace and staying stress-free this holiday.

When firefighter Chris Carleton needed prostate cancer treatment, he wasn't afraid to travel for expert care. His journey took him from rural Washington to Kansas City, Kansas. Hear about his journey and the difference a specialist can make.

When a stroke leaves your hands and arms weak, simply getting dressed can be a challenge. Now there's a new way to rewire the brain and rebuild confidence. We learn about the special implant that boosts the power of rehab. Learn who may benefit from a first-in-the-region option for stroke survivors.

Rebha Chalise's doctors thought she suffered a stroke in high school. Turns out, her own immune system was attacking her brain. Hear about her years-long path to a proper diagnosis and the life-changing treatment that finally lets her hold down a job and live independently.

What would you do to prevent cancer? Exercise more? Eat better? Quit smoking? For women, would you remove your breasts? We weigh the pros and cons of preventative mastectomies with an expert doctor and hear from a woman who made that tough choice.

Menopause shouldn't be a mystery, but even doctors say they have a lot to learn. Best-selling author Dr. Mary Claire Haver shares the insights from her latest book and joins expert physicians to unpack the challenges, triumphs, and critical health advice every woman needs.

From hopeless to remission. CAR T-Cell Therapy is transforming outcomes for certain blood and marrow cancers. The modified immune cells turning the tide against multiple myeloma. We catch up with a survivor two years after his treatment.

A cancer diagnosis impacts the whole family. How should parents break the news to their kids? From treatment, to genetics, to end-of-life plans. We hear how one survivor tackled the tough conversations.

Mikayla stover knows the odds. She is more likely to develop breast cancer but she's not just waiting for a diagnosis, she's taking action. The tools and tests available at a high-risk breast cancer clinic, helping women like Mikayla. Plus, how to know if you are at "high risk".

Candy, costumes, and cars--what really scares parents most about halloween? Join us for expert advice from doctors to ensure a safe and fun holiday.

Two sisters, diagnosed with breast cancer just days apart, faced different treatment plans. Hear their powerful message for women everywhere.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths world-wide it's also among the deadliest of cancers because it's caught late stage. Learn if you qualify for a low dose CT screening and how to get one.