Patient Stories

As a freshman softball player at Iowa City West High School, Livia Williams noticed during practices and games that her throwing arm would often feel numb and her hand would get swollen.

Ashley Nost, of Solon, Iowa, and her husband began their journey to become parents in January 2016. About a year and a half into their journey, Ashley decided she was done with the road they were on—one of seemingly endless tests, medications, and even surgery—and asked to be referred to our hospital.

An avid cyclist for 11 years, Christopher Wise had to stop enjoying his daily ride to work after he lost feeling and strength in his right hand and couldn’t grip the handlebar anymore. It wasn’t until Christopher visited University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics for a different issue that he learned he had carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition in which the nerve that provides feeling to the hand gets squeezed and stops functioning properly.

Less than four months after a spine injury temporarily paralyzed him from the neck down, John McMillan was back to farming full-time. McMillan credits his remarkable recovery to the spine care he received from orthopedic spine surgeon Andrew J. Pugely, MD, at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in the hours following his injury.