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Fellow FReepers (sorry in advance for the long post)- This is an update to a thread I posted on 3/31/12, and an urgent request for further prayers for my beautiful wife Nikki. God bless those of you who were able to help by praying for us on that thread! We KNOW that your prayers have helped our family, as I will outline in this update. More help is needed though! On that Saturday morning, while my wife and I, & our 4 children were standing around the kitchen island talking about the upcoming day, she collapsed. I rushed Nikki to...

What’s America’s favorite condiment? Hint: it’s not ketchup. The answer is mayonnaise: specifically Hellmann’s, which the nation apparently slops on everything except french fries. Hellmann’s alone accounted for $401.2 million in sales last year, according to Businessweek -- nearly a third of the total $1.3 billion mayo market here. Heinz Ketchup is a distant third with $278.6 million in sales, edged out by the $286.2 million worth of Tostito’s salsa sold last year.

The Department of Justice has filed a whistleblower complaint against Mayo Clinic . "Dr. David Ketroser, the lead whistleblower in this case, is a physician and an attorney," says a Department of Justice statement provided by Mayo. According to the justice department, "Mayo billed Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs for surgical pathology services it never provided; specifically, the preparation and examination of human tissue slides." Mayo spokesman Bryan Anderson said that "upon discovering a billing error in 2007, Mayo corrected it and voluntarily refunded $242,711 to the government. We worked with outside accounting experts to ensure this...

The suit accuses the clinic of submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for thousands of pathology tests that were never performed. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the complaint states that over the course of the last 10 years, Mayo has routinely billed Medicare, Medicaid and other federally sponsored health care programs for surgical pathology services that have not been performed. The paper reports plaintiffs in the suit include former Mayo patients, survivors of deceased Mayo patients, and Minnesota attorney David Ketroser. Mayo Clinic spokesman, Bryan Anderson, released a statement saying: "Upon discovering a billing error in 2007, Mayo corrected...

Sep. 24, 2010 (Business Wire) -- Mayo Clinic has initiated the first clinical Hand Transplant Program in the United States and is now enrolling patients. This program offers hand transplantation as a clinically available option for patients with bilateral hand injuries or amputations. This allows patients to embark on this option of reconstructive surgery without being required to enroll in experimental trials.

BOISE, Idaho -- Police in Idaho think they might have solved a yearlong condiment crime spree. Authorities said a 74-year-old Boise woman arrested after pouring mayonnaise in the Ada County library's book drop box is a person of interest in at least 10 other condiment-related crimes. Joy L. Cassidy was picked up Sunday at the library, moments after police say she pulled through the outside drive-through and dumped a jar of mayo in the box designated for reading materials. Cassidy was released from jail and faces a misdemeanor charge of malicious injury to property. Boise police say Cassidy is under...

DESTIN, Fla., - A foul odor that resulted in the closing of a road and the evacuation of some Florida homes turned out to be emanating from a 5-gallon jar of mayonnaise. Destin Fire Control District Fire Chief Kevin Sasser said two people living on Bent Arrow Road called to complain of the smell Tuesday and said the odor left them with trouble breathing and a burning sensation in their eyes, the Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., reported Monday. Sasser said the team searched the residence and discovered a "large barrel" left behind by the previous occupants...

Interesting page on longevity of condiments. Click on each condiment to find out how long it's safe to consume.

Mayonnaise to the rescue! As it turns out, giving a mouthful of mayo to sea turtles that have ingested oil could save their life. "It’s no joke," noted Donna Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore. "Mayonnaise is given to help sea turtles that have swallowed oil to pass it through their system." For sea turtles covered with oil, detergents are a solution. Shaver said there is possibility sea turtles that have been contaminated with oil from BP’s destroyed Deepwater Horizon project could wind up on Texas beaches. If so, Gladys...

Two people were injured in a Sunday afternoon shooting that happened outside a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Two groups of juveniles exchanged gunfire in the area of Lake Street and 5th Avenue, according to Minneapolis Police Sgt. Bill Palmer. Authorities say the incident was gang-related. One teen was shot in the chest and taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Another teen was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after being shot in the foot and the leg. Police have one person in custody in connection with the incident, which happened near a Cinco de Mayo celebration. They have...

On May 5, five students at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., were sent home for wearing clothing featuring the American flag. Their offense: trespassing on Mexican heritage during Cinco de Mayo. Administrators called the flag-wearing "incendiary" and likely to cause violence. The school district overrode the decision, and the boys were allowed to return to school. In response yesterday, about 200 students staged a walkout carrying Mexican flags. The question is: Who taught these kids to hate America so much?

Open heart surgery generally conjures up images of a long, painful, rib-splitting slice down the middle of the chest. But doctors at the Mayo Clinic are hoping to change that. Heavy lifting goes with the territory for Teresa Van Hauer. She's in the sales territory for a designer shoe and boot representative, meaning she's lugging around 40- to 45-pound cases quite a bit. However, a failing heart valve threatened to close all her accounts. "And when that happens, it is, literally, you're just toast," she said. A critical valve in her heart was crusted with calcium deposits and worn out....

The Mayo Clinic will stop accepting Medicare patients at one of its primary care clinics in Arizona. Why? The government doesn’t pay enough: [snip] This is nothing compared to what might happen under Democratic health overhaul plans, which would slash Medicare spending by nearly $500 billion over 10 years.

Look who's at the health care negotiating table -- Tom Daschle. The former Senate Democratic leader's nomination as health and human services secretary was derailed over a back taxes flap earlier this year. But that's not stopping Daschle, a close ally of President Barack Obama, from playing a significant role in Capitol Hill health care talks -- much as he'd be doing if he'd actually gotten the job. The outsized role is unusual for someone who's an adviser to lobbying firms, especially given Obama's campaign vow to change business as usual in Washington. Daschle was in a strategy meeting earlier...

In two days, the CEO of Mayo Clinic will step down. Wednesday morning, Dr. Denis Cortese gave his thoughts on the future of Mayo, health care reform, and his largest accomplishments. "It feels good. It feels good to retire and move on to some bigger issues that I've developed a major interest in over the last 15 to 20 years. And it will give me a chance to concentrate on those." After 40 years with Mayo Clinic, though, health care will always be a big issue for Dr. Denis Cortese. He started at Mayo as a medical student and ended...

The only way a "public plan" can achieve its stated goals is to pay doctors and hospitals less than what private health plans pay for the same services. Doctors and hospitals in Alaska already lose money on Medicare, and make up for their losses on current government programs by charging everyone with private health care coverage more for the same services. Current proposals for a "public plan" would place unsustainable financial pressure on doctors and hospitals. Some of the proposals suggest paying providers rates close to that which Medicare currently uses to underpay health care providers. Others suggest "negotiated" payments,...

Specifically, Mayo reiterated its view against what's been called the "public option" and emphasized the importance of end of life discussions with a patient's physician. "We do not support the creation of another government-run, government price-controlled, Medicare-like insurance plan," Mayo says in a document. On Tuesday, Mayo released two documents, "A perspective on current health reform issues from Mayo Clinic" and "A foundation for health care reform legislation." One of the perspectives is co-authored by Mayo CEO Dr. Denis Cortese. The purpose of the documents is to refocus Mayo's message on health care reform, outline processes legislators can follow in...

The Mayo Clinic continues to adjust to changing economic times, but leaders not only want Mayo Clinic to be a destination medical center, they want Rochester to be a destination medical community. "Here we come, so get ready." Mayo Clinic CEO Doctor Glenn Forbes says Mayo Clinic's financial numbers are better than expected, largely because they're becoming more efficient, but he says their work is just beginning. "The future is still filled with many uncertainties particularly in the area of health care. We're committed to continuing to build the models that are going to be successful in the future." That...

President Obama has repeatedly praised Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic as a role model for health care. But the Mayo Clinic is not so enamored of the House Democrats’ health care reform bill. On the Mayo Clinic’s health care blog, the clinic’s reaction was thus: “Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite. “In general, the proposals under discussion are not patient focused or...

Concern about how a public health care plan might affect Minnesota's health care system dominated a public forum on Friday sponsored by Mayo Clinic. Dr. Douglas Wood, who chairs the clinic's division of Health Care Policy & Research, said a public plan modeled after the Medicare system has the potential to do serious harm to health care in states like Minnesota where quality is high and costs are low. "If it's a government-run plan with government price controls, that could be highly detrimental to states like Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and all across the northern tier of the United States," Wood...