Ross Chinander
Ross Chinander lives his life to the fullest and believes in “stubborn persistence.” He has battled cancer and won, cares for a cardiac condition and complications to diabetes. He remains positive and describes his near-death experiences as “not fun” with a bit humor.
He is a local geologist, not in the field as much these days, but is still managing the field collection of soils for evaluation and analysis. He is an avid golfer in his free time. He has been married for 40 years to his college sweetheart and has two very talented daughters, both are professional musicians.
Ross has also been receiving treatments for the last seven years for a stubborn wound that won’t heal on his left leg, a complication to his cancer treatment nearly twenty years ago.
Ross has been visiting HCA Florida Brandon Hospital’s wound care clinic for different treatments including debridement, ointments, salves, bandaging techniques, wound cleaning regimens and hyperbaric oxygen treatments.
"Ross was being care for by the wound care clinic, when he was referred to have a session of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments. Ross has had a positive and upbeat attitude throughout his wound healing journey. He is inquisitive and asks great questions about the hyperbaric chambers and how it works. Mid-way through the treatment, Ross noticed an overall gain in his strength and increased blood flow to his wound," shared Peggy Heyer, respiratory therapist and hyperbaric safety officer at Brandon Hospital.
Ross was diagnosed in 2004 with a large liposarcoma, 20 centimeters long by 6 centimeters wide cancerous tumor in his lower left leg. His story about identifying his leg tumor, started with a show he was watching on television. In the show, a character’s death was traced to the fact that one leg was bigger than the other and it indicated a serious health condition. At the same time, Ross looked down at his legs and noticed a significant difference. He made a quick call to his cardiologist, who recommended an MRI. That is how the tumor was found.
He spent most of 2005 in chemotherapy, surgery and radiation treatments. At the end of treatment, he required reconstructive surgery, which included receiving a graft for his leg from one of his abdominal muscles.
Recently, Ross has been diagnosed with diabetes after several years of being borderline diabetic. The only symptom of the diabetes has been this persistent wound. Ross is working on making dietary changes and taking medication to care for diabetes. He is proud to share he goes to the gym four to five days a week for an hour to an hour and a half after the recommendation of his cardiologist, who encouraged Ross to become a “gym rat.”
Now, Ross is proud when he hears how much his blood pressure and overall health has improved. He puts a lot of effort into being healthy, so he can continue to live life to the fullest.
Ross has owned a contract drilling firm for the last three decades providing services throughout the state of Florida. He grew up in Wisconsin, graduating from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls with a degree in Geology. He lived in the Minneapolis area for several years before moving his family to Florida.
Ross has lived in Florida for over 35 years in Dover, outside of Tampa. Ross and his wife, Nancy, longtime residents raised their daughters here. He says even if he wanted to slow down, his family wouldn’t let him.
Ross is truly an inspiration, how he greets each day with an upbeat outlook and as he puts it “gets done, what needs to get done.”
To find out more about the care of diabetes and its potential complications, come to our upcoming 3-part series on Caring for Diabetes Lunch and Learn on June 19, July 24 and August 21. Register on our event page.