“Ovarian cancer is a serious and potentially deadly disease.” As a survivor of ovarian cancer, I am committed to using my experience to raise awareness and educate others for an earlier diagnosis. Recent statistics from OCRA (The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance) reveal that ovarian cancer ranks as the 11th most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Furthermore, a woman's lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is reported to be 1 in...Read more >>
Making Memories: Wonderful Activities During Covid-19
Although thinking about and reviewing our lives can be difficult, taking time to process whatever had been special to us over the years, may provide some solace to ourselves, our family and our friends. It is also a great way to utilize the extra time some of you may have as we are practicing self isolation. I am suggesting some possible projects to accomplish this task. The first idea is preparing and recording a DVD or video. Having a friend, hiring someone or doing a self made video...Read more >>
Healthy Sleep Tips During The Covid-19 Pandemic
A good night’s sleep is a very important component in maintaining health. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, causing you to wake up throughout the night and not be able to get back to sleep. With our current self-isolation policies, many are more prone to anxiety and stress, which affects their ability to sleep throughout the night. According to the CDC, adults need approximately seven hours of sleep a night and many people aren't getting it. Not...Read more >>
Six Essential Items When Communicating with the Insurance Company
Despite the best efforts of most doctors, claims are frequently denied due to information that is inaccurate or missing from your medical forms/bills that are submitted by the doctor’s office to the insurance company. To help avoid unnecessary claim denials, have the following six items available for all written and phone communications, as well as hospital or health related visits. Group insurance name and policy number. Insurance identification number Date of birth Date health coverage...Read more >>
Insurance Essentials You Need to Know
Anyone who has ever attempted to get approval from a health provider to see a specialist or start on a new medication or treatment knows the overwhelming and frustrating challenges that can be encountered. It may be difficult, for example, for patients suffering chronic pain to obtain coverage for medical or alternative procedures such as acupuncture or guided imagery, or certain types of medications. The purpose of this article is to highlight some important things to know about your health...Read more >>
Helpful Tips on Being Supportive to a Friend or Loved One with Cancer
The information below is meant to be helpful for the friends, family and caretakers of an individual diagnosed with cancer. The tips provided below were garnered from my professional and personal experiences. This article is divided into the following sections: Keys to Preparing Yourself Tips on Individual Ways to Support a Friend or Loved One with Cancer Thoughtful Gestures or Gifts Suggestions for Communication with Your Friend or Loved One Support through Online Communities Supportive...Read more >>
How to Prevent Medication Errors with your Aging Parents or Relatives
Every year there are countless deaths and hospitalizations resulting from the mismanagement of medication usage. These deaths occur from multiple factors including administration of the incorrect medication, taking drugs improperly and the wrong dose to name a few. We can help reduce these medications accidents and deaths, by implementing some safety precautions. Follow these steps to help your elders... List all the medications prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and any vitamin...Read more >>
Hints for Airline Travel in a Wheelchair
When I have assisted my parents with their airport travel, I frequently came across a few issues from ordering a wheelchair in the airport, to going through security that taught me to be as prepared as possible for the unexpected. Preparing a list of questions for the airlines and reading information on the web will be of great assistance in your quest. Reviewing the Disability booklet from the U.S. Department of Transportation [information given below] will place you in a position of...
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Protecting Our Babies From Hazardous Toxins
It is disturbing to learn how much ambivalence there is about the amount of chemicals and toxins that are absorbed through the skin and into our bodies from commonly used household and personal care products and cosmetics as well as exposure to contaminants in the produce and water we consume. Infants are at an increased risk, since they have internal organs that are still growing, decreased body weight and immature immune systems. It is alarming to see how many infants are being diagnosed...Read more >>
Healthy, Fit & Fabulous: Heaven Can Wait! Eight Sustainable Strategies to Live By
Start to protect and prepare your body for the aging process by developing sustainable long term habits early in life, which will carry you through your twilight years free of chronic disease. Creating a healthy and contented life requires us to spend some time to figure out what we need to do for ourselves to keep our lives healthy and give us a sense of self worth. Adopting a positive outlook will have a beneficial outcome in beginning this process. The eight sustainable wellness...Read more >>
Are the Ingredients in Your Cosmetics Hazardous to Your Health?
Many middle aged American women grew up during the 1950s and 1960s, an era where people did not give much thought to the ingredients contained in cosmetics or personal care products. In fact, it was the unusual person who read labels to try to find out what chemicals were contained in any consumer product, yet even so, it was difficult to understand which chemicals were contained in cosmetics. Most people, however, simply believed the claims that advertisers made on television or in...Read more >>