If one of the first things you do when you cut yourself is flood the wound with hydrogen peroxide, STOP! I know you think the bubbling action is awesome and proof that it's doing what it was meant to do — killing all the bad stuff. Well, here's what wound specialist Dr. Walter Keller has [...]
In the ER, Amy was told that her sudden blurred vision and unbearable headache were caused by vertigo. It turns out she had a brain aneurysm.
Many people find love later in life. Studies have shown that married people experience health benefits and that being isolated or feeling lonely compromises health. Companionship can be a true blessing. For those who find a partner later in life, this also creates new relationships between their grown children. There are endless possibilities regarding how [...]
Many elderly people limit activities because they're afraid of falling. A Matter of Balance offers practical advice to reduce fear and get people moving again.
For many years, I have carried an image of Dr. Michael Taylor in my head. He was leaving the exam room in his office and poked his head back in just before he closed the door. “Don’t forget to protect your skin,” he said. “Wear sunscreen.” […]
Terrilynn Barden Dubreuil My friend Terrilynn Barden Dubreuil recently retired as Chair of the Fine Arts Department at McAuley High School. It was a full-time job with benefits, including health insurance. She’s not old enough for Medicare and was in the market for a policy that will fill the gap [...]
Part two of a series on hunger in Maine In America there is an assumption that with girth comes wealth and that people who are food insecure or malnourished are also automatically thin. Let’s remember that food insecurity means lacking reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. […]
This recipe is bound to make you feel satisfied and happy!
Leni on the left, Lita on the right. Notice that except for Lita’s red scarf, everything else matches. Not planned. It’s a twin thing. What are the odds that two sisters would both have with the same type of lung cancer? Slim. Even if they are identical twins or identical [...]
After 36 years as a leading Maine cancer center, Maine Center for Cancer Medicine and Blood Disorders has changed its name.
An injury to the head can be scary, but most are mild and do not cause significant damage. Even so, about half of all children seen in the ER for a head injury will have a CT scan.
USM School of Music and Kate Beever, music therapist at Maine Music and Health showcase music/movement/dance and other creative arts therapies used in healthcare.
The concept of qi lies at the heart of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is central to Taoist philosophy. Qi is defined as the energetic or animating force associated with all living things. The concept of an animating force is not unique to Chinese culture. In Japan it is called ki. In India, prana. The ancient Egyptians referred to [...]
If you are providing any type of care to someone who has dementia, chances are good that at some point you have experienced feelings of grief and guilt. These are feelings that often leave people feeling uncomfortable and ashamed. All they really mean is that you are human, and you are in the midst of [...]
What will you do on your summer vacation? Roman Waites, who has autism, will lead his family on a cross-country adventure and make a movie along the way.
Buckle your helmets ladies. Olive Spankins is going to teach you how to skate like a roller derby pro!
Two years ago, 43-year-old Maine firefighter Mike Nixon was diagnosed with malignant melanoma — the most dangerous form of skin cancer. “I had a spot develop in a weird place on my ear,” he says. “It wasn’t on top where you’d think people would get skin cancer, where there is sun exposure. It was up near [...]
For years, no matter what the cause, ear infections in children were routinely treated with antibiotics, but the recommendation has
Did you know that, according to the US Department of agriculture, 31% of all our food (1,249 calories per person per day) ends up in a dumpster or down the disposal? Just think about the good that food could do for some folks. In this first of a two-part series, we take a look at [...]
CPR was the Catching Health topic on the Morning Report — how it saved a Gorham woman’s life and how there are only two simple steps you need to remember when doing CPR: Call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. I also shared a thank you email from a man [...]
It had been a fairly ordinary day for Tammy Conover, who lives in Gorham. She went to work, ate her supper and headed to her church to take care of some children while their mothers attended a book club and their fathers a men’s group. The men were just across the hall. Clint Steele says [...]
You see someone collapse. You panic and stand there wringing your hands, thinking, “OMG, what am I supposed to do? CPR? I took that class several years ago — what was it I learned?” Here’s your chance to learn two simple steps that will empower, not derail you — and potentially save a life. [...]
She had more sense than I'll ever have. My mother. Who had Alzheimer's disease. On a lovely walk along the ocean a few years ago, she taught me some lessons.
By Kate Fallon, a licensed clinical professional counselor at Ageless Journeys. Kate also teaches the Savvy Caregiver program at Southern Maine Agency on Aging. Even if you don’t have children of your own, it isn’t hard to imagine how difficult it can be to ask your children for help. Parents spend many years raising and nurturing children, [...]
Michael Anderson recently wrote to me about his ongoing struggle with Lyme disease. He gave me permission to share his story, which I decided to do in his own words:
Deer ticks. Tiny creatures that barely tickle when they crawl over the skin, but carry a wallop. Lyme disease. How to recognize the deer tick and protect yourself against infection.
Saturday was such a beautiful day — perfect for a trip to the Farmers’ Market at Deering Oaks Park in Portland. Yes, the season had begun! I couldn’t help but take a few pictures. […]
Guest post by Kit Broihier, MS, RD, LD Courtesy of the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Continuing with the Mediterranean eating theme practically requires that we cover olives and olive oil at some point in the discussion, since they are so widely consumed by Mediterranean cultures. Traditionally, a Mediterranean diet calls for eating several [...]
By Charity Hirst Director of Marketing and Public Relations, the Medically Oriented Gym As a facility that promotes health and wellness, the Medically Oriented Gym (the M.O.G.) fields a lot of questions about the latest health and fitness trends. Recently, we were asked to provide our professional opinion about reality TV weight loss shows. Things are [...]
Several weeks ago, I decided to try cooking some Mediterranean style meals for me and my husband. I wanted to experiment with the Mediterranean diet because of all the research that shows it's a healthy way to eat.