On the Morning Report today we talked about Ellen Munson, a woman I profiled in the late 80s when I was Newscenter's health reporter. Ellen had a kidney transplant in 1986 and needed a second one 18 years later. You can read the details of her story here on the Catching Health Blog or watch [...]
28-year-old Ellen in 1986, after her 1st kidney transplant Ellen Munson got her first donated kidney in 1986. Her own kidneys had been destroyed, presumably by a serious infection called polynephritis, and she had been on dialysis for five years. Every day, Ellen was grateful to the family who had lost [...]
Rita, who is 79 years old, has congestive heart failure, a chronic health condition that lands many people in the hospital or nursing home. Telemedicine has allowed her to closely monitor important vital signs and stay in her own home. […]
By Kate Fallon, a licensed clinical professional counselor at Ageless Journeys. She also teaches the Savvy Caregiver program at Southern Maine Agency on Aging. Have you had moments of frustration, wanting to help your aging parents in some way only to find they refuse you? It can be very frustrating to meet with resistance. You likely [...]
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and the American Academy of Pediatrics have recommended routine cholesterol screening of children between the ages of 9 and 11 and again between 17 and 21 since 2011.They issued the recommendation and additional guidelines after reviewing more than 1,000 published documents on heart disease and how it relates to children [...]
It took me half my life to appreciate the taste of salmon. You need to understand. I grew up eating only one kind of fish: haddock (usually fried). Salmon is good for us, but why? Kitty Broihier, a registered dietitian and member of the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has the answer: Salmon is highly [...]
There are many ways to maintain your personal health and if anyone ever tells you that their way is the only way … RUN!
In case you missed it ... last week on the WCSH6 Morning Report Sharon and I discussed John Nappi and his personal message about the importance of colororectal cancer screening. We also talked about the distinction between a screening and a diagnostic colonoscopy and how it might affect insurance coverage. And, I announced that I'm going to try following [...]
Two weeks ago on the WCSH6 Morning Report, I talked about the importance of early detection of colorectal cancer and shared some information about insurance coverage for screening tests: […]
A little exercise can go a long way in reducing stress and making you feel good, along with its many other health benefits.
When Ann and I were fellow reporters at WCSH6 back in the 1990s, she was young and beautiful — full of fun and spunk. And when she died yesterday, on Sunday, March 16, 2014, she was young and beautiful — full of fun and spunk. […]
Barry picking blueberries in the hot sun My husband Barry loves being out in the sun. Here's a picture of him picking blueberries on a sweltering hot day last summer. Unfortunately, skin cancer runs in his family. Over the years, he has had several lesions removed, frozen, or burned off. He's lucky because, so far, [...]
Marcia Gelkey and Pat Deignan I was at a meeting recently at the Cancer Community Center in South Portland and happened to notice two women painting brightly colored designs on a child’s rocking chair. Curious, I poked my head through the door to get a closer look. [...]
Sometimes when you’re shopping for food or cooking a meal, don’t you wish you had a nutrition expert by your side to help you make healthy choices? If so, you’re in luck, because we’re going to have a host of nutrition experts on hand to help us make healthy decisions and healthy meals that taste [...]
I’m excited to announce that I was on the WCSH6 WLBZ2 Morning Report today and will be returning every other Tuesday at about 6:45 am. It was so great to be back on the air again and to see many familiar faces. For those of you who don’t know, I was the health reporter on [...]
When Chuck and Jo-Ellen Kelley were married 23 years ago, she told him that since she went for yearly medical checkups, she expected him to do the same. “After all,” she says, “we promised that we’d grow old together and take care of each other.” […]
Congratulations to Brain Injury Voices for being one of four hospital volunteer programs in the United States to win the prestigious HAVE Award (Hospital Award for Volunteer Excellence). The national award is sponsored by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and will be presented on May 5 in Washington, DC during the AHA national conference. [...]
My sister Becky has always been afraid of needles. When she was little and needed a shot, she might make it through the procedure, but would faint half way to the car. The incident that probably put her over the edge happened when she was about 10 and needed a tooth filled. [...]
Many adults find themselves in the unfamiliar position of being somewhat of a parent to our parents, which can be extremely challenging. Counselor Kate Fallon has some advice.
For the first time ever, there are now guidelines for preventing strokes in women.
Guest post by Lauren Breau, L.Ac., acupuncturist at Wildwood Community Acupuncture Before I tell you all about community acupuncture and convince you that you should come in and give it a whirl, I have a couple of quick questions for you. How many times have you struggled with a health issue that needed treatment, but [...]
Recently, I wrote about a memory test you can take if you worried about forgetting things. The topic must have struck a nerve because it generated quite a few comments on social media. […]
Justin Faloon with his German Shepherd Nekka the year after his first heart attack. Justin Faloon’s first heart attack happened June 1,1999, when he was only 29. He was lucky. He could have died, especially because he waited 20 minutes or more before dialing 911. […]
January is quickly coming to an end. How have you been doing with those New Year's resolutions you made? Need a little support?
I’m not too good at breaking bad habits. I just hate being told that I can’t do something, even when I’m the one saying so. Take, for instance, eating between meals. Last spring I could no longer ignore the fact that none of my clothes fit. I got on the scales and saw that I [...]
Daren, Becky and Gianna Lyle Becky Lyle knew enough to get regular screenings for cancer of the cervix, including a Pap test, and she always did. A Pap test is recommended every three years for average-risk women between the ages of 21 and 65. Beginning at age 30, HPV testing [...]
It was nearly a year ago — January 17, 2013 — that I first wrote about Becky Sawtelle and her decision to have weight loss surgery. Find out how she's doing today.
Kidney stones are usually pretty small, but they sure can pack a big wallop. Wendy MacGregor, who passed her first kidney stone 30 years ago and has had a least a dozen stones since, says the pain can be unbearable. “I always know when it’s coming on,” she says, “because there is a certain area [...]
With the winter solstice just behind us and months of cold weather to come, are you aware of the best way to keep your children safe?
Thirty-two years ago, on Christmas Eve, I went into labor. My husband Barry wasn’t feeling well and jokingly (more or less) said, “Please don’t have the baby tonight.” Around midnight, I had no choice but to wake him up. He was my support team. My timekeeper. My ride to the hospital. I needed him. [...]
Bob O'Keefe was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 4 years ago. He first reached out to the Alzheimer's Association as a client. He soon became one of its most ardent volunteers.