freelance health writer
Many women opt out of breast reconstruction, or “go flat,” after mastectomy, and are happy with their decision One of the first questions for a woman who’s facing a mastectomy is whether to have reconstructive surgery or not. Though breast reconstruction has evolved through the years, not every woman opts in. In fact, one study published in October 2014 in the journal JAMA Surgery revealed that … [Read more...] about Why These Women Said ‘No’ to Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy
Sheryl Kraft is worried about her husband’s ever-smaller circle of pals. How can she help? Is it even her place to help? Through the years as life becomes more complicated—we marry, divorce, move, change jobs, fall ill—friendships can become thorny and tumultuous, rather than fluid and flush. Read the full article on nexttribe.com. … [Read more...] about What to Do When Your Husband Has No Friends
Hi! It's been a while...a long while, since I wrote here. Call it COVID-19-related craziness? fatigue? overwhelmed-ness? (Wait, is that last one even a word? Well, now it is. It's my word.) Anyhow, COVID-19 has not only stopped the world, but it stopped me in my tracks for a little while, too. I'm happy to report I've made it through the virus and now I'm fully recovered. But the … [Read more...] about My Covid Journey (and The New York Times)
...But there must be something. Just as the first shelter-in-place directives were shouting their way around the world, I found my moods wildly ping-ponging between those YOU-DONT-WANT-TO-GO-THERE places of panic, sadness, insecurity and despair. By this time in our so-called midlife, only a select and lucky few are unfamiliar with these emotions. By now, most (all?) of us have suffered … [Read more...] about What is COVID Teaching Us? Damned if I Know…
Covid-19 is so challenging and confounding to everyone in so many ways, especially health experts who are in a desperate race to put all the pieces together. From my perspective, one thing (there are so many!) that is so very odd: Why do some people who test positive for the virus have mild - or no - symptoms, while others are suffering and worse, dying? It's so hard to believe that this … [Read more...] about Underlying Conditions & Covid-19
Things are so tough right now. Never before have we gone through anything this big. Never in our wildest imaginations could we conjure up something this devastating (well, that's not entirely true, but that is a discussion for a different time and forum). There’s so much news out there and I find myself both drowning in it - and fighting to avoid much of it these days - even though I'm a health … [Read more...] about Washing Produce, Staying Mentally Fit and Other Covid-19 Questions
Did you roll your eyes when your mother insisted you “eat your carrots for good eyesight”? Turns out, she was right. Carrots are rich in beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential nutrient for overall eye health. In fact, there’s new proof to support the “your eyes are what you eat” argument: A landmark study by the National Eye Institute revealed a link between nutrition … [Read more...] about 7 Foods You Should Eat to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
If you find yourself working from home rather than in your office lately, it might be challenging to figure out how to make it work for you. Will you be productive? Will you stick to your healthy eating habits? Will you stay organized? While working remotely undoubtedly has its perks — you likely spend less time commuting and have more flexibility — if you’re not used to it, working at home … [Read more...] about 7 Foolproof Ideas For Creating a Productive Home Office
Being stuck in the house can feel mighty isolating and frustrating, even if you’re a homebody, like me. I mean, there comes a time when it’s nice to get a change of scene and see that a world outside your own four walls truly exists. But for now, that world is a scary one, filled with unknown pathogens and dangers. (Sorry for the strong words, but from time to time my spirits sag a bit; I’m … [Read more...] about Your At-Home Survival Kit
The last time I wrote about hot flashes was back in February, when it was so frigid that stepping outside was almost painful. But I suspect it was a relief to you if you were coping with those mighty power surges. Throw open a window or step outside and voila—instant cool. Now that the heat of the summer is engulfing the country, it's not as easy to find immediate relief from those hormonal … [Read more...] about 8 Ways to Deal With Hot Flashes in the Heat (Or Is-It-Hot-In-Here-or-Is-It-Just-Summer?)
