Even today, 26 years after experiencing what it feels like to be 'that' person, it's can be hard for me to figure out what to say when someone else gets diagnosed with cancer. I know that when I was going through it, there were so many - too many - people around me who let me down. It was only once I recovered from the throes of illness - getting through the shock of the diagnosis, the … [Read more...] about Knowing What to Say to a Friend With Cancer
Midlife
Beauty Q: Help for Brown Spots
I recently received an email from a reader, bemoaning the brown spots on her face, asking my advice on ways to treat them. "Aside from wrinkles and dry skin, I'm now finding these brown spots popping up on my cheeks and forehead. It seems that every time I look in the mirror, there's a new one. Any advice is welcome!" Aside from doing a lot of health-related research, I do my fair share of … [Read more...] about Beauty Q: Help for Brown Spots
Why I’m Not Giving Up My Skinny Jeans
Have you heard or read about the latest fashion-is-bad-for-your-health fiasco? Apparently, skinny jeans are new health hazard - especially if you squat in them. In case you missed it (and it was really hard to miss it, since it was recently ALL over the news), a 35-year-old skinny jean-wearing woman in Australia was taken to the emergency room and had to have her jeans cut off of her. After … [Read more...] about Why I’m Not Giving Up My Skinny Jeans
Pedaling Like Mad (and Getting Nowhere Fast)
“Let’s go to spin class together, mom! There’s a new Soul Cycle that opened in Westport.” How could I resist my darling 29-year-old son’s request? I’m an empty-nester, after all, and we don’t get to spend much one-on-one time together. Jonathan was planning on visiting for the day, and what better way to kick off the morning than with some high-energy exercise? I thought back nostalgically to … [Read more...] about Pedaling Like Mad (and Getting Nowhere Fast)
Tylenol and Advil: Not Created Equal for Pain Relief
As we move merrily along into our so-called midlife, it’s not uncommon to feel pesky, everyday aches and pains from things like headaches, back pain, arthritis, sciatica…the list goes on. Because I exercise pretty frequently, it’s not unusual for me to feel pain from time to time (yes, I’ll admit pushing myself beyond my reasonable limits every once in a while!). Granted, I can't always blame … [Read more...] about Tylenol and Advil: Not Created Equal for Pain Relief
Old Age is the New Middle Age
When the idea of starting my own blog was just a so-called 'twinkle in my eye,' I spent a lot of time coming up with what to call it. What was the right name? I knew what I wanted to write about - midlife - that period of time when you think you have it all figured out but then realize that no one ever has it all figured out. That time in your life when you can look back on all your … [Read more...] about Old Age is the New Middle Age