Not to be all depressing and morose, but this past week has been kind of sad. I've heard one bad story after another. A friend's 17-year-old daughter diagnosed with ovarian cancer; a cousin's 28-year old son's thyroid cancer diagnosis; a co-worker of my husbands with a blood disease so rare I've never heard of it nor can I pronounce it or understand just how the body can turn on itself that … [Read more...] about What Wake-Up Calls Teach Us
Midlife
Menopause and Anxiety
Why do some women going through menopause feel like they're out of control, irritable, short- fused and just plain crazy? And why do others pass through seamlessly with nary a hot flash or mood swing? Back in 2005, when blogging was still fairly new, I created the blog, Midlife Matters. As a health writer, I was excited about sharing accurate and timely health information in an intimate … [Read more...] about Menopause and Anxiety
Why Second Opinions Count
Actress Rita Wilson, who recently announced her breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent double mastectomy, did the right thing when she sought out a second opinion. And doing so might have saved her life. But too many of us are hesitant to question a medical diagnosis: a 2005 Gallup Poll that surveyed 5,000 Americans found that about half reported "never" seeking a second opinion and a paltry … [Read more...] about Why Second Opinions Count
Fitness Expert Joel Harper: How To Train for a Half-Marathon
One of the most exciting and fulfilling things I recently did was complete my very first half-marathon. I never like to use this so-called midlife as an excuse not to do or try something new, but I must admit that I was a just bit wary that I might not be able to do it. But... I did it! And what a feeling of accomplishment that was. So now I'm anxious to spread the message that you can do it, … [Read more...] about Fitness Expert Joel Harper: How To Train for a Half-Marathon
Natural Remedies for Pain Management
When you experience pain, do you: Become anxious and depressed Pop a painkiller Lose sleep Call in sick Book a massage Do nothing, live with it, and suffer in silence All of the above There's really no simple answer to this question, since there are many dynamics - like the type of pain, your background and personality and family and social environments - that can determine … [Read more...] about Natural Remedies for Pain Management
When Nothing is Sure…Everything is Possible
Yesterday, I eavesdropped on Dame Judy Dench and Maggie Smith. “How many new lives can we have?” asked Ms. Dench. She answered her own question with the best five words I’ve heard in a long time: “As many as we’d like.” Lest you think I hang out in such royal company, I don’t. That question comes from the movie, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Have you seen it yet? I haven’t – my efforts … [Read more...] about When Nothing is Sure…Everything is Possible
With Each Passing Year, More Wisdom is Won
This year has zoomed by, and it’s tough to sit with the fact that 2015 feels and sounds like its way in the future, rather than mere moments away. Time, which becomes such a precious commodity with each passing year, has a way of surprising me with its swiftness. Wasn’t it just July? Didn’t I just turn 50? But alas, it is the end of December and I just turned 60, and both facts startle … [Read more...] about With Each Passing Year, More Wisdom is Won
Defining Moments
We all have defining moments. Do you think they chart the course of our lives? Yesterday, like on most other days, I startled when my alarm went off at 7:00 AM. And like on most other days, I routinely made my way to the bathroom, shuffled into the kitchen, pressed the button on my coffeemaker to brew myself my usual dose of caffeine. Stirred in the half and half. Waddled into my … [Read more...] about Defining Moments
Remembering to Give Thanks: 12 Things I’m Grateful For
I thought that this year would be different; that I wouldn't be posting the usual "I'm grateful for X." But somehow, this morning, with Thanksgiving Day approaching, I've been hit with a sentimental moment. So I'd better strike while the proverbial iron is hot! Thanks for being here and for reading my blog. Being a writer sometimes feels like I'm yelling into the great unknown black hole. I'm so … [Read more...] about Remembering to Give Thanks: 12 Things I’m Grateful For
Why We All Need to Strength Train (and a giveaway, too!)
Having celebrated a big birthday recently has made me more sentimental about aging than normal. But with sentimentality comes complaints. Granted, they're not in a a "woe-is-me" kind of way- but with a bit more humor and irony attached to them. Humor? My feeling is that if we don't laugh about creaky joints, gray hair, diminishing eyesight, hearing and skin tone, then all that bitching becomes … [Read more...] about Why We All Need to Strength Train (and a giveaway, too!)