When you’re diagnosed with cancer, one of the worst things about it, aside from the obvious countless physical ramifications, is the emotional upheaval it causes. The raw feelings of vulnerability. The absolute terror of knowing that your body has betrayed you. The desire to close yourself off, make yourself as small as possible and hide inside an impenetrable antiseptic bubble of safety. Read … [Read more...] about How Being a Cancer Survivor Helps Me Cope With Coronavirus Fears
My Covid Journey (and The New York Times)
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)
What is COVID Teaching Us? Damned if I Know…
...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…
Underlying Conditions & Covid-19
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
Washing Produce, Staying Mentally Fit and Other Covid-19 Questions
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
7 Foods You Should Eat to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
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
7 Foolproof Ideas For Creating a Productive Home Office
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
Your At-Home Survival Kit
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
Epilepsy and Your Hormones
Epilepsy had always been a topic that was very foreign to me—until it hit a bit close to home. About five years ago, when she was 52, my sister found out she had epilepsy. She was at work and had just hung up the phone with me after a brief conversation. She remembers feeling a bit "funny"—and the next thing she knew, she woke up in an ambulance, confused and frightened. Lynne had suffered a … [Read more...] about Epilepsy and Your Hormones
How to Keep Calm During the COVID-19 Pandemic
At first, I was not all that worried. I carefully listened to the facts and stats, feeling relatively safe. I didn’t stop taking public transportation, nor did I cancel meetings and events. But then, the news cycle accelerated, as did the spread of the Coronavirus. And although I like to have information – it makes me feel safer, in a way – I began to feel anxiety. Memories of a movie I’d seen … [Read more...] about How to Keep Calm During the COVID-19 Pandemic