The Story
Mainstream media has recently aired
a story about a 17 year old Texas teen, allegedly benched from her volleyball team for being pregnant. The hype and hoopla almost persuaded me to bypass the opportunity to discuss this important topic. It is easy to get on the soap-box and talk passionately about issues such as these, in the news and seemingly controversial, b…
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Added by Amy K on December 9, 2009 at 10:18pm —
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Women who are HIV-positive can plan for their futures, live normal lives and plan pregnancies, too.
If HIV-positive women take a certain combination of anti-HIV drugs and do not breastfeed, their babies have a less than 1% chance of getting infected. Women with this virus are now expected to have a life expectancy similar to the general population, with proper medical care and management. It is only natural that they would also want to have children and plan for pregnancy.
A study in Ontario f…
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Added by Amy K on December 6, 2009 at 1:55am —
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Have you heard of homocysteine? Do you know that increased levels of homocysteine have been linked to greater risk of miscarriage, preeclampsia, placental abruption, premature birth and low birth weight? Homocysteine is not in and of itself a bad thing, but at increased levels it can put you and your baby at risk.
If you are just now hearing about it...there is good news, you can have your levels tested. Ask you doctor! You can also take action to help lower your levels. First of all, if you ar…
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Added by Amy K on December 5, 2009 at 12:21am —
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To what lengths would you be willing to go to rid yourself of
major depression? Have you tried every possible solution or do you advocate for or know others who have? Personally, I still have some therapies to test out before I can say that I have truly tried them all, but there are moments of desperation. There are times when it feels like I have been going at this, living life with depression, for so long that I am…
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Added by Amy K on November 28, 2009 at 4:47pm —
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Ectopic pregnancies can be difficult to diagnose, but new research shows that help is on the way.
A study done in the UK shows that lower levels of a protein called activin-B occurs in women experiencing an ectopic pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancies occur when the fertilized egg, or ovum, develops outside of the womb, typically in the fallopian tubes but also…
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Added by Amy K on November 28, 2009 at 12:37pm —
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The news continues to come in regarding H1N1 and special populations at higher risk. Although there is not a shortage of information available, the news is constantly updating and the focus shifts, from panic to precautions to (in all seriousness) “should I get the vaccine?” As a health activist, I certainly do not want to add to any kind of hysteria but I believe it is important to be well-informed and to share that information.
Now that the vaccine has become available to high risk groups of…
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Added by Amy K on November 27, 2009 at 4:48pm —
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The news has been trickling in lately about the health benefits of chocolate. As if this isn't exciting enough, recently there has been scientific data suggesting women during pregnancy can benefit from the delectable treat as well. A Yale study suggests that women who eat chocolate during pregnancy are at decreased risk of developing preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is a serious complication. Hypertension (pregnancy induced hyp…
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Added by Amy K on November 22, 2009 at 1:57am —
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Hybnobirth, is it hip? Whether it is hip or not, hypnobirthing is getting more and more attention and seems to be gaining in popularity as a technique for natural childbirth. If you are like me, perpetually curious and interested in health issues, you may want to know more about it.
Hypnobirth is a practice using
self-hypnosis to eliminate pain and fear from the birthing experience. It is about achieving a state of relaxat…
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Added by Amy K on November 20, 2009 at 6:30pm —
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A handful of Senators have risen to the occasion, joining forces with
some of the nations most esteemed academic medical centers, and have introduced a bill to establish national centers of excellence for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorders.
The bill, called the ENHANCED Act of 2009, was introduced in late October by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), George Voinovich (R-OH), Sherro…
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Added by Amy K on November 19, 2009 at 10:21pm —
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What do you know about Folate? Folic Acid? L-methylfolate?
If you are a woman, chances are that you have heard that it is important to have adequate amounts of folic acid. If you are a man, you may have heard a thing or two about it's important qualities as well. Chances are, man or woman, you have heard recommendations for folic acid.
In women who are pregnant, folic acid is highly recommended as a measure to prevent neural tube defects. Did you know that it is not really the folic acid your…
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Added by Amy K on November 15, 2009 at 10:50pm —
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“Depression is among the most treatable of psychiatric illnesses. Between 80 percent and 90 percent of people with depression respond positively to treatment, and almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms. But first, depression has to be recognized.”
AFSP (emphasis mine)
Recognizing depression...doesn't sound like it should be so difficult, but the reality is that it can be quite a challenge, especially when you are the one suffering.…
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Added by Amy K on November 14, 2009 at 11:33pm —
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Common knowledge is the term “morning sickness” and common is the woman who deals with it at some point in her pregnancy... But how common is the woman who deals with the more severe cases of NVP (nausea and vomiting of pregnancy) and then suffers further to the classification of hyperemesis gravidarum?
NVP (Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy) is stated in
one source to occur in as many as 75-80% of pregnancies with up to 15…
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Added by Amy K on November 13, 2009 at 2:26pm —
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It seems to be common knowledge that most medications are off limits for women during pregnancy. Yet, it is also quite apparent that there are often medical conditions that need attention during a pregnancy that may require a woman to asses the risks vs. the benefits and sometimes make the decision to take a prescription medication despite any potential risks. How do we go about doing this? How does a woman put her mind at ease when confronted with these scenarios? What kinds of chances are we t…
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Added by Amy K on November 7, 2009 at 9:00pm —
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Have you noticed the sound of the Fall leaves crunching underfoot today? Did you experience your morning coffee, or did you simply gulp it down to get the caffeine going? Did you notice what your spouse, children or loved one was wearing today? How about in this moment...what noises do you hear, any smells in the air, how does the chair feel that you are sitting in? If you are anything like me, so much of your day might be spent in auto-pilot, going through the motions, without actually experien…
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Added by Amy K on November 4, 2009 at 5:47pm —
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With all of the risks associated with a healthy pregnancy, many women aren’t eager to know about another health concern associated with pregnancy. At the same time, having resources and information is integral to taking the best care of your body and your baby. I’ve noticed that women in my community don’t talk about the connection that can exist between Fibromyalgia and pregnancy. I wanted to bring it up and see if other Health Activists find this missing as well.
When this happened to me I ha…
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Added by Amy K on November 3, 2009 at 10:02pm —
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In my recent interactions on twitter I have come to know some delightful “mommies” who, like myself, care deeply about their role as a parent, from the point of conception and on. These interactions and friendships have brought a topic to mind that might be of interest to others, and in fact, it may be something that you see discussed in your communities.
The topic is home birth, the safety of home birth, the benefits of home birth and the overall perception of home birth.
I am now at a point…
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Added by Amy K on October 30, 2009 at 8:49pm —
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As a person seeking to find her niche in life, I thought it would be interesting to share with you why I am here at WEGO Health. I have asked myself that question before...do I fit in here? Am I what they are looking for as a member of this community.
I am finding that my niche isn't necessarily in one spot or area, but rather in several spots and that I do have something to contribute. My start in activism began with my involvement in a campaign for suicide prevention for the…
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Added by Amy K on October 26, 2009 at 3:18am —
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122514012478473347.html?mod=yahoo_buzz#articleTabs=article
Please copy and past the above link for an important article regarding the importance of having a relative or advocate along with you, if you are a patient in a hospital.
It is important to take this advice, for it is all too easy for unfortunate errors and unnecessary illness or injury to incur as a result of being a patient in a hospital. This is not to discredit the institutions themselves or the heal…
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Added by Amy K on October 29, 2008 at 11:09pm —
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It was a beautiful day in Kansas City today. I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the 2008 Out of the Darkness Community Walk to support the American Foundations for Suicide Prevention (www.afsp.org) in a 3 mile walk along the Missouri River. It was a brisk, chilly October morning but I was greeted by smiling faces and a group of many walking to further the cause and also walking in remembrance of lost loved ones. They had tables set up where you could hang a beautiful brightly col…
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Added by Amy K on October 26, 2008 at 12:18am —
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As someone who suffers with chronic pain, I know what it feels like to be surrounded by darkness and I don’t just mean that the lights are turned out! I am talking about the kind of darkness that is present when the lights are on, a darkness in your heart, that hangs over you, sometimes haunting you. Another word that is often used for this darkness is depression, and it shouldn’t be taken “lightlty”. I think anyone who has dealt with chronic pain has probably also battled depression and knows t…
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Added by Amy K on October 23, 2008 at 2:47am —
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