As of next week, the holiday season will be in full swing. This time of year is a fun time but often very stressful for everyone. In fact, it seems like the planning, preparation, and organization involved take twice as long as the celebration time. And though I'm sure all of us would agree that the stress put in is worth the enjoyment that comes out,
it's not always easy to juggle all the different pieces at once especially if you're already juggling health routines. If you're a caregive…
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Added by amanda on November 20, 2009 at 1:30pm —
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Here on WEGO Health, we do our best to not only share what conversations are going on in our other health communities but we also share tips on how to encourage the best health practices in our communities. Some tips of encouragement are easy, tell others to: eat healthy, get lots of rest, listen to your body, ask your doctor questions, etc. In fact, it is pretty easy to encourage members in your online communities advice when it's been proven over and over
. But how do you react when members…
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Added by amanda on November 17, 2009 at 5:39pm —
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One part of
National Alzheimer's Month is
National Memory Screening day,
a day dedicated to promoting early detection of the sort of memory problems that are precursors to Alzheimers or dementia. The screenings have been happening for the last six years because of the efforts of the
Alzh…
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Added by amanda on November 17, 2009 at 12:30pm —
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People with sickle cell disease experience a build-up of red blood cells (due to their long, thin, sickle shape) that can block capillaries, disabling them from carrying oxygen to tissues (hypoxia) causing tissue cells to become damaged and die.
This painful process is what's known as "Sickle Cell Crisis," which is also another name for sickle cell disease due to its frequency. It's Sickle Cell Crisis that makes living with Sickle Cell Disease so difficult for patients. In this blog post…
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Added by amanda on November 11, 2009 at 3:30pm —
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Back in September, we honored
World Alzheimer's Day by sharing a list of ways to get involved in your own communities and help spread awareness and support to the Alzheimer's community. Here at WEGO Health,
some of us wore purple to commemorate the day.
Now, a month and a half later, it…
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Added by amanda on November 6, 2009 at 3:00pm —
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Have you seen "My Name Is Lisa"? Here are a few comments on the short film:
"Amazing little film. The trouble with the mom is early-onset Alzheimers ... memory loss, confusion, irritability, aggression, mood swings, and eventually withdrawl. Its a tragic disease for a family to face with a loved one. Its never funny, and always heartbreaking. "I am Lisa" portrays just that heartbreak so very well. I had tears in my eyes by the end of it."
"Sad but true. A touching picture."
"Well-acted,…
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Added by amanda on November 6, 2009 at 12:00pm —
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Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells, and, subsequently the body's blood flow, oxygenation of cells and tissue, and can cause many other complications. Sickle cell disease affects millions throughout the world, though it is particularly common among people whose ancestors come from sub-Saharan Africa; Spanish-speaking regions (South America, Cuba, Central America); Saudi Arabia; India; and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy…
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Added by amanda on November 5, 2009 at 5:13pm —
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Blood has probably always been associated with life. It is absolutely essential to the most basic functions of our body, fueling the cells that complete all of our bodily functions. While, it's often portrayed as a thick, red liquid, in fact, blood is extremely mobile and complex. And, while I've always known vaguely what blood does, I wanted to explore its properties more closely here, especially because so many of our health conversations involve mentions of blood.
Blood, which makes up 7%…
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Added by amanda on November 3, 2009 at 5:21pm —
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Did you know that
more than 50 million Americans care for a family member or friend with a chronic illness, disability or advanced age during any given year? These caregivers work tirelessly, often without pay or help from others. Their dedication to caregiving is absolutely invaluable and necessary for so many people of all ages. However, though their
care is often provid…
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Added by amanda on October 30, 2009 at 3:24pm —
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In the past, I've discussed different ways to find and keep track of Alzheimer's patients who, especially over time, can become lost from inadvertently wandering, forgetting, or becoming disoriented. The likelihood of an Alz patient becoming lost or possibly being in harmful situations grows increasingly as the disease progresses. For caregivers, family members, and even local government and medical teams—this symptom of the disease is particularly unsettling and worrisome. Certain manufacturers…
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Added by amanda on October 27, 2009 at 12:36pm —
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Every year, the
American Cancer Society (ACS) releases a series of reports. One of these reports was released recently and is causing a slow, resounding buzz in the online cancer community. After reading the NYTimes article,
"Cancer Society, in Shift, Has Concerns on Screens" I began to understand why the biggest piece…
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Added by amanda on October 22, 2009 at 5:00pm —
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Have you heard of the increased Alzheimer's risk among those with Down's Syndrome? According to Shaun Heasley's post on
Disability Scoop , the connection between Alzheimer's and Down Syndrome is not only prevalent, but also overlooked. In reference to the BBC's "Down's dementia risk 'overlooked,'" the word about these two illnesses is spreading—but not enough to truly influence policy changes.
What's the link?
An est…
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Added by amanda on October 14, 2009 at 3:30pm —
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Alzheimer's is such a common disease, but one that we know little about. Current treatments scarcely impact the degenerative symptoms and the brain plaques and "Alzheimer's gene" that are both attributed to the disease provide only so much information. However, everywhere you look, it seems there is a new regimen, food, mineral, or brain exercise that can reduce your risk.
What Alzheimer's prevention, reduction, or combative remedies have you heard of? What are others in your community di…
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Added by amanda on October 9, 2009 at 1:51pm —
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Yesterday a
NYT article discussed a dilemma that affects both the pregnancy and mental health communities:
should women take antidepressants while pregnant?
Should women take drugs that could pose a risk to the developing fetus or struggle through the anguish and depression that could harm the baby in other ways?
A few online sources I've seen say that at least 1 in 10 women suffer depre…
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Added by amanda on October 6, 2009 at 1:30pm —
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In lieu of the 25th annual
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) I wanted to start a post that's full of links to breast cancer sites and other information and ask the community -
what are you doing to celebrate this month? Whether you're a survivor or have a loved one that is - October is a month to honor all you've endured and the huge achievement you've made. And while the media sometimes tends to make Breast Cancer…
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Added by amanda on October 2, 2009 at 4:30pm —
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In honor of
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) I would like to first,
direct you over to Sarah's blog post - it's a great rundown of breast cancer facts, links, and fun.
Now onto my analytic blog post.
Every year it seems more organizations and companies come out with Breast Cancer Awareness products. In fact, you can buy almos…
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Added by amanda on October 2, 2009 at 3:23pm —
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If you've watched/read/or listened to the news recently, you've probably heard the mention of lost Alzheimer's patients that have gone missing. Patients, especially those who Alz or dementia, have a hard time finding their way home and sometimes wander off, forgetting where they were going or where they are. This is just one of the troubling side-effects of memory loss. It puts families and caregivers in a panic - and right now there is no seamless way to alert the public about these missing per…
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Added by amanda on September 29, 2009 at 5:30pm —
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As health activists we are looking to communicate as clearly and influentially as possible. We want to use our knowledge and experience to reach out to others. We want to communicate a whole unique range of messages: advice, support, caring, empathy, encouragement, and understanding. And this communication is hard. In fact, even when you work very hard at it, it's still probably not something you will ever be perfect at. This speaks to the failure of language and the uniqueness of each individua…
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Added by amanda on September 22, 2009 at 1:04pm —
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In honor of
World Alzheimer's Day I wanted to compile a fact sheet for anyone who may or may not be familiar with Alzheimer's. Despite my own Alzheimer's research, I still found these facts to be extremely interesting and eye-opening. Each fact further proves the gravity of the disease and the necessity to continue research and funding.
We're still a long way from a cure for this debilitat…
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Added by amanda on September 21, 2009 at 12:43pm —
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Have you heard about
Revere High School and their
recent decision to make birth control available at the school's health center? Well,
the decision that was made this past spring might be banned.
Right now,
contraceptives, including condoms, are available to students who are enrolled in the center and whose parents indicate on an enrollment form that they are interested in their…
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Added by amanda on September 18, 2009 at 4:30pm —
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