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Supporting Survivors

Annual Event Lifts Spirits, Offers Education & Cancer Awareness The 11th Annual Pampering Event at BELK, where cancer education and awareness blended with activities designed to pamper cancer survivors, was held on September 16. It was a Star Wars themed event, held from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on a Sunday at Citi Center. A good time was had by…
September is Suicide Prevention Month

By Mary Joye, LMHC We probably all agree there needs to be more than one month set aside for suicide awareness. Statistically and tragically, there are on average, one-hundred-twenty-one suicides per day. That’s almost 45,000 per year. Often, I hear healthy people say, “It is selfish for people to commit suicide.” From those who think…
Phillip Williams Helping to Light the Way for the Blind

By LENORE DEVORE Phillip Williams was almost 15 years old when the juvenile version of macular degeneration – Stargardt disease – began to take his eyesight. What starts out robbing people of their central vision eventually leaves its sufferers blind or legally blind. “I went through the rest of high school coping with (the transition…

Diagnosed With Astigmatism? You’ve Got Options

by TINCY THOMAS, O.D. You were told that you have astigmatism—a seemingly scary term! Luckily, it’s not usually a cause for concern. What is astigmatism? Astigmatism is a condition that causes blurry vision, much like nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia). However, with astigmatism, your cornea or lens inside the eye may be irregularly shaped, similar…
Protect Your Vision With Multiple Pairs of Glasses

by Julia King, O.D. Nowadays, when we use our eyes for so many different activities, one pair of eyeglasses is rarely sufficient. Multiple pairs of eyeglasses provide different levels of correction or features to enhance your vision for varying daily activities. Most people have an everyday pair of glasses that they use on a regular…
Do You Have the Symptoms of Mesenteric Artery Disease?

Mesenteric artery disease is an uncommon but potentially serious condition that affects the blood vessels that supply your bowels. There are three main arteries that supply your bowels: celiac artery, superior mesenteric artery, and inferior mesenteric artery. The bowels comprise the segment of the gut that extends from the diaphragm to the anus. The blood…