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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…

PCMA Letter: Getting the word out

OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness month and, to help educate the community about early detection, this edition features some important stories you’ll want to read. We at the Polk County Medical Association (PCMA) are here to help educate and equip the members of our community to live healthier lives, and subsequently, hopefully prevent serious illnesses…
Family Health: Steps for a breast self-exam

ABOUT ONE IN EIGHT U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. There are a few things that can be done for early detection, such as an at-home breast self-exam. This exam helps women know what is normal for them. They can then report any changes to their healthcare provider.…
Healthy Skin: Taking action against acne

IT’S TIME for back to school, and for teens with acne, this can be even more stressful. Acne is the papules and pustules that develop on the face, back, and chest usually at the onset of puberty. It is not uncommon to have acne as early as 10 years of age. Normal onset is between…