Health News

Features

Strength in Numbers

Breast Cancer Survivors Strong Support System Helps on the Journey Friends who have been there, family and, most of all God, help breast cancer survivors on their road to health. Michelle Faught, a self-employed household manager, didn’t let breast cancer keep her down. Two weeks after having a single lumpectomy, with her surgeon’s approval, she…
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…

Editor’s Dose: A thank-you letter to nurses

FROM MID-FEBRUARY to about mid-April, my family was at the doctor’s office a lot. The late-spreading flu season (although none of us in our household ever actually caught the flu — thank goodness) must have carried with it many other viruses, because we’ve certainly experienced our fair share. In fact, a few nurses on staff…
Healthy Skin: May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

“C’MON, DOC. What’s a little sunburn?” is a question I frequently hear from the public. The answer is, if you’re lucky, that’s all it is. But a little sunburn is one of the easiest skin cancer risk factors to avoid. If left untreated, skin cancer, or melanoma, can progress to the point that it’s disfiguring…
Cautions for two of your favorite summer activities

SPRING IS THE TIME OF YEAR in Florida when temperatures begin to warm and the weather is perfect outside. With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, this beautiful weather also marks the beginning of swimming season for Polk’s residents. Swimming and boating are two of the most popular summer activities for people living…