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The Struggle is Part of Their Story

Clay and Beranda Mock Share Their Story as they Continue Their Journey to Parenthood by LENORE DEVORE She was 23. He was 19. They were young, but Beranda didn’t have time to play games. She told Clay Mock right away that she only wanted a serious relationship, one that would involve getting pregnant quickly. Time…
Pop Quiz: See How Much You Know About Tooth and Gum Disease

by ERIKA ALDRICH Tooth and gum disease are important health considerations well beyond childhood, but they are not as high in our social health consciousness as they need to be. Since knowledge is power, knowing as much as possible about oral health can help you to decrease your chances of having cavities, losing teeth,…
Striking Out Cancer

World Record Attempt at Charity Challenge Helps Raise Cancer Awareness story by MARY TOOTHMAN The third time was supposed to be the charm – but an attempt on April 15 to break the World Record of a human cancer awareness ribbon did not have Mother Nature on its side. Still, organizer Chris Hazelwood sounded…

Signs & symptoms: When your skin needs medical attention

As a surgeon who often treats and cares for patients whose ailments of the skin have gone too long without medical attention, I’d like to talk about the importance of seeing a doctor right away if you find abnormalities on the skin. I hope people can be aware that it is not only important…
Body, mind & spirit: Integrating primary and behavioral care

When you go to the doctor complaining of stomach pain, you probably don’t expect your problem to be depression. But it just may be. When you complain of headache, clumsiness, dizziness, shakiness, blurred vision, tingling around the mouth and seizures, you might expect an anxiety or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. You may be surprised if…
Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health

Dr. Sean P. O’Rourke is a board-certified cardiologist at Watson Clinic. With a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease, Dr. O’Rourke often sees patients suffering from heart disease. He took the time to answer some questions about heart disease, which has a higher death rate in Polk County than in the rest of Florida. Health…