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Senior Strong: Local Powerlifter Shares Her Story

Local Powerlifter Yvette Fox is Not Your Typical Grandma by TERESA SCHIFFER Some people spend their senior years slowing down and doing less, physically. Yvette Fox is heading in the opposite direction, and smashing records on her way. The 60-year-old grandmother of six is turning heads and taking home wins at powerlifting competitions and running…
The Science of the Shoe

Expert Tips on Footwear and Selecting a Better Shoe for Happier, Healthier Feet by MARY TOOTHMAN There are 26 bones and 33 joints in the human foot and ankle, and the height of arches and the shape of the toes vary from person to person. And according to the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society…
More Than Man’s Best Friend

Susan Grill of Trained and Maintained Shares What Takes to be a Service or Therapy Dog by TERESA SCHIFFER They say that the dog is man’s best friend. If the dog is a service or therapy animal, that’s true in more ways than one. These special pooches save lives, provide assistance and comfort,…

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…