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How a life-saving transplant transformed my life

| Annemarie Ward shares her journey of keeping hope alive amidst heart disease | NEARLY 15 YEARS AGO, Annemarie Ward was walking the family’s three dogs with her mother Polly and sister Emily when she collapsed. At age seven, Annemarie had suffered a heart attack. She was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or enlargement of the…
Pop Quiz: Maintaining optimal optical health

| Understanding the causes of low vision and taking precautions as you age | EYESIGHT is a precious thing, and unfortunately there are many threats to optimal optical health. One common eye problem is low vision, and it affects seniors the most. Low vision, in its simplest terms, is any vision loss that interferes with…
Celebrating Black History Month with a look at local African-Americans in medicine

ALEX ALEXANDER Registered Nurse Bartow Regional Medical Center As a black registered nurse from North Carolina, 56-year-old Alex Alexander has had his run-ins with prejudice. But he’s learned to remember who he is, treat others like his brothers and sisters, forgive, and … not believe everything he hears. “You earn things by your merit and…

Editor’s Dose: Something a summer vacation should never be without

With four young, very excitable (and sometimes accident-prone) children, there is one thing that we never leave home without, especially when going on vacation: the first aid kit! Last year, we enjoyed having a “staycation” and decided to visit some of the theme parks in Central Florida. And by the way, Legoland is a blast…
Healthy Cook: Dad’s special dinner, made healthier

Here we go again. It’s Father’s day. A tie he won’t wear? A fishing lure he probably won’t have time to use? A 6-pack of imported beer? Getting something for Dad is tough enough, but the more Father’s days under his belt combined with the number of children for which he is father too (who…
PCMA Letter: Part of the responsibility of being a father

As doctors and parents, this edition of Central Florida Health News hits very close to home for many of us at the Polk County Medical Association (PCMA). One of the features in this edition talks about how regular health screenings for men are an essential part of living a longer, healthier life. I was honored…