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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: Helping you get ready for a new school year

In this special edition of Central Florida Health News, we’re taking a good, detailed look at the challenges of helping our kids make healthy lifestyle choices, especially when you throw in the complexity of a busy school semester. It’s definitely not easy to bring up your kids in the way that they should go,…
Healthy Cook: After school time (or any time) snack ideas

“Mom, I’m home and there’s nothing to eat and I’m hungry.” The answer was easy for Eve: “Go pick yourself a piece of fruit . . . but not the apples.” Life is more complicated now. And the neighbor’s citrus is out of season for a quick snack. This is a wonderful opportunity for…
Body, Mind & Spirit: Curb the stress of school expenses

When bills start piling up at the start of the school year, stress levels also rise. There may be anger, or feelings of deprivation as favorite extracurricular activities are cut. But there are ways for the family to adjust and grow stronger. “We can teach our children what is really important in life,”says Patricia…