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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…

Healthcare Buzz: Oral healthcare and your child — back to basics

FLOSSING is an important part of any oral care routine, and experts advise you do it at least once a day. However, many parents wonder when should their children should start flossing their teeth? The answer is much younger than you’d likely guess. The recommendation is that you should start flossing your child’s teeth as…
Healthy Cook: A fresh look at meals for Easter time

EASTER IS A TIME of rejoicing for Christians all over the world. It’s a time for rebirth and starting over. It’s spring for everyone, no matter what religion. And, it’s a time to take a fresh look at what we eat. Lent, traditionally 40 days of culinary sacrifice, leads to Easter. When I was a…
Health Facts: Tired … thinning hair . . . tearful? It may be your thyroid gland

THE THYROID GLAND is a butterfly shaped organ that sits in the lower front of the neck. It’s job is to make thyroid hormones, which are secreted into the bloodstream and taken to every tissue in the body. Thyroid hormones regulate metabolism, energy levels, and affect your appetite, body warmth, sleep, and mood. Symptoms may…