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Creature Comforts

Winter Haven Hospital Volunteer Crochets Octopuses to Soothe NICU Babies by PAUL CATALA Gabriele Robinson has found a unique way to help premature babies. The Winter Haven Hospital volunteer crochets miniature octopus dolls for newborns in the Women’s Hospital Neonatal Infant Care Unit. Robinson, who has been creating the creatures of comfort since October, says…
Revamp Your Resolutions

Frame Your Goals for the New Year in Positive Language by MATT COBBLE As the last days of 2019 tick away, the blank canvas of 2020 stands dauntingly ahead. Many of us will aim for self-improvement by way of New Year’s Resolutions. However, statistically speaking, the majority of resolutions are disregarded or forgotten by the…
Expanding Care

Lakeland Regional’s Behavioral Health Center to Address Acute Need in Area by TERESA SCHIFFER Mental and behavioral health issues continue to be a major concern in the United States, and Central Florida is not immune to these problems. The unfortunate reality is that in Polk County, there is just one mental health provider for every…

What is Bell’s Palsy?

By: Edward Attaway, O.D. Bell’s Palsy is a condition in which one side of the face typically experiences temporary paralysis, often lasting from 3-6 months. It results from a dysfunction of the 7th cranial nerve, also referred to as the facial nerve, which controls the muscles on the side of your face. Affected muscles include…
When Do You Visit the Doctor for Hives?

Hives are itchy patches of skin that turn into swollen, itchy welts. They can vary in size. Chronic hives are defined as hives that last for more than six weeks and return over the course of months or years. The cause of chronic hives is often unknown. These welts are caused by some reaction that…
A Closer Look at the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lymphedema

Lymphedema is largely a clinical diagnosis. When you see a vascular surgeon for the first time with this condition, they will order tests to make sure no underlying coexisting diseases are present. For example, they will order tests to rule out peripheral arterial disease (blockages in the arterial circulation), chronic venous insufficiency (vein blockages or…