Update on my mother
It’s been about two and a half months since my 96-year-old mother broke her hip and had surgery, and I’m pleased to report that she’s doing pretty well so far. She was in the rehab wing of the hospital for … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Health
Eat Twinkies, be happy, and lose that weight?
Mark Haub, professor of nutrition at Kansas State, gets my vote as intrepid truthteller of the month, maybe the year. Despite every fiber of his being protesting against some of the results of his experiment in junk food dieting, he … Continue reading →
The lost art of the physical exam
The NY Times has an article about how the latest crop of doctors has forgotten—or really, never learned—how to perform a physical exam. Oh, they can take measurements, and they can order tests. But they have come to rely on … Continue reading →
So sorry, the doctor isn’t in
There’s a doctor shortage, in case you hadn’t noticed. And it’s likely to get worse as a result of Obamacare: This disease can be traced back to 1997, when Congress, anticipating a doctor surplus, included a section in its budget-balancing … Continue reading →
America doesn’t want to eat its vegetables
Lady Bird Johnson was out to beautify America by planting flowers. Nancy Reagan wanted us to Just Say No to drugs. And Michelle Obama would like Americans to eat more healthfully and nutritiously, and to include more fresh vegetables in … Continue reading →
My mother has another adventure
Many of you have followed the story of my mother’s stroke and rehabilitation, and her move back to assisted living in New York, where she’s been doing pretty well for the last four years. “Doing pretty well” at the age … Continue reading →
Migraine news
Today I saw that “migraine” was one of the most commonly searched terms on Google, and I wondered why. Lo and behold, it seems that a gene connected with the condition has been discovered by researchers in Europe, giving hope … Continue reading →
My big fat size 10
Model Crystal Renn is what passes for “plus-size” in the distorted world of modeling. Take a look at Ms. Renn, who is 5’9″ and wears a size 10: To me, Renn looks attractive and robust but still relatively trim and … Continue reading →
Living dangerously with salsa and guacamole
Remember how much fun it was to taste a bit of the raw batter during the making of cakes or cookies when you were a child? Well, that simple joy ended years ago, when raw eggs were nixed because they … Continue reading →
Requiring viewing of pre-abortion ultrasounds: I’m with Crist on this one
Governor Crist of Florida has vetoed legislation that would have made viewing of their sonograms mandatory for women contemplating first-trimester abortions: Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would have required women seeking a first-trimester abortion to pay for … Continue reading →
The biggest biggest loser
I must say, this is pretty frickin impressive: Even his facial features look completely different, don’t they? He’s Michael Ventrella, champ at the TV weight-loss game, who had a lot to gain by losing a lot: “By the final show, … Continue reading →
The continuing saga of Al Megrahi
Remember our friend the Lockerbie bomber, Al Megrahi? The one who got a “get out of jail free” card back in August of 2009 because he only had three months to live, max? Well, it’s nine months later and Al … Continue reading →