Tag: Health

Avoiding the Tragedy: A Look into Disease Prevention

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By Barbara Leonhard | Featured Contributor

Part 1 – Hope Was Not a Loss: A Story About Measles Encephalitis
Part 2 – Learning How to Walk Again: Barbara’s Story

Back in 1958, the year I almost died from the measles, my parents—unlike the parents of today—did not have to face the choice of vaccination, because there was no vaccine in existence (it wasn’t introduced until several years later, in 1963).

Therefore, it was important for me to share my experience with this condition because of the great controversy that currently exists over vaccines in general, and particularly the measles vaccine. Far too many children are not getting vaccinated against measles and other diseases owing to perceived risks, so now measles has returned as a virulent threat worldwide.

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Hope Was Not a Loss: A Story About Measles Encephalitis

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By Barbara Leonhard | Featured Contributor

In this article, I would like to share my story of how an illness I suffered as a child affected me. Particularly with the climate of today, I hope this will help inform people of the consequences that can develop in young children who are at risk of getting certain illnesses.

It was the summer of 1958, and it seemed to have happened all at once, where I turned from an active six-year-old girl to a helpless baby overnight. At that time, my family was living in Lewistown, Montana, where my dad was a Presbyterian minister. Mom was at home with three children, aged seven to four. That summer, all three of us contracted measles. But while my siblings’ illnesses took a more benign course, I developed a life-threatening complication: measles encephalitis—a serious and potentially fatal inflammation of the brain that can occur either during the rash phase of measles or following the illness itself.

I have often contemplated my own battle with measles encephalitis…because it did indeed nearly kill me.

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Mind Over Body: Catarina’s Path to Health

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By Catarina Rodrigues, Featured Health Story

Three and a half years ago, I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia. A hiatal hernia is what happens when the upper portion of your stomach slides up into your chest because there is an opening (a “hiatus”) in your diaphragm. This causes the person to experience severe acid reflux and discomfort, among other symptoms. When my doctor explained this to me, as—you may imagine—it all sounded quite frightening. He told me that this was essentially an incurable condition and that surgery was not recommended at my age.

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Get Featured on PhoebeMD!

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Do you currently live with a chronic health condition or care for someone who does? Have you overcome a significant health event in the past? Would you like to use your experience to inspire others who may be going through similar circumstances while simultaneously expanding your own blog readership?

If so, PhoebeMD would like to invite you to submit your story to be considered for publication!

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Helping One Another

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In response to the worldwide health crisis that is affecting all of our lives right now, I have a special burden for the most vulnerable populations—the elderly and the chronically ill—many of whom are struggling during this time to maintain their health.

I am leading an effort through Pendants for a Cause to raise money to help support high-risk patients at nonprofit California and Texas hospitals. This means that 100% of the proceeds raised through the sale of items purchased through Pendants for a Cause’s shop will be redirected during this time toward preparing essential care packages for patients in need.

While we are no doubt all struggling to get through this time, I ask that you—if you live in the U.S.*—to consider supporting this cause if you have the burden or the means to.

Thank you for making a difference.

Sincerely,
Phoebe Chi, MD

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*Pendants for a Cause is limited to shipping within the U.S. at this time. 

Alzheimer’s: Grieving the Loss of My Mother

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By Barbara Leonhard, Featured Contributor

[Part 1 – Fire & Ice: The Faces of Grief]

As a way to examine grief and loss, I will share my story of the loss of my mother to Alzheimer’s, one of the most devastating forms of dementia.

What is Alzheimer’s?

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Disease is a dementia caused by the building up of plaques—deposits of protein fragments that create spaces between neurons (nerve cells)—as well as tau tangles inside the cells of the brain itself.

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