Hospital Stays

Images of Cuba

February 18, 2012

Interest in visiting Cuba, so close to our border yet so different in its culture, economy, and form of government, is rising. These images confirm it as a world apart, which is why travelers want to see it before it changes. While it's possible to enter Cuba by flying from Canada or Mexico, US citizens who are caught trying to do so are subject to penalties and prosecution. However licensed, US-government-sanctioned educational tours and ones led by religious groups are permitted.

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CONDITIONS & TREATMENTS | HEALTH

Could Statins Fight the Flu?

By: Barbara Kantrowitz

December 15, 2011

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People on statins were less likely to die of the flu in one study

A new study finds that statins users were less likely to die of the flu

CONDITIONS & TREATMENTS | HEALTH

When Should You Get a Second Opinion?

By: Barbara Kantrowitz

December 6, 2011

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Your doctor should answer all your questions

In a non-emergency situation, getting a second medical opinion is often a smart idea

HEALTHCARE | HEALTH

Drug Overdoses and the Elderly

By: Barbara Kantrowitz

November 25, 2011

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Are you worried about an elderly relative's use of prescription drugs?

Overdoses of common medications account for large percentages of drug overdoses in the elderly, a study says

DOCTORS & HOSPITALS | HEALTH

Cosmetic Surgery Etiquette

By: Barbara Kantrowitz

June 16, 2011

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What is the etiquette for friends who want cosmetic surgery?

What should you tell friends who want cosmetic surgery?

CANCER | HEALTH

Living With Breast Cancer: Chapter 5 – Chemotherapy

By: Sherri Daley

May 17, 2011

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Lucky me. After a diagnosis of Stage One breast cancer and a lumpectomy with clear margins and happy lymph nodes, I qualified for chemotherapy.

Some women need only a gentle mix of chemicals – kind of like smearing bacitracin in the bloodstream. But me — because I had a relatively newly recognized and more aggressive form of cancer (Her-2 positive), I got to have the really tough stuff.

THE INFUSION CENTER

CANCER | HEALTH

Living With Breast Cancer: Chapter 4 – Scary Machines

By: Sherri Daley

May 12, 2011

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Waking up from anesthesia is a Disney experience. The light is soft, voices are hushed, and Tinkerbell hovers by the ceiling lights. That's the way it was when I woke up after breast cancer surgery. I wasn't happy.

If cutting something out of your breast weren't enough to scare the pants off any woman, almost immediately after surgery, there is a series of tests that involve huge machines, computer screens, hypodermic needles, teams of hospital staff, x-rays, test tubes of blood and paper cups of urine, radioactivity, several laboratory visits, and partial nudity.

CONDITIONS & TREATMENTS | HEALTH

How Bedbugs Could Spread Disease

By: Barbara Kantrowitz

May 11, 2011

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I don't have many phobias (thankfully) but I am truly freaked out by the thought of bedbugs. I like to think of my bedroom as my sanctuary and the idea that little tiny creepy crawly things are hiding in the pillows and mattress just makes me squirm all over.

Until now, I thought that bedbugs were just an annoyance but a study published today in a journal of the Centers for Disease Control suggests that these pests might actually carry disease.

HOSPITAL STAYS | HEALTH

The Most Dangerous Place

By: Celeste Perron

April 13, 2011

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You probably think that if you or a loved one enters a hospital you'd be safer there than at at home—with all of those doctors and nurses and high-tech devices around, what could go wrong? The answer, it turns out, is a lot.

CARDIOVASCULAR | HEALTH

Where to Go If You're Having a Stroke

By: Barbara Kantrowitz

January 25, 2011

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As I wrote earlier, a close relative of mine recently had a stroke. Fortunately, we were able to get him to a designated stroke center with 30 minutes of the onset of his symptoms, which made all the difference. He is now recovering quite well but I keep thinking about how lucky we were that I knew which hospital was the right one to take him to. A few weeks earlier, I was talking to a friend of the family who is an EMT.