Health & Wellness

Body and Mind

mcherkezian — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:15:47 -0600

David Hebert, a 16-year-old junior varsity quarterback from Houston, Texas, lay in a hospital room last fall, eagerly awaiting a visit from Kevin Everett, his football hero. Hebert had snapped his neck trying to make a tackle, paralyzing him from the waist down. When Everett, a 6-foot-4 former Buffalo Bills tight end, who lives in nearby Humble, strode through his doorway, Hebert was almost lost for words. “I want to become like you one day,” he said.

The New Sam

admin — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:11:00 -0600

On January 19, 1979, a 19-year-old man was skiing in the mountains above Vancouver with a friend. He attempted a trick—one he'd done before—in which he skied downhill between his friend's legs.

Surviving Postpartum Depression

jbloustein — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:34:48 -0500

In the early weeks of my first pregnancy, I braced myself for the misery of morning sickness.

At seven weeks, when the nausea hit, it was worse than I'd imagined. I had pictured an upset stomach, maybe a bit of vomiting in the morning. I hadn't foreseen an all-day sickness that made my mouth taste like dirt and made me loathe even the thought of food.

But I found comfort knowing I wasn't alone. As I gagged on Saltine crackers, I reminded myself that it was a normal part of pregnancy. It would come to an end.

Haitian Man Found Alive

batch — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:05:06 -0600

A 24-year-old Haitian man was found alive underneath rubble in Port-au-Prince, where he was trapped for 11 days after the devastating earthquake.

After a three-hour rescue effort, French and Greek rescue teams emerged with Wismond Exantus, who seemed to be in good health and without a single broken bone or fracture, according to The Independent.

According to the news provider, Exantus was greeted by cheers and reporters upon his rescue, confirming the hope of many that more survivors may remain buried beneath the rubble.

Cancer Survivor Inspired by Armstrong

batch — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:05:05 -0600

Although many people can call Lance Armstrong an amazing source of inspiration, one man says that the cyclist's story was what helped him get through his battle against cancer.

Serious Stuff

admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:44:00 -0500

I knew the news would be tough to break. when i finally told my wife, Cathy, that Lisa had breast cancer, she had to sit down and catch her breath.

The news was such a shock. Lisa was like family to us, someone who'd been with us in all our ups and downs, mirroring them in many cases, even anticipating them. "Is she going to be okay?" Cathy asked—that first question you always ask when someone has cancer.

What Mattered Most

admin — Fri, 01 May 1992 06:17:00 -0500

"Ask and it shall be given you," Jesus said. I've always believed this, but never so totally as the day of the accident in 1978.

I was 75 years old. The grass on our 121-acre dairy farm needed cutting, so I hitched a set of mower blades to my tractor and went to work. The tractor was huge, and for added traction on our up-and-down Maryland terrain, its rear wheels were filled with 500 pounds of fluid, and a 200-pound weight hung from each hub.

Freedom Rock

admin — Mon, 01 May 2006 10:07:00 -0500

There was no fanfare when I returned home from Vietnam in 1970. Just my family. Not even my friends knew what to make of me.

I'd been shot up pretty bad. I'd served with the 134th Aviation Company near Cam Ranh Bay, flying troops into combat zones. One night a mortar round landed on the base-camp barracks. The whole place exploded. I felt like I was on fire.

A Hero on Crutches

batch — Sat, 30 May 2009 04:05:15 -0500

After being injured in a rocket attack in Basra in February 2008, British Army Major Phil Packer was told he would never walk again.

Despite this bleak prognosis, he has gone on to row the English Channel and walk the London Marathon using crutches. Next, he has his sights set on climbing the 3,000-foot El Capitan peak in Yosemite National Park.

Transplant Donor and Patient Meet in Illinois

batch — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:05:07 -0500

In early October, cancer survivor Rosalind Beard finally got to meet the man she credits with saving her life.

At Loyola University Medical center's annual bone marrow transplant celebration, the 40-year-old woman met up with Tim Crawford of Adairsville, Georgia, who donated stem cells for her 2007 transplant.

Beard, a mother of four, told the Chicago Sun-Times she wanted to thank Crawford personally for his gesture, which also gave her faith and hope to keep fighting her cancer.