Health & Wellness

A War Within

mcherkezian — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:00:34 -0600

I strode into the lieutenant colonel’s office thinking I felt better about myself than I had in a long time. Yes, I thought, this is what I was meant to do.

I was a military chaplain, reporting to the head of pastoral care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

I was in the midst of helping a family whose son, wounded in Iraq, had died after surgery. I’d stood by the soldier’s bedside then worked feverishly to get his parents and brother to Walter Reed. They were due to arrive in a few hours.

Wheelchair Users Play Rugby as a Competitive Outlet

batch — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:05:08 -0600

Shephard Center, a rehabilitation clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, decided it needed to find a way to boost positive attitude for those who found themselves paralyzed from the waist down.

6-Year-Old Becomes an Advocate for Preemies

batch — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:05:07 -0600

When little Joshua Hoffman was born more than four months before he was due, his family was terrified for his health and his future.

He weighed 1 pound, 11 ounces, and most of his organs were underdeveloped.

"My husband Lee and I couldn't be more terrified, and I was positive that after just 24 hours I had no tears left," Melanie Hoffman says, recalling the first hours after Joshua was born.

Nanaw's New Blessing

jbloustein — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:49:01 -0500

Fourth of July, and my sister-in-law was having a cookout. Once I would have looked forward to a gathering like this. Today my husband, David, had to convince me to go.

Since the spring I’d withdrawn little by little from the world. I’d become a prisoner of my epileptic seizures. I never knew when one would sneak up on me and knock me clear off my feet.

I tried different medications, but they only made me zoned out, less in control than ever. Doctors didn’t know what to do for me. How could I keep from injuring myself?

How Giving Helps One Woman Cope With MS

batch — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:05:05 -0500

Cami Walker is inviting people to change their lives for the better: through simple acts of generosity.

Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006, at age 32. Like so many who suffer from the illness, she had good days and bad.

One night, kept awake by pain, Walker was reading through her journal and came across some advice that had been given to her by her spiritual advisor: give something away each day for 29 days.

Army Medic Shares Her Hopeful PTSD Story

batch — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:05:06 -0600

Post-traumatic stress disorder is real, but it can be overcome with proper support.

That is the message that Army Staff Sergeant Megan Krause hopes to convey as she adds her experience to other soldiers' real life stories of coping after serving.

Krause, 27, served as a medic in both Afghanistan and Iraq before she decided to go off active duty and get a college degree, American Forces Press Service reports.

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.

Blind Hikers Reach Summit of Mt Kilimanjaro

batch — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:05:15 -0500

Relying on each other's support and the encouragement of their guides for inspiration, a group of eight blind hikers successfully reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on June 29.

The team broke the world record for the largest number of visually impaired people to hike Africa's tallest mountain. Also, as part of the feat, 13-year-old Max Ashton of Phoenix, Arizona became the youngest person to reach the summit.

Our Bond

admin — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:45:49 -0500

Diane: I'll never forget that night. I was 22 years old. It was a Monday night football game in 1971, a matchup between my team, the Green Bay Packers, and the Detroit Lions.

A typical November night in Wisconsin—cold, wet and miserable. Still, it was a full house at Milwaukee County Stadium. I hunched in the stands wearing a Hefty bag to keep out the rain.

Paraplegic Athlete Reaches Top of Kilimanjaro

batch — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:05:25 -0500

Paraplegic athlete Chris Waddell overcame physical obstacles and proved that with a combination of strength, determination and a positive attitude, the sky's the limit.

Waddell reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro—the tallest mountain in Africa—more than two decades after he was paralyzed in a skiing accident.