Search Results for: blog when your doctor has bad news

Santorum Says Americans Die From “Bad Choices”

The 2012 Presidential election is still pretty far away. Even so, it is a good idea to keep track of what individual candidates think about health insurance. Rick Santorum thinks that Americans die because of “bad choices”, and that it has nothing at all to do with lack of health insurance. Rick Santorum recently held a question and answer session with students from Dordt College, (which is a Christian college in Iowa). Rick Santorum is one of the people who is hoping to become the Republican Presidential candidate for the 2012 election. A student named Ryan Walters asked: “If not … Continue reading →

How to Avoid Buying Bad Health Insurance

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You probably realize that having good health insurance can contribute to your, and to your family’s, good health and quality of life. We are in a time when it is not very easy to find affordable health insurance. This makes some people ready to sign up for the first policy that comes along that they are able to afford. Be careful, though! You might end up buying bad health insurance. What, exactly, is “bad health insurance”? There is no simple answer to this question. The short answer is that “bad health insurance” is a policy that doesn’t do what you … Continue reading →

Good and Bad News About Your Baby’s Ear Infection

When my daughter came down with her first ear infection as a baby she was in a tremendous amount of pain. Back then I did what most first-time moms would do, I high tailed it to the pediatrician and expected the doctor to help alleviate my baby’s discomfort and help heal her infection. However, instead of leaving the ped’s office with a handful of prescription antibiotics and a list of tried and true pain relieving techniques, all I went home with was a super cranky baby. My daughter’s doctor has a wait-and-see policy to avoid over-prescribing antibiotics to their young … Continue reading →

The Bad News about the Shingles Vaccine

I know I am getting old now because I am starting to worry about shingles, the painful rash and blister disease that is a reactivation of chickenpox. If you never get chickenpox, you will never have shingles, but I did and now I am concerned. Years ago, I thought shingles was something old people got. But, now that I am narrowing in on 50, it seems all too real a possibility. I was glad to hear there is a vaccine now to help prevent you from getting shingles. But, there is bad news too. While the vaccine Zostavax has reduced … Continue reading →

Using Gentian Violet Without Staining Your Entire House Purple

We’ve been using Gentian Violet to treat our daughter’s thrush for the past few days. The number one complaint about it is that it is messy. It temporarily stains the mother’s nipples and baby’s mouth and cheeks purple, and will permanently stain any fabric it comes into contact with. I will agree with mothers who say Gentian Violet is messy. I don’t think it’s quite as bad as people make it out to be, however. With a little caution and common sense, administering it to your thrush-ridden child doesn’t have to be a huge deal. If you are about to … Continue reading →

It’s Not a Good Idea to Avoid the Doctor

There are many reasons we may avoid going to the doctor. For some people there is a sense of fear. My husband has always done his best to stay away from the doctor. I never really gave it much thought until one day he kept complaining about an ailment and I asked why he doesn’t just go to the doctor. His response was, “I don’t want to find out that something is wrong.” Even when we know something is wrong, sometimes we are afraid to actually hear about it. Now the particular ailment that my husband was complaining about wasn’t … Continue reading →

Bad Things Happen When You Stop Going to the Gym

Remember when you first got your gym membership? Everything was new and exciting; you were determined to drop excess weight, get fit, and look great for your high school reunion, pool party, 40th birthday, etc. You used that adrenaline to fuel regular gym visits for the first month or so, then you discovered how easy it was to skip the gym one day, then the next day and the day after that. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, I have bad news: A new University of Missouri study found that the negative effects of skipping exercise can occur in … Continue reading →

Location Has a Bearing on Health Care

Different regions of the world — or even of a particular country — tend to have different types of health problems and health care strengths and weaknesses. Look at the United States, for example. The Midwest and the South tend to have the highest rates of morbid obesity in the nation. The Northeast is known for female-friendly care: women get more frequent Pap smears and mammograms there than in the rest of the country. So how does location affect the care you get (and the money you spend on health care)? Studies from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center took a look at … Continue reading →

When Your Doctor Has Bad News

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A friend of mine had a scary diagnosis recently. The big C: cancer. It got me thinking about how I would handle a major illness. Do some research. I’d want to understand what was happening in my body, what symptoms I could expect, and what treatments are out there. Sites like www.WebMD.com and the National Institutes of Health are good starting points. Get a second opinion. Doctors know a heck of a lot more about health stuff than I do, but nobody is perfect. Your doctor shouldn’t take a second opinion as an insult, or a commentary on his or … Continue reading →

Dr. Phil Has No Friends

Dr. Phil may be ruing the day he even heard the name Britney Spears. Since getting involved in the trainwreck’s life not only has he been sanctioned by his “colleagues,” the outspoken Texas transplant is learning he has no friends in Hollywood. First thing’s first—-it’s important to note that despite all the hoopla surrounding the TV shrink giving advice to the Spears family, and then issuing a statement regarding the derailed singer’s psychological condition, documents prove Phillip McGraw has never been licensed to practice in California, and he retired his Texas license in 2006. With that said, TMZ.com is reporting … Continue reading →