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Health

Palliative care

Who do you turn to when you’re facing a terminal or serious illness, but you’re still well enough to live a somewhat normal life? Palliative care experts — who usually operate in teams of doctors, nurses, social workers and spiritual advisers — work with seriously ill patients to make sure their last months or years on earth are as good as they can be.

“We’re not focused on trying to fix problems. We’re trying to alleviate symptoms and distress,” said Dr. Stephen Rommelfanger, the Milwaukee-based medical director of Aurora Palliative Care, Aurora Medical Group. “We’re trying to coordinate patients’ care better, enhance communication about what the disease is about and what the treatments are.”

When a patient officially enters hospice, it’s because doctors believe they have less than six months to live. But patients getting palliative care are often still working, caring for children, and volunteering in the community.

A season of SADness

Earlier this spring, a long siege of cloudy weather put those in southeastern Wisconsin in a funk.

Although in general the weather put a damper on our mood, for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder, the seemingly endless days of dark skies made life a little harder.

Adaptive phones bring independence

Innovation has made telecommunications a vital part of our world.

The same innovation applied to special needs consumers has produced telecommunications devices that amplify, use voice control and flash lights when they ring.

Allergy season is here

Hold tight to your tissue box, allergy season is here and it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 50 million Americans will suffer from seasonal allergies this spring.

Walk co-chairwoman fortunate to participate

On Saturday, hundreds of people will be walking and running along the lakefront to raise money for cancer research. One of them shouldn’t be there at all.

It was back in September 2011 that Ann Harms was diagnosed with terminal, stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Doctors at The Mayo Clinic said her life was over.

Living with autism

Autism can take over family life like a windy day at the beach. Wave after wave keeps everyone in the water off-balance, and the experience can be exhausting. And it’s a scene that is played out daily.

It changes family relationships and dynamics. Parents worry about the effect that dealing with one child’s autism will have on their other children.

Fighting cancer with style: Special salon helps patients look good, feel better

Cancer may make you feel many things, but pretty or handsome isn’t one of them.

When reviewing treatment options following a cancer diagnosis, “Will I lose my hair?” is often one of the first questions patients ask.

Mediterranean diet is a healthy choice

A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet can cut heart risks, including stroke. Experts long believed that the Mediterranean diet, full of fresh, minimally processed foods mostly from plant sources, boasted heart-healthy benefits. But the new study, conducted over five years, is the first to show a direct link.

Melissa Galich, a registered dietitian with United Hospital System in Kenosha, says she’s not surprised by the study’s findings because the foundation of the Mediterranean diet consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Shortage gives new meaning to the term blood pressure

What could you accomplish in 10 minutes? A load of laundry? Wash the dishes? Fire off a couple of emails? What about save a life?

The average time it takes to donate a single pint of blood is eight to 10 minutes. (The entire process from registration to leaving the donation site takes about an hour). But the benefits that result from a single donation could last a lifetime. Sometimes, it means a lifetime.