Search Results for: blog how you can help the sick and suffering

Mega Morning Sickness

Kate Middleton’s baby is due to arrive any day now. The royal newborn will make the Duchess and Prince William first-time parents. It’s hard to tell who is more excited about the impending birth—Kate and Wills or the paparazzi. Middleton is said to be counting down the days to motherhood by clothes shopping near her parents’ home. Her retail therapy is a far cry from her hospitalization for severe morning sickness earlier in her pregnancy. Duchess Kate admitted to suffering from an acute form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum.  The serious-sounding condition can level even the toughest moms-to-be.  Doctors … Continue reading →

When Being Sick Is Not An Option

What do you dread more?  Dealing with a sick kid or running a household while running a fever and to the toilet every few minutes? When my daughter was an infant she got violently ill.  In a moment of utter fatigue and desperation, I tried bargaining with her doctor.  I offered him all of my appendages in exchange for a cure for my child.  I wanted to alleviate her pain at any cost, even if it meant dismembering my own body. It’s a scenario most parents can relate to; we’d rather be the ones suffering than see our children in … Continue reading →

Super Size Me…Not!

Although this movie was made in 2004, I didn’t see it until recently. It is the documentary, “Super Size Me.” Let me tell you, if you have a McDonald’s habit that you are trying to kick, all you have to do is watch this movie and I can almost guarantee you will lose your appetite for the fast-food chain. I did. In fact, I lost my appetite for a lot of things…that is, anything that is fatty. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock decided to conduct an experiment in which he would only eat food from McDonalds for 30 days. He went into … Continue reading →

When Veterinary Euthanasia is O.K.

In an old episode of “The Office,” Dwight puts his girlfriend Angela’s beloved cat in the freezer. He does so because the cat is ancient and has so many medical issues that it’s barely alive. Dwight lives on a farm, and as he tells a devastated Angela, “sometimes farm people have to do what city folk are too weak to.” Obviously Dwight’s actions on the show are horrible (and played for comedic effect), but they raise an interesting question: Dwight genuinely thought he was doing what was best for the cat and he did it in what he considered a … Continue reading →

Is Life Fair?

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Not often do I hunt quotes down from people that have given a great talk in Sacrament meeting, but this past week, I really wanted a copy of a quote I heard by Spencer W. Kimball read in such a talk. I thanked the speaker in my ward for peaking my interest in the lives of Book of Mormon characters by her great talk on Teancum in the Book of Mormon. But, it was the following quote that I wanted to re-read and think about: “Now, we find many people critical when a righteous person is killed, a young father … Continue reading →

Thoughts on Health Insurance While I am Sick

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I am among the thousands of Americans that has absolutely no health insurance coverage. It feels like a twisted, malicious, cosmic joke that I happen to be searching for affordable health insurance while I am fighting a bad cold. Here are my thoughts about this situation, as I cough my way through the night. I have heard insurance companies complain that too many people wait to buy health insurance until after they are already sick. This troubles insurers who are now, legally, unable to reject the applications for a health insurance plan that are submitted by people who have serious, … Continue reading →

Boys and Anorexia

Anorexia is typically seen as a girls’ disorder, and this can have fatal results for boys whose disease often goes undiscovered too long, as parents, friends and loved ones don’t recognize the signs until the disorder has a firm hold on its sufferer, often with fatal results. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, there are at least one million males in the United States that are fighting anorexia or bulimia. Some affected by these psychological illnesses are as young as ten years old. These numbers are probably lower than the reality. There is more of a shame when a … Continue reading →

Husbands and Home Births

Shortly before I began dating Tristi, I read Arthur Janov’s book, “Imprints: The Lifelong Effects of the Birth Experience,”and began to understand why having children at home, without drugs, might be helpful to them and their mother. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything Arthur had to say, but his book did open my mind to the possibility that many children don’t need the full hospital interventions that often happen in America. According to Dr. Janov, babies born without drugs, whether at home or not, tend to be less irritable, and grow up with fewer psychological issues. When I asked Tristi … Continue reading →

Anxiety and Therapy for Kids

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As my full time job requires I have a good understanding of community standards I try and keep up with what community centers are offering around the US. What centers accept Medicare, have sliding fee schedules, or provide outreach are things I keep an eye out for. These centers often provide great services to all via their websites, so they are good resources. In one of my recent quests I came across a center in Montclair, NJ. I don’t know anything about the center itself, but they had a great article in the “Montclair Patch” about children/teens with anxiety. My … Continue reading →

Gadgets That Can Help Children With Allergies

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Warm weather means there is a lot more pollen in the air than we were exposed to a few months ago. If your child has severe environmental allergies, then you probably have noticed that he or she is suffering from symptoms right now. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for allergies, but there are some devices that you can use to help make your allergic child a bit more comfortable this allergy season. One of the most useful things I have found that really helps my allergies is an air cleaner, or air purifier. These devices clean the air in your … Continue reading →