Steven Michael Kane will never forget June 23, 2018. It was a Saturday. Mike, as family and friends know him, was getting a screening colonoscopy. He felt great and had no reason to worry, or so he thought. “That test saved my life,” he said. “My doctor told me later if I had waited another…
The flu can have extremely serious consequences during pregnancy. Getting the flu shot while you’re pregnant will help protect you and even help your baby fight off the flu after birth. Serious complications from the flu are more likely while you’re pregnant because of changes to your immune system, lungs and heart. “When you’re pregnant,…
People living with orthopedic pain are increasingly considering platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections as an alternative to surgery. The procedure uses the body’s own healing properties to treat muscle, tendon and ligament injuries. What is PRP? Platelets are a type of blood cell that lives in the bloodstream. As platelets flow into wounds, they play a…
During her 35-year nursing career, Lynn Morris, R.N., has cared for thousands of sick patients at Norton Healthcare. Yet, she rarely gets sick herself. Lynn’s advice for staying healthy: Get a yearly flu shot, eat flu-fighting foods and practice good hygiene. A beekeeper in her free time, Lynn swears by the healing power of honey….
Abigail J. Rao, M.D., neurosurgeon with Norton Neuroscience Institute, isn’t an electrician, but she knows how electricity impacts the brain. She’s using electricity to make a world of difference for individuals diagnosed with movement disorders. Dr. Rao uses deep brain stimulation (DBS) to help patients with essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia and difficult-to-treat epilepsy. “Deep…
I’m 46. Well, my friend is 46. She doesn’t have kids. She works out regularly and has an active life. She eats well most of the time, yet with every year that passes the scale keeps creeping up, despite maintaining the usual routine that has kept her fit for years. And the extra weight is…
Hand health is essential for just about every sport, especially football, baseball and wrestling. In this video, Ethan Blackburn, M.D., hand surgeon with Norton Louisville Arm & Hand, describes how exercise after treatment for a sports injury is important for recovery and returning to play.
When a woman comes to Abby Parrish, she’s ready to reclaim her life. Abby is a certified mastectomy fitter. She works with women who’ve had mastectomies and are ready for prosthetics called mastectomy bras. While many women choose reconstruction after their initial breast cancer surgery, others find the thought of additional surgery too much to…
Julie Musick is a fan of the “Outlander” novels, whose author Diana Gabaldon incorporates themes of medicine, spirituality, relationships and hope. The author views her fantasy fiction stories as journeys of both body and soul. In certain ways, Julie, age 41, has found these same themes reflected in her life since being diagnosed with meningioma,…
“I started losing my sight and then passed out in the car,” Alyssa Coffey recalled about experiencing her first seizure. She was in the midst of training for an upcoming bodybuilding competition. A scan revealed the then 23-year-old New Jersey resident had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and…
Tara and Robert Thomas had been trying to have a baby for years and had suffered several setbacks — then an extraordinary act of friendship made their dreams come true. Mandy Dugan and her husband, James, already had four children ranging in age from 3 to 10 years old. When their friends told them of…
Phil Hayes celebrated his 77th birthday this year. It was a milestone he wasn’t sure he would get to see more than 30 years ago when a heart attack permanently damaged his heart muscle. After having a heart attack in 1987, Phil spent the first 10 years of his recovery from emergency bypass surgery struggling…