Helicopter Daughter by Christina Fain After some initial testing, my dad found out that the suspicious spot on his neck was indeed cancerous and that the cancer had spread to his lungs. He was alone when he received this news. As upset as he was, he took the time to type out a family group Read more
Lucky to Live with a Toddler by Lynn Campbell You might assume that a semi-retired couple of a certain age would have a quiet and pristine home. No Lego or toy trucks to trip over. No stack of coats and shoes in all different sizes by the front door. No potato chip crumbs on the Read more
When the Cavalry Doesn’t Arrive By Donna Scrafano A former supervisor once told me that if we don’t have expectations of an individual, we won’t be disappointed in them. Simple, right? Not really, especially when one is providing care to a loved one and there are others who could—and should—assist. I’ve written approximately nine articles Read more
Grief – A Personal Journey By Donna L Scrafano My first exposure to grief came on December 3, 1963. That was the day I had lost my maternal grandmother, twenty-three days before my tenth birthday. I was in fifth grade. Eleven days previously on November 22, the nun who taught us at St. Anthony’s parochial Read more
Oral Sex: Is it Better to Give or Receive? Tracy E. Hill, Ph.D. With funding from the National Institute on Aging, researchers from Michigan State and Texas A & M Universities took a deep dive into oral sex. Published in the Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences (2019), Drs. Hui Liu, Shannon Shen, and Ning Hsieh investigated how giving Read more
Did you know that married couples are less likely to develop dementia than other adults? According to Drs. Liu, Zhang, Choi and Langa, all unmarried groups of people (i.e., divorced, widowed, single, etc.) had significantly higher odds of developing dementia than their married friends. The researchers from Michigan State, University of Michigan and Texas Tech Read more
Guilt—A Wasted Emotion by Donna Scrafano Caring for a loved one can be, the most stressful job one may experience throughout a lifetime. In addition to the numerous tasks involved and the many, many roles one must play (nurse, doctor, advocate, parent, protector, domestic manager, accountant, chauffer, etc.), there’s also the “guilt” factor. I spent Read more
Simplify the Stress of Holiday Gift-Giving by Lucy E.M. Black The giving and receiving of gifts is traditionally seen as a way of demonstrating affection, thoughtfulness, respect, and appreciation. Individuals often carry strong emotional feelings about gift-giving, and many of us can recall a special gift we cherished. Cultural customs and family traditions also have Read more
The Emotional Battle Behind Cancer by J’Nel Wright “I will meet you for lunch on one condition. You have to promise not to talk about cancer.” When I first heard the news of my friend’s current battle for her life, I fought to find a suitable role that would provide her with something—anything—beneficial to Read more
Is It Hot in Here? Top 10 Ways I Deal with Menopause by Ute Mitchell It started with the night sweats. In the dead of winter, I woke up in the middle of the night completely drenched, my T-shirt clinging to my body. I wiped my forehead, and my hand was wet. So I got Read more
