You or someone you love may be the caregiver of an elderly, chronically ill or disabled loved one. Whether the care is given out of love, obligation, or for the sense of doing what’s right, most caregivers take on too much and are left feeling burnt out.
Being a caregiver can bring on financial stress, as well as disrupt family dynamics and regular day-to-day life. While caring for a loved one is important, it’s also important to prioritize your own care.
When I began seeing blood in my stool, I hadn’t been to my primary care physician for 10 or 15 years. I read that the cause could be internal hemorrhoids — not unusual for a 47-year-old man. Fortunately, I didn’t ignore the signs and instead decided to call my doctor.
The “T” in LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer) often used to go unnoticed, but it’s important to know what it means to be transgender and how to support individuals who are gender diverse. Many people don’t understand much about gender diversity, and that’s okay. As long as you educate yourself about gender diversity and ask questions in a sensitive manner, you’ll learn and be able to support someone in your life who is transgender or thinking about transitioning.
Chances are, you’ve seen at least one dramatic movie scene in which a man suddenly clutches his chest and falls to the floor. In real life, however, the heart attack victim could just as likely be a woman — heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the U.S. — and the scene may not be nearly as dramatic.
The fact is, while men and women can and often do experience the “classic” heart attack symptoms of severe chest tightness and pressure, with the pain radiating down the left arm, women are more likely to have other, more subtle signs. You should know what those signs are.
