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When You Get Sick: The Character Of Those Around You

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There’s an endless list of bad things about being sick. But what happens to the relationships you have with people around you when you become ill?

Let me tell you about a man I know. I will call him Bill, even though that’s not his real name.

Bill is a vital man in his 60s with two grown daughters. A few years ago, he was diagnosed with a serious illness. His illness isn’t going to kill him right away, but it has profoundly affected his ability to work and enjoy all the things he used to enjoy. Worse, he has had a difficult time with his doctors figuring out what exactly is wrong and the best way to proceed.

But all of this isn’t really the hardest part for Bill. The hard part for Bill is how his friends and family have reacted. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at See First Blog*

3 Tips For Being Happy

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You know that person you work with, the one that always seems to be in a bad mood, the one that never smiles, the one that never has a nice thing to say and complains about every little thing? The person that just seems miserable? I don’t think any of us would say: “Oh, I want to be just like him or her!”

Now think about the person who attracts you and who you want to be around. It’s the person that’s full of life, who is happy and grateful, and who can always find kind words to say and share a smile. It’s the person with that contagious smile that radiates and instantly lifts your spirits, the type of person who is sure of themselves and who isn’t afraid to say “no.”

As individuals, we are unique and we have the ability to build a life filled with passion, purpose, happiness and vitality. By taking the goodness and strength that lies within us, we can become a positive magnet for others. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*

Can The Chin Be Slimmed?

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Here’s a gimmick “As Seen On TV,” on which you should save your hard-earned money.

The neckline slimmer claims to reverse the effects of aging without cosmetic surgery. Simply hold this gadget to the chin area and it will exercise your neck muscles to reduce those jowls or sagging fat under your chin. Just two minutes a day should do the trick, according to the commercial.

Unfortunately the effects of aging and loose skin cannot be reversed by jiggling the head or pressing the fat upward. Weight loss can slim the face, but sagging jowls probably need cosmetic surgery.

Personally, I prefer candlelight and light dimmers.

*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*

Underwear 2.0: The Military’s Vital-Monitoring Briefs

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You just can’t make this stuff up:

The underwear project, spearheaded by the nanoengineering professor, was funded by the U.S. military and its effectiveness will likely be tested on the battlefield.

“This specific project involves monitoring the injury of soldiers during battlefield surgery,” Wang told Reuters. “The goal is to develop minimally invasive sensors that can locate, in the field, and identify the type of injury.”

Ultimately, the waistband sensors will be able to direct the release of drugs to treat the wounded soldier.

I wonder what other creative uses our men in uniform will find for this? I can hear it now: “It’s not the size of the device, honey, it’s the metronome that’s in it!” (Heh.)

-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist.

*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*

“Short People Got No Reason” To Worry About Higher Heart Risk

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“Short people have higher heart risk” screams the headline on CNN.com, treating it as a statement of fact. “Shortness Boosts Heart Disease, Death Risk” is the headline in a HealthDay story seen on BusinessWeek.com.

Wrong.

Such a study as the one being described can only establish association — it CANNOT prove causation. So it’s wrong to say short people have higher risk. It is wrong to say shortness boosts risk.

Blogger and cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. Wes Fisher beat me to the punch by blogging about the continued journalistic confusion between association and causation. He wrote:

“About the only thing that can be concluded from this so-called “analysis” is nothing more than maybe we should consider studying if this association actually exists.”

Tell ’em, Dr. Wes. And tell ’em, Randy: “Short people got no reason” to worry — at least not yet — from this study.

*This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog*

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