Foster parents give and find love

By Carol Sorgen
Posted on January 02, 2018

The nationwide heroin epidemic has not left Baltimore unscathed. Drug-addicted parents who can no longer care for their children have led to an increasing number of kids who need a secure, stable and loving home environment — a home provided by foster moms like Janis Oglesby. Oglesby, who lives in Baltimore County and is “past 65,” has been a treatment foster care parent with the... READ MORE

NIH offers tool to locate alcoholism help

By Lauran Neergaard
Posted on December 29, 2017

The phone calls come — from fellow scientists and desperate strangers — with a single question for the alcohol chief at the National Institutes of Health: Where can my loved one find good care to get sober? The government recently released a novel online tool to help — the Alcohol Treatment Navigator — which provides access to directories of alcohol treatment providers and a list ... READ MORE

Couriers transport gift of life

By Barbara Ruben
Posted on December 29, 2017

The snowflakes fell fast and furious, blanketing roads, shuttering runways and canceling Jim Frison’s flight. But what might be merely an inconvenience for some was a matter of life and death in this case. Frison was gripping a bright blue cooler containing recently donated bone marrow on its way to a cancer patient, and it was Frison’s job to get it there. With just 48 hours to... READ MORE

Fainting is frightening but seldom serious

By Julie Corliss
Posted on December 05, 2017

One minute you’re feeling a bit woozy; the next thing you know, you’re flat on your back wondering what happened.No matter what you call it — swooning, passing out or fainting — the experience is surprisingly common. About a third of people say they’ve fainted at least once.Although often harmless, fainting can cause injuries, and sometimes signals a problem... READ MORE

Probe helps surgeons get all the cancer

By Lauran Neergaard
Posted on November 27, 2017

Patients emerging from cancer surgery want to know, “Did you get it all?” Now scientists are developing a pen-like probe to help surgeons better tell when it’s safe to stop cutting or if stray tumor cells still lurk.The device is highly experimental, but laboratory tests show it uses molecular fingerprints to distinguish between cancerous cells and healthy ones far faster... READ MORE

How diet can impact migraine headaches

By Tribune Content Agency, LLC
Posted on November 17, 2017

Eliminating that morning cup of joe, consuming processed foods high in nitrites or monosodium glutamate (MSG), and enjoying too much alcohol are potential headache triggers for individuals battling migraines, said Vincent Martin, M.D., professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. There are two different approaches to... READ MORE

Music can be good medicine for patients

By Tribune Content Agency, LLC
Posted on November 10, 2017

Jan Stouffer, who works as a board certified music therapist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, uses music to help control patients’ pain and anxiety, to ease their adjustment to the hospital setting, and to promote physical rehabilitation. “Health is a dance back and forth between physical and emotional needs, so the two need to be addressed simultaneously for... READ MORE

An activist inside government

By Stuart Rosenthal
Posted on November 08, 2017

Before Laura Newland became executive director of the D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA) two years ago, the Georgetown University law graduate had worked in public interest law and nonprofit advocacy, representing victims of domestic violence, consumer fraud and other issues. A project she spearheaded at AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly led to the creation of a new D.C. Ombudsman in 2014, and ... READ MORE

Review your Medicare plans by December 7

By Barbara Albert
Posted on November 02, 2017

Medicare’s open enrollment for drug and health plans is underway until Dec. 7, which means now is the time to review your choices for 2018. At a minimum, look at next year’s terms for your current plan, because what works for you now may not be the case as of Jan. 1.Each year, plans can change their premiums, copays/coinsurance and networks, as well as covered drugs and... READ MORE

Climbers reach for new heights

By Jamie Lee Pricer
Posted on November 01, 2017

For Holly Summers, indoor rock climbing started as a mother-daughter activity.“My daughter was climbing indoors regularly, and I wanted to be able to do it with her,” said Summers of Ellicott City. Though her daughter is now in grad school, Summers, 58, can be found regularly scrambling up the climbing walls at the Roger Carter Community Center.She probably had a leg up when she ... READ MORE