Treating Much More Than Broken Bones
Strictly speaking, “orthopedics” is the branch of medicine concerned with fixing problems with the skeleton (read: bones) and associated structures (tendons and ligaments, for example). With today’s ever-expanding knowledge about how the human body works, however, the term “orthopedics” defies such a narrow definition, especially when considering the comprehensive care offered by McLean County Orthopedics […]
Planning for Long-Term Care
By Heidi Huiskamp, Founder and CEO of Huiskamp Collins Investments, LLC Long-term care. It’s a tough subject and the conversation on which everyone in the family shies away from. It’s scary and uncomfortable and, too often, the default decision on long-term care is to just pretend that it won’t happen and hope for the best. […]
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
By Sherry Gordon-Harris, Health Alliance One of my favorite childhood nursey rhyme songs is “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” It was super-duper fun to sing ee-i-ee-i-o! Not to mention singing the sounds of some animals he had on his farm. The cows said moo-moo! The chicks said cluck-cluck! And the pigs said oink-oink! As an […]
How Do I Take Care of My Hearing Aids?
By Emily Steffel, Au.D., Audiology Consultants Each style of hearing aid requires slightly different maintenance, but there are several things that are common to all hearing aid types. Every day you should wipe the hearing aids off whenever you take them out of your ears. You should use a clean, dry, lint-free cloth or a […]
Enjoying The Outdoors
A mantra of sorts has been floating around since the onset of the COVID-19—a way of saying “I hope to see you again.” Upon parting it has become commonplace to say, “Stay safe; stay healthy.” While we’ve been inundated with rules and reminders about social distancing, proper hand washing, and restricted gatherings, it’s important to […]
A Real Pain
By Randy Kipling, Kipling Lavender on the Mound Chronic pain can be one of the most debilitating conditions in daily life. It is known to be both physically and emotionally exhausting. Associated direct medical costs are staggering! Did you know chronic pain sufferers are three times more likely to develop depression? It can impact mental health, […]
The Conflict Over Wearing a Mask During Covid-19
By Ted Chapin, Ph.D., Chapin & Russell Associates Every day when we leave our homes and venture out to work, shop, or recreate, we are inevitably confronted with the reality of the seemingly nonsensical conflict over wearing a mask. For some, it is not simply a public health recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control […]
Mind Full of Joy
By Angela Gilles, LCSW, Healing Hearts Counseling As the stress of the unknown continues, more and more of us are feeling discontent and distracted. When we are affected by chronic stress, we often feel like there are a million things going on in our head at once. We go through our days racing around trying […]
Surviving Heart Surgery—From an Endovascular Surgeon’s to a Patient’s Perspective
By James B. Williams, M.D. As many of you know, due to postponed peripheral vascular interventions and visits in our office-based vascular interventional center, I have recently transitioned from interventional surgeon to patient. I want you all to know I GET IT! How one’s perspective changes… Trained initially as a heart surgeon, for years I […]
The Truth About Grain-Free Dog Food
Submitted by Nilla’s Tub DIY Dog Wash & Health Food Store. Dogs and cats are naturally carnivores receiving the majority of their required nutrients from meat. This has led pet food manufacturers to create grain-free formulas for both dogs and cats, promoting that it is healthier and more natural. However, while manufacturers are migrating away […]