Diane Davies Writes “A Breast Cancer Journey: From There to Here”

In her heartfelt memoir, “A Breast Cancer Journey: From There to Here,” retired first-grade teacher and breast cancer survivor/thriver Diane Davies highlights the importance of strength and the will to persevere and overcome, while also illuminating the emotional and physical challenges of breast cancer. Her story is a poignant exploration of courage, triumph, and the indomitable human spirit.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2020, 685,000 people died worldwide from breast cancer, accounting for 2.3 million new diagnoses. Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, with 7.8 million women alive as of the end of 2020 who had received a diagnosis within the previous five years. Across the world, breast cancer affects women at any age after adolescence, however, its prevalence rises with age.

In “A Breast Cancer Journey: From There to Here,” readers will discover inspiration, consolation, and practical advice after being diagnosed with breast cancer. In sharing her survival secrets, author Diane Davies highlights the value of consolation, love, prayer, faith, family, friends, and gratitude in the journey. Her pillars of strength were these straightforward but profound principles, which saw her through the process of discovering her diagnosis, the difficulties of her medical care, and finally back into life full of hope and love.
Michelle Jacobs of The US Review of Books praises Davies for her candid and vulnerable approach: “Her insight gained through experience can be a comfort to anyone dealing with personal tragedy and life-changing trauma. This is a memoir that offers a perspective filled with vulnerability and hope as it illuminates the unpredictability of life and the fragility of our bodies but also the strength of our wills to endure and overcome.”
Davies’ journey serves as both a personal narrative and a ray of hope for others going through comparable journeys. The book inspires women who are coping with breast cancer to connect with their inner resilience, find strength in vulnerability, and get the help they require to thrive.
Diane Davies has compiled her two best-selling books, “From There to Here: A Breast Cancer Journey” and “Breast Cancer Saved My Life,” into one volume to better support women with breast cancer on their journey. The goal of this revised edition is to carry on Davies’ tradition of offering steadfast support to women facing the challenges associated with breast cancer.

Yum Cha Tea Company

Home to over 250 tea varieties, Yum Cha Tea Company is at the forefront of holistic wellness with its wide assortment of delicious offerings. They encourage tea lovers to create a tea experience catering to overall wellness and comfort, boosting immune systems, and mental and physical health, and reducing oxidative stress. The combination of herbs in this tea is designed to help relax your mood. To help you wind down from the days' stress and anxiety. Visit Yum Cha Tea Company - Wind Down Tea

Strawberry Macaron $2.50 Elderberry Lemon Balm $2.50 Almond Biscotti $2.50

Autumn Brands

Autumn Brands, at the forefront of California's Clean Cannabis Movement, Introduces "now melt", a Sensual Self Care Brand to Delight all Senses now melt self-care products are formulated with clean cannabis oils and the purest plant-based ingredients for the ultimate in safe, clean, intimate care and exploration

Spice up your love life with a high like no other with now melt’s nano fast-acting products are intentionally formulated with clean cannabis oils and the purest plant-based ingredients. Autumn Brands “now melt” includes:

Hit the Reset - Bath Crystals: now melt’s fizzy bath crystals help you unwind and dissolve the day away. These soothing bath crystals are blended with magnesium and essential oils. The Lavender and Jasmine bath crystals are blended with earthy notes of Sandalwood and alluring Rose.
Pucker Me Peach - Gummies: now melt’s delicious vegan peach-flavored gummies will put you in the right mood. They are fast-acting and blended with adaptogens like Ashwagandha to help you get in the mood and Horny Goat weed to help you stay in the mood.
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Motherhood and Wellness

In 2020, single mother and technology leader Carleen Haylett witnessed pandemic-driven gaps in the U.S. educational space when her fifth-grade son began to thrive with homeschooling. The schoolwork was manageable, but the lack of affordable virtual extracurricular programs available, which would stimulate his development as a student preparing for middle and high school, was a shock. Torn between motherhood and her career, corporate pressure mounted, she left her job. She founded EnrichedHQ to solve the logistical nightmare of finding and managing options for kids who no longer need day care or a sitter, bridging childcare through high school. Leveraging her 20+ years in technology development, product management, and sales, she developed a platform that offers virtual extracurricular programs for middle and high school age children that enrich and prepare them for life. Working parents are able to find an immediate remedy for this common parental stressor through their employers. EnrichedHQ handles all the logistics, letting parents easily find, book, schedule, and pay for multiple virtual programs for multiple children across multiple providers. Both corporations and parents benefit from EnrichedHQ’s commitment. Visit https://enrichedhq.com/

How the “motherhood penalty” is impacting the careers of working mothers, with 52% considering leaving the workforce due to the rising cost of childcare.

“Motherhood penalty” is a largely unrecognized burden that disproportionately affects working mothers as they grapple with the high costs and stresses of securing quality childcare for school-aged children.

“This issue not only pressures mothers out of the workforce but also has broader economic implications, affecting family finances, business productivity, and overall stability within the workforce and homes,” explains Carleen Haylett, CEO of EnrichedHQ.

With childcare payments having spiked by 32% since 2019, corporations, human resource (HR) departments, and business leaders must realize that investing in and partnering with online educational marketplace programs to offer high-quality educational and childcare benefits to their employees yields significant returns, not only for their companies but also for the entire society.

Considering startling statistics that mothers are 6 times less likely to be hired than men with children, Haylett remarks, “Big corporations need to wake up. Online educational platforms can play a significant role in cutting the attrition rate of employees, more specifically women, potentially saving millions of dollars, and making a positive impact on their employees, and the students that are the future of our society.

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Katrina Walker

Watch out for this rising star as she continues to fascinate hearts and imaginations, leaving an indelible mark on the literary and entertainment landscape. Get ready to crack up, be inspired, and witness the magic of Katrina Walker—she's writing her own story, and it's a tale worth telling.

Low Vitamin D Levels and The Link To Breast Cancer Prevention

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for good bone health. Vitamin D also helps the immune, muscle, and nervous systems function properly. Most vitamin D is made when an inactive form of the nutrient is activated in your skin when it's exposed to sunlight. Smaller amounts of vitamin D are in fortified milk and other foods, fatty fish, and eggs. As more and more people spend most of their time out of direct sunlight or wearing sunscreen when they are in the sun, vitamin D production from sun exposure is limited. Research suggests that women with low levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of breast cancer. Vitamin D may play a role in controlling normal breast cell growth and may be able to stop breast cancer cells from growing.
What happens if you take Vitamin D everyday?

Taken in appropriate doses, vitamin D is generally considered safe. However, taking too much vitamin D in the form of supplements can be harmful. Children age 9 years and older, adults, and pregnant and breastfeeding women who take more than 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D might experience.

Statistics and African American Women
Unfortunately, only the WCHS2 study assessed supplemental intake of vitamin D and calcium. A total of 1724 cases—709 cases from the WCHS 2002-2012 study and 1015 cases from the WCHS2 2012-2017—made up the study population. The majority of women in both trials were estrogen receptor positive [ER+] (68.5% and 71.6%, respectively), and about 20% of cases in both studies were triple negative [TNBC] (i.e., estrogen receptor-negative [ER-], progesterone receptor-negative [PR-] and HER2-receptor negative) for a total of 1213 ER+, 511 ER-, and 335 TNBC cases. TNBC, which has a poorer prognosis, is more common in Black women. Approximately 70% were in stage I/II at the time of diagnosis, and their mean age was 51.9 years in WCHS and 54.8 years in WCHS2. The controls were significantly younger in the WCHS study, with a mean age of 50.4 years.

What are screening tests?

Screening refers to tests and exams used to find a disease in people who don’t have any symptoms. The goal of screening tests for breast cancer is to find it early, before it causes symptoms (like a lump in the breast that can be felt). Early detection means finding and diagnosing a disease earlier than if you’d waited for symptoms to start.

Breast cancers found during screening exams are more likely to be smaller and less likely to have spread outside the breast. The size of a breast cancer and how far it has spread are some of the most important factors in predicting the prognosis (outlook) of a woman with this disease.

Sun Exposure

Vitamin D3 is unique in that (unlike vitamin D2) you can get it from the sun.

When exposed to UVB light, an organic compound in the skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol will activate and start churning out vitamin D3. The rate of production can vary by your age and skin tone, with older people and those with darker skin getting the least benefit.

Sunscreen can also decrease production by blocking both UV rays.

Getting a little sunlight every day can help you maintain your vitamin D levels, but it’s not the safest or most reliable way to get it given the risk of skin cancer.

Black Girl Vitamin D3 supplements $25

“Studies have shown that roughly 42% of people in the US have a vitamin D deficiency. This number rises to a staggering 82.1% of black people and 69.2% of Hispanic people”.

Vitamin D3 vs. Vitamin D2

Vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are chemically similar and are both well-absorbed in the gut. Where they differ significantly is in their sources:

Vitamin D2 is naturally found in mushrooms, including shiitake, Portobello, and crimini mushrooms. The vitamin D content increases when these mushrooms are exposed to UV radiation.1
Vitamin D3 is naturally found in animals and animal-derived products like milk. It is also directly synthesized in the skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.6

Aside from the fact that vitamin D3 is likely easier to consume in your day-to-day diet, unless you are a vegetarian or vegan, vitamin D3 has proven superior to vitamin D2 in two other important ways:

Vitamin D3 has better bioavailability, meaning more of the vitamin enters the bloodstream and can be used by the body
Vitamin D3 has a better half-life, meaning it stays in circulation for longer

YOUTUBE SERIES "MY LIFE/MY STORY" SHEDS LIGHT ON HEARTBREAKING STORIES TO INSPIRE HEALING AND MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

The promising new docu-series “My Life/ My Story,” was created by photographers James Pray and Will Pender. It is a YouTube show that interviews individuals who experience traumatic events and their growth through it. In his words, Pray says he wanted to create a platform where people can speak about events that happened to them and are happening in communities all over. “I feel these stories will spark conversations that we need to have within our community,” Pray says.

The stories range from gun violence, domestic violence and drug abuse within the black community. Pray is also an advocate for mental health awareness and hopes people who have these experiences will seek to get therapy to help them through their tragedies.

While continuing the “My Life/My story” series, Pray will also present short films from some of the featured stories. “I wanted to present a visual of some of the pain that these people telling their story went through,” Pray says.

Court Decision Safeguards Professional Hospital Guaynabo's Contractual Relationship

Professional Hospital Guaynabo (PHG) issued the following statement in light of the recent ruling by Judge Alfonso Martínez Piovanetti of the Court of First Instance of Puerto Rico, ordering MSO of Puerto Rico, a subsidiary of Elevance Health, to uphold its Hospital Service Agreement (HSA) with PHG throughout the ongoing arbitration process.

“The Court's decision to uphold the existing partnership between Professional Hospital Guaynabo and MSO of Puerto Rico not only guarantees that our patients will continue to benefit from world-class medical care provided by trusted physicians but also ensures network adequacy and compliance with CMS standards," stated Administrator Giancarlo Valentín, PhD, MHS.

Background:

MSO’s unwarranted termination of PHG's contract has resulted in the misallocation of the hospital’s resources and has placed the healthcare coverage of numerous patients in jeopardy.

PHG, situated in the Municipality of Guaynabo, serves as the municipality's sole general hospital, catering to the needs of over 89,000 residents. Providing round-the-clock emergency room services, PHG annually serves 33,000 patients. The hospital achieved Hero Hospital status during both the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Maria, known for its medical expertise in vascular diseases and the performance of cutting-edge surgeries, making it a healthcare cornerstone in Puerto Rico. Elevance Health, the parent company of MSO of Puerto Rico, has faced multiple legal challenges and allegations of misconduct by hospital networks.

Can Sound Waves Help People Quit Cocaine?

Pioneering researchers at UVA Health are testing whether focused sound waves can help people overcome cocaine addiction, a growing problem in Virginia and elsewhere.

The scientists have launched a clinical trial, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, to test whether low-intensity focused ultrasound can help reprogram brain cells to reduce the desire for cocaine. The noninvasive approach focuses sound waves on a portion of the brain called the insula, thought to play a critical role in multiple forms of addiction. If the trial is successful, it could pave the way for an important new tool to treat addiction in general.

“This trial will inform us if focused ultrasound could change the way some patients feel about cocaine,” said principal investigator Nassima Ait-Daoud Tiouririne, MD, the director of UVA’s Center for Leading Edge Addiction Research (CLEAR). “What if we could reverse brain changes caused by drug use? This would change the way we treat addiction as a whole.”

Cocaine Addiction: A Growing Problem

Cocaine use has been increasing steadily in Virginia for a decade, the researchers note. Overdose deaths jumped by a third from 2019 to 2020 alone. Those troubling trends have the UVA scientists eager to find innovative ways to reduce people’s cravings for the highly addictive drug. There are currently no medications approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration that can help people quit. In their new trial, the UVA researchers will use focused sound waves to gently massage cells within the insula. The scientists will then see if the approach causes chemical changes in the brain that reduce cocaine cravings. (Prior studies have already shown that the insula plays an important role in both cocaine cravings and relapse; further, the researchers note, humans who suffered injuries to the insula were able to quit smoking easily, without suffering cravings or relapse.)

If the approach proves safe and effective, patients might one day soon go for a simple outpatient visit and leave with less desire to use cocaine. “If successful, we become one step closer to developing new, safer ways to treat addiction,” said Ait-Daoud Tiouririne, of UVA’s Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. “Addiction is brain disorder. Treatment should include noninvasive neuromodulation of the brain circuits that cause the addiction in the first place.”

UVA’s trial is recruiting people ages 18 or older who have been diagnosed with cocaine-use disorder and who are not trying to give up using cocaine. For more information about the trial, visit https://med.virginia.edu/uva-clear/lifu-cocaine-use-disorder/.

The trial has received $5 million in support from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, grant 1UG3DA054789-01A1. Focused Ultrasound at UVA. The cocaine trial joins an expansive portfolio of research underway at the University of Virginia School of Medicine to explore the vast potential of focused ultrasound to treat serious diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s. UVA has long been a world leader in pioneering applications of focused ultrasound that will benefit patients. Prior research led by UVA’s Jeff Elias, MD, and colleagues, for example, paved the way for the FDA to approve high-intensity focused ultrasound to treat both Parkinson’s symptoms and essential tremor, a common movement disorder.

The success of its focused ultrasound efforts prompted UVA Health last year to launch the world’s first center devoted specifically to combining focused ultrasound with immunotherapy to improve cancer care. The researchers hope that the combination will open new fronts in the war against many different forms of cancer, from breast cancer to brain tumors. +

Women and Self-care: Why They need it the most

We all have days where we don’t feel our best. There are days where we will feel a range of negative emotions, for whatever reason.

During these times, it’s important that we take care of ourselves by prioritizing self-care. The term self-care is thrown around a lot. But what exactly does it mean? Self-care is the intentional act of caring for ourselves, physically, mentally and emotionally. It comes in many different forms but it encompasses anything that will help us to pause, relax and recharge, so that we can feel our best.

Why is Self-Care Important?

There are many reasons that self-care is important. Research shows that self-care helps to keep you healthy, helps you recharge and helps to improve your overall well-being.

Spend some alone time with yourself

When it feels like your to do list is a mile long, it's easy to feel like you don't have time to practice self-care. Oftentimes we view self-care activities as not being productive, but it's important to shift this way of thinking by broadening what we view as productive. Studies show that if we prioritize taking care of our mind, body and spirit, it will actually help us be more productive academically and professionally in the long run. Moving your body is one of the most effective tools for stress reduction. First, it tends to take your mind off of things—it’s hard to think about daily stressors when you’re huffing and puffing up a mountain, for example. It also boosts your endorphins, according to the Mayo Clinic, which are the magic hormones behind the “runner’s high.” When you feel out of sorts and need a calm mind, try focusing on the sensations around you—sights, smells, sounds, tastes, touch. This will help you focus on the present moment, giving you a break from your worries. Getting in touch with your values—what really matters—is a sure way to cope with stress and foster a calm mind.

Five Female Orgasm Myths Debunked

Satisfying sex is vital to the quality of life. The positive effects of orgasm are vast - helping with sleep, stress reduction, clearer thinking, and positively impacting mental and emotional health by increasing endorphins and oxytocin. However, women don’t always have the information they need to know that satisfying sex is at their fingertips, no matter their age or what hurdles are in their way. Cutting-edge solutions like Cilovana and FOY are game changers, helping women live with vitality - and great sex. It’s time to debunk the false information about the Big O and spread the good news about achieving it.

Common Orgasm Myths to Debunk:

1. Everyone has orgasms; something is wrong with you if you don’t. About 30% of women have trouble climaxing - and about 10% to 15% have never orgasmed. Problems with climaxing are widespread for women due to menopause, childbirth, medications, or other reasons. Once you get to the root of the cause and get the right solutions, physically being unable to orgasm is extremely rare.

2. Sex after menopause is painful. Menopause lowers estrogen, which can lead to vaginal dryness and painful sex. Nerves become less sensitive, leaving a decreased libido and ability to orgasm. There is a straightforward way to increase lubrication and orgasms that does not need a prescription and involves just three or more quick and easy in-office visits: Cliovana. Cliovana increases vaginal tightness using sound wave technology to boost the process of regenerating cells in the genitals, resulting in improved blood flow to the clitoris, which creates a long-term increase in women’s sexual responsiveness and intensity. Cliovana helps with painful sex and lubrication and increases orgasm frequency. It’s drug-free, non-surgical, painless, and without side effects.

3. Your Best Sex is in your 20s. Many women feel renewed sexual freedom post-menopause when the possibility of pregnancy is taken out of the equation - sex is for recreation and enjoyment, not just for procreation. Also, many women have improved self-confidence as they get older; they know what they want from a partner and ask for it. Many couples have more time and energy to feel connected, leading to meaningful and better sex.

4. Menopause means your sex life is over. The decrease in estrogen and other hormones causes a lot of change in the body, including loss of libido and vaginal dryness - but there are solutions, and this generation of women doesn’t have to give up fulfilling sex once menopause hits. Dr. Christopher Asandra of the AsandraMD clinics in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach is a renowned anti-aging and vitality expert helping women get their groove back. Asandra saw firsthand that every woman’s journey is unique and that menopause treatment is not one-size-fits-all, leading to his development of a program called FOY so that women can have individualized and safe therapies - including Hormone & Testosterone Replacement Therapy - for balancing their hormones specific to their symptoms, creating true rejuvenation from the inside out.

5. If I am in a loving relationship, I should always have a sex drive and be able to orgasm. To have a healthy, enjoyable sex life, women should pay attention to their psychological and physical health. Many struggle with issues outside their relationship, like body image issues or past negative experiences that create barriers. So much of the libido is the mental component, and mental and emotional challenges can affect desire and ability to orgasm. Reaching out to a professional to move forward is helpful.

Women don’t have to settle for less-than-satisfying sex. To learn more about Cliovana, read client testimonials, and find a Cliovana practitioner, visit https://www.cliovana.com. To learn more about FOY by AsandraMD, visit https://asandramd.com/.

When the United States saw COVID-19 cases and deaths rise around this past Christmas and New Year's, many Americans feared the country was in for a third winter wave. But as quickly as both metrics went up, they also came down. Weekly cases and deaths in late winter 2022-23 are on par with what was seen in spring 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. Plans to End Public Health Emergency for Covid in May

The end of the emergency, planned for May 11, will bring about a complex set of policy changes and signals a new chapter in the government’s pandemic response. But why? Covid 19 and it’s many variants are very much still around and those with compromised or weakened immune systems are at the highest risk. The Biden administration plans to let the coronavirus public health emergency expire in May, the White House said on Monday, a sign that federal officials believe the pandemic has moved into a new, less dire phase.

The move carries both symbolic weight and real-world consequences. Millions of Americans have received free Covid tests, treatments and vaccines during the pandemic, and not all of that will continue to be free once the emergency is over. The White House wants to keep the emergency in place for several more months so hospitals, health care providers and health officials can prepare for a host of changes when it ends, officials said.

An average of more than 500 people in the United States are still dying from Covid-19 each day, about twice the number of deaths per day during a bad flu season. But at the three-year mark, the coronavirus is no longer upending everyday life to the extent it once did, partly because much of the population has at least some orderly transition out of the public health emergency. The administration said it also intended to allow a separate declaration of a national emergency to expire on the same day, May 11th. The White House argues that it is only because of federal Covid policies mandating free tests, treatments and vaccines that the pandemic is now under better control. Covid was the third-leading cause of death from 2020 through mid-2022; now it is no longer among the top five killers, federal officials said. That alone just she examined a little more.

Biden administration plans to end Covid public health emergency in May

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Having a Hint of happiness on the go

Some of us love the taste of flavored water. And I know a few people who will only drink water if it tastes sweet. True story. Let’s face it. There are non-water drinkers. But we have a tasty suggestion for you. Hint is flavored water that doesn’t contain any sugars or artificial sweeteners

According to Hint, “Individual essences and extracts are obtained from plant sources (like fruits, vegetables, and spices), using a variety of ancient culinary techniques that separate the flavors we want from the sugar, color, pulp, and other components that we don’t.”

Why it’s good to drink

Like the name. There’s just a hint of flavor. And if that’s something you prefer? This is perfect for you. The flavors actually taste like fruit. There are no sugar or diet sweeteners like Sucralose, Stevia, or Erythritol. And the company says each bottle provides the recommended amount of Vitamin C plus a boost of Vitamin A, B12, and Zinc. Hint+ Vitamin is vegan, kosher, gluten-free, and non-GMO. Founder of Hint, Kara Goldin has a very interesting backstory on why she felt the need for her product. “When I started Hint. I was on a mission to get people to love water. In doing so, I created an entirely new category in the beverage industry. In 2004, I had terrible acne, zero energy and was 40 pounds overweight. So, I decided to see a doctor. I’ll be the first to admit that the word “diet” had totally fooled me. Gosh, I thought I was being so responsible. When I read the full list of ingredients and didn’t even recognize most of them – I thought, what the heck was I drinking?! That day, I decided to cut diet soda out of my life and started drinking water instead. Three months later, my acne was gone, I was bursting with energy, and I had lost 40 pounds! Fast-forward to today and the concoction I made in my kitchen to help me drink more water is helping people all over the country do the same thing!” -Kara Goldin

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Toilet paper may play a role in the contamination of groundwater with potentially harmful substances called PFAS.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFASTrusted Source are found in a wide variety of consumer products, including cosmetics, cleansers, and firefighting foams. These compounds are used as a wetting agent to boost the efficiency of the pulping process — making paper mills a known source of environmental contamination, according to the study.

While research is not conclusive, PFAS are suspected of playing a role in a variety of conditions, including cancer, reduced immunity, and reproductive and developmental problems.

“Exposure to PFAS through drinking water puts people’s health at risk,” Dr. Katie Pelch, a scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, told Healthline. “Groundwater can also be used for agricultural uses and it has been shown that plants, including crops, can take up PFAS, so food in the diet is another potential source of PFAS exposure.”

Study Finds Forever Chemicals in Toilet Paper

Did you know?

Did you have an opportunity to review the long COVID report I sent over last week? To recap - 36 million Americans suffered from long COVID (symptoms lasting 3 months or longer), with 36.4% saying long COVID reduced their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. Other Key findings:

Lower-income Americans who tested positive for COVID-19 are more likely to say their symptoms have lasted longer. 41.2% of COVID-19 positive people who make less than $35,000 annually report having long COVID symptoms, compared with 17.4% who make $200,000 or more a year.
Younger Americans report long COVID at a higher rate than older Americans, 30.4% of COVID-19 positive 18- to 24-year-olds report long COVID symptoms, compared with 23.4% of those 65 and older.
But Older Americans with long COVID suffered more: 44.9% of the 65-and-older group cite a reduced ability on day-to-day tasks because of their symptoms, versus 28.2% in the 18-to-24 range.
Mississippi, Montana and Arkansas have the highest rate of Long COVID-19 - at least 35% of COVID-19 positive people reported long COVID, including 41.2% in Mississippi, 35.1% in Montana and 35% in Arkansas.
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have the lowest rate of long COVID-19. In those states, less than 23% of COVID-19 positive people reported this, 21.8% in Maine, 22.8% in New Hampshire and 22.9% in Vermont.

Full report here: https://www.valuepenguin.com/long-covid-study

Affordable Care Act compliant insurance plans should cover all the general categories of care for long COVID, but that alone does not guarantee care covered by insurance. 55.7% of Americans are enrolled in a high deductible health plan, and long COVID could become very expensive for them as they'll need to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for office visits, prescription medications or medical devices until they meet their deductible.

Health News

Knowing the differences between a heart attack and cardiac arrest

A heart attack is not the same as a cardiac arrest.

A heart attack is when one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked. The heart muscle is robbed of its vital blood supply and, if left untreated, will begin to die because it is not getting enough oxygen. A cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart stops pumping blood around their body and they stop breathing normally. Many cardiac arrests in adults happen because of a heart attack. This is because a person who is having a heart attack may develop a dangerous heart rhythm, which can cause a cardiac arrest.

A heart attack and a cardiac arrest are both emergency situations. You should call for emergency assistance at once.

What is cardiac arrest?

A cardiac arrest is a breakdown of the heart’s electrical system. It’s typically caused by arrhythmias that interfere with the rhythm and electrical system of the heart. A cardiac arrest occurs when the rhythm of the heart stops.

This article compares the symptoms, causes, and treatments for these two conditions and the outlooks for people with them.

Cardiac arrest is a serious heart condition. The word arrest means to stop or bring to a halt. In cardiac arrest, the heart ceases to beat. It’s also known as sudden cardiac death.

Ventricular Fibrillation

Your heart has four chambers. The two lower chambers are the ventricles. In ventricular fibrillation, these chambers quiver out of control. This causes the heart’s rhythm to change dramatically. The ventricles begin to pump inefficiently, which severely decreases the amount of blood pumped through the body. In some cases, the circulation of blood stops completely. This may lead to sudden cardiac death.

The most frequent cause of cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation.

Ohio among states with most flu cases this season

Flu season is among us and Ohio is among the states with the highest number of influenza cases in the nation.

Flu-related illness, emergency room visits and hospitalizations have all been increasing across Ohio, especially in the southwest part of the state. According to the Ohio Department of Health, across the state, flu-like illnesses are up 53% and emergency room visits are up 29% due to influenza. Health experts say only about 26% of adults and 40% of children in the United States have received their flu shots.

What can you do to prevent getting the flu?

Try to avoid close contact, especially with those who appear to be sick.

Stay home when you are sick
Cover your mouth and nose
Clean your hands often. Try keeping hand sanitizer and wipes with you,
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. We know, it’s difficult. But, you can catch a lot more that just the flu nowadays.
Practice other good health habits. Drink plenty of fluids. Take a multi-supplement (consult with a licensed physician). Exercise daily and try to add a little extra vitamin c and ginger where possible.

First woman reported cured of HIV after stem cell transplant

A U.S. patient with leukemia has become the first woman and the third person to date to be cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from a donor who was naturally resistant to the virus that causes AIDS, researchers reported on Tuesday.

The case of a middle-aged woman of mixed race heritage, presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver, is also the first involving umbilical cord blood, a newer approach that may make the treatment available to more people. Experts say this news is a very specific circumstance. Isolated examples like this one signify a method for tackling HIV that only applies to people with aggressive cancers like leukemia.

This isn’t a sign of a new approach to treating the virus that is applicable or ethical to adopt for the greater population of people living with HIV. This paints a more comprehensive picture of where we are in our 21st-century push to better understand, treat, and hopefully find a cure for HIV, now in the fifth decade of the global HIV epidemic. Scientists are pursuing the byzantine task of curing HIV on multiple fronts, including through gene therapy; “kick and kill” efforts to flush the virus from its so-called reservoir or “block and lock” methods to keep it trapped in cells; and therapeutic vaccines that would enhance the body’s immune response to the virus.

The other two cured people therapeutically, in both cases through complex and dangerous stem cell transplants.

What Is The Association Between Menstrual Cycle Length and Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Vaccinations?

There’s a growing concern about a possible association between (COVID-19) vaccination and abnormal menstrual cycles may lead to vaccine hesitancy. There have been clinical trials of the current COVID-19 vaccines did not collect menstrual cycle outcomes postvaccine. ‘Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System’ does not actively collect information regarding menstrual cycles. A small number of individuals had self-reported a menstrual-related issue to VAERS. Some social media reports suggest menstrual disturbances are much more common but that these haven’t been long lasting. The limited population-level combined with prospective evidence about the relationship of COVID-19 vaccination and menstrual cycles decreases the ability to sufficiently address these concerns and individuals who menstruate about what to expect with vaccination.

Menstrual cyclicity is an overt sign of health and fertility. Menstrual characteristics are not static, and variability exists month to month across an individual's lifespan. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics classifies a variation in cycle length as normal if less than 8 days. Regularly menstruating individuals can also experience sporadic or stress-induced ovulation perturbances, which may result in a skipped cycle or a temporary change in cycle length. This would normally be perceived as concerning, especially in conjunction with a new exposure such as COVID-19 and the combating vaccination.

Here are a few analysis collected menstrual cycle tracking data from U.S. individuals using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, cleared digital fertility-awareness application “Natural Cycles” to assess whether COVID-19 vaccination is associated with changes in cycle or menses length during the menstrual cycles when vaccine doses are received.

Research

Additional sociodemographic information was collected to further characterize the cohort. Of note, individuals using the Natural Cycles application are required to log only their age; logging other sociodemographic information is voluntary. Vacant- nonignorable and was included as a category in analyses. We categorized age at the start of the first cycle as 18–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–39, or 40–45 years. Race and ethnicity were reported as Asian, Black, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or North African, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or White, which we collapsed into a binary variable for modeling owing to small sample sizes for some groups. We classified state of residence into Census regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, or West. Additional characteristics included parity (nulliparous vs parous), body mass index (BMI) underweight or normal weight, overweight, or obese, education at least a 4-year college degree or not, and relationship status in a steady relationship or not. Clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines didn’t look for effects on the menstrual cycle. Regardless of the prevalence of menstrual irregularities after COVID-19 vaccination, scientists note there are hypotheses that could explain it. Just like infections and fevers, which are known to affect periods, the immune system’s response to vaccination may alter sex hormone patterns or the cells that build up and break down the uterine lining, both of which are interlinked with immunology. There’s been limited research into other vaccines and periods, but one study from Japan found an association with the human papillomavirus vaccine and irregular menstruation.

The Hidden Dangers in Black Hair Relaxers

If you suffer from fibroids, caused by heavy and long than usual periods, pelvic pain, and frequent urination along with back and leg pain? While we don’t know exactly what causes them or why black women seem to be especially vulnerable, there are some researches that are linking them to hair products that you may be using.

A 2017 Rutgers University study linked breast cancer and Black women’s use of hair relaxers. Also, a 2012 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology associated fibroid risk with the use of hair relaxers. Shirley McDonald of the Hair and Scalp Clinic says, “We now know that many hair products contain chemicals that are considered carcinogenic and/or hormone disrupters, leading to increased risk of medical issues such as fibroids (non-cancerous tumors that grow in the uterus, potentially damaging fertility and leading to a host of other complications). Trichologists see lots of conditions that are likely to be triggered by hair products, particularly central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, a type of permanent hair loss to the crown area of the scalp.”

How Are These Chemicals Affecting Black Women?

We’re specifically peaking about the hidden dangers and chemicals in hair straighteners and dyes that spread through the bloodstream are dangerous carcinogens or hormone disruptors, which ultimately affect a woman’s reproductive system and breasts. A study found that hair straighteners increased the risk for uterine fibroids. 23,000 premenopausal women were studied from 1997 – 2009. The results concluded that black women had a 2 to 3 times higher risk of uterine fibroids with 7000 women diagnosed. This is tragically alarming.

Over the dozen years of research, 7,146 ended up with cases of fibroids—a two to three times higher rate that may be linked to chemical exposure through scalp lesions and burns resulting from relaxers.

Made up of muscle fibers, fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the uterus. African American women are disproportionately affected.

Many believe that the products under question now should be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration to assure consumer safety. Many are saying the “Go Natural” trend is something that may go away soon enough. More importantly, why should it? More studies are being conducted yearly surrounding this health issue.

How Often Should You Wash Your Bra?

It’s actually a personal discretion. It’s also based on ones hygiene. Some experts have said that you can wear the same bra two to three days in a row. Keep in mind. It’s also important to rotate your bras, so the cups and straps can relax. This allows them to retain their shape and elasticity. This allows them to retain their shape and elasticity.

What happens if you go without washing your bras for long periods of time?

It’s all about balancing the care for the fabric with the removal of skin debris, oils and sweat. “All the dead skin cells, oils and sweat trapped under your bra make for a cesspool of bacteria and yeast,” Dr. Vij explains. “This can lead to stains and persistent odors on the bra — as well as skin irritation, rashes or local skin infections from yeast or bacteria.” Some people and others, way more physical. While it is correct answer. Let’s weight in with how many bras you may have? Some doctors have suggested handwashing them to through out the week with a gentle cleanser.

Such advice wouldn’t be the case if it's a sports bra. And yoga classes, running power walking. These are exceptions.

Is it bad to wear the same bra every day?

It's not really bad to wear the same bra every day, but you may want to skip a day in between wears in order to give the elastic a chance to shrink back to normal. Again, your activities and environment during time you’re wearing them is what determines everything. And there you have it ladies. Read More in Beauty

Can Looking at Computer Screens and other Digital Devices Damage Your Eyes?

While complaints of eye fatigue and discomfort are common among digital device users, these symptoms are not caused by the screen itself. Digital screens give off little or no harmful radiation (such as x-rays or UV rays). All levels of radiation from computer screens are below levels that can cause eye damage such as cataracts.

Digital screens do exposure your eyes to blue light. Blue light exposure you get from screens is small compared to the amount of exposure from the sun. And yet, there is concern over the long-term effects of screen exposure because of the close proximity of the screens and the length of time spent looking at them. According to a recent NEI-funded study, children’s eyes absorb more blue light than adults from digital device screens.

Retinal Damage

For most people, it is common to use a phone for almost everything, including an alarm clock. Unfortunately, this means the phone is next to your bed, easily used before going to sleep and right when you wake up. Constantly staring at the screen of your cellphone is quite dangerous for your eye health as it can result in retinal damage. Exposure to too much blue light that is transmitted by any LED device will damage your eyes. This becomes even more dangerous at night when your eyes are more focused on the blue light. Retinal damage may result in macular degeneration and damaged central vision.

What is Computer Vision Syndrome? Unfortunately, this is exactly what it sounds like. It occurs when our eyes stare at a computer screen for extended periods of time. The most common symptoms of computer vision syndrome include:

Dry eyes

Headaches

Light sensitivity

Blurred vision

Itchy or watery eyes

Eye strain

Headaches & Migraines

The most common negative effect of screens on eyes is experiencing a headache or even a migraine. When you stare at a screen for an extended period of time, eyestrain will most likely occur and can cause tension headaches. Typically, the contrast between the brightness of the screen and the darker text makes our eyes work harder than they need to, ultimately triggering eye strain and headaches. For some patients, this pain may be more severe and cause a migraine. Unfortunately, migraines can quickly cause other symptoms like nausea, light sensitivity, and temporary blindness.

Try to take breaks in between long projects. It may be difficult, but well worth preserving your vision. Schedule annual eye appointments. Keep in mind that your diet also plays a significant part in your eye sight.

Why are more African American women getting Brazilian Butt Lifts?

The Brazilian butt lift is among the most dangerous aesthetic procedures. In 2017 it had the highest death rate of any cosmetic surgery in the US, according to a group of leading clinical plastic surgery societies. Patients have been left paralyzed as a result of the surgery, or experience long-term pain due to nerve damage. A taskforce that looked into the high death rate with Brazilian butt lifts found that about 3% of surgeons had experienced a patient death after the procedure. Despite this, as curvy celebrity influencers like the Kardashians fill social media feeds, Brazilian butt lifts have only grown more popular. Globally, butt augmentation — including silicone implants — was a $1.5 billion market in 2020, according to Grand View Research, which projects the market will grow 22% a year and reach $6.6 billion by 2028. In recent years, the number of surgeries has “increased dramatically,” president-elect of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In 2020, more than 40,000 butt lifts were performed by certified plastic surgeons in the US, twice as many as five years prior, according to ISAPS's latest statistics.

While this figure is viewed as highly desirable across the globe today, the BBL procedure and its connection to its namesake in Brazil has a long history rooted in anti-Blackness. In fact, we can locate the fixation with the BBL and the body it promotes at least as far as back as the abolition of slavery in Latin America’s largest country. Brazil is also home to the largest population of African-descended people outside of the African continent.

Why are black women getting this enhancement surgery?

Anatomically speaking. Many people would think Black women would need a Brazilian Butt lift surgery. The popularization of this racialized image drove women to plastic surgery. In mainstream Brazilian television and magazines, including many dedicated to plastic surgery, surgeons rejoice in its success — not unlike eugenicists did decades ago. One noted that “the butt of the Brazilian woman is, without a doubt, the most desired in the world. ” Even though having a large derrière was considered as unflattering. After slavery’s abolition in 1888, White Brazilian elites, most of whom were descendants of Portuguese colonists, had a conundrum. They dreamed of building an all White nation, shaped by a concept of progress understood as being tied directly to their culture. So, how does this physicality fit into their world? It actually doesn’t. But because it’s considered as mystical and unique. They’d like for it to be known as “exotic” when it comes to non-black women.

The BBL aesthetic of the 2010s and the present day, however, is most often associated with the Instagram influencer, whose body exists to be consumed by the most people possible (whether or not it has been photoshopped is almost beside the point). After Kim Kardashian, one of the examples of the modern influencer, proved with an X-ray that she hadn’t had butt implants, the next logical question was, “Well, how?” The answer, many have speculated, is that she and some of her sisters had gotten Brazilian butt lifts, which wouldn’t have shown up on an X-ray because the procedure involves the removal and retranslate of one’s own fat.The BBL is not new to the world of plastic surgery and augmentation, but it has seen an increasing rise in social media access. More and more women are seeking out the BBL, traveling, and even documenting their journeys to share with other women who may be interested in the procedure. What I am most interested in is the 'why' why are these women, specifically Black women willing to put themselves in a position that could end with pain or death, especially in a society that is so quick to marginalize them and their bodies. From the historical approach, I examine how the Black woman's body has been violently used for medical purposes and how this new phenomenon of the BBL is, in a way repeating this history.

How to protect yourself from Monkeypox

Monkeypox spreads in different ways. The virus can spread from person-to-person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex. In addition, pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.

Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids is another way monkeypox spreads.

It’s also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by eating meat or using products from an infected animal.

People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others.

Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.

Symptoms

See a healthcare provider if you notice a new or unexplained rash or other monkeypox symptoms.

Remind the healthcare provider that monkeypox is circulating.

Avoid close contact (including intimate physical contact) with others until a healthcare provider examines you.

Avoid close contact with pets or other animals until a healthcare provider examines you.

If you’re waiting for test results, follow the same precautions.

If your test result is positive, stay isolated until your rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed.

Sexual Intercourse

Even though it is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, monkeypox can spread during intimate physical contact between people. This contact can happen when you have sex, including:

Oral, anal, and vaginal sex, or touching the genitals or anus of a person with monkeypox

Hugging, massaging, kissing, or talking closely

Touching fabrics, shared surfaces, and objects, such as bedding, towels, and sex toys, that were used by a person with monkeypox

Anyone can get monkeypox if they have close personal contact with someone who has symptoms of monkeypox.

Prevention

Avoid close, skin- to- skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox.

Do not touch the rash or scabs of person with monkeypox.

Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with monkeypox.

Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox.

Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.

Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

In Central and West Africa, avoid contact with animals that can spread monkeypox virus, usually rodents and primates. Also, avoid sick or dead animals, as well as bedding or other materials they have touched.

If you are sick with monkeypox

Isolate at home by self quarantining

If you have an active rash or other symptoms, stay in a separate room or area away from people or pets you live with, when possible.

Vaccinations and Treatment

What treatments are available for monkeypox?

There are no treatments specifically for monkeypox virus infections. However, because of genetic similarities in the viruses, antiviral drugs used to treat smallpox may be used to treat monkeypox infections.

Antivirals, such as tecovirimat (TPOXX), may be recommended for people who are more likely to get severely ill, like patients with weakened immune systems.

Because monkeypox and smallpox viruses are genetically similar, vaccines developed to protect against smallpox viruses may be used to prevent monkeypox infections.

The U.S. government has two stockpiled vaccines—JYNNEOS and ACAM2000—that can prevent monkeypox in people who are exposed to the virus. Vaccines may be recommended for people who have had or may have contact with someone who has monkeypox, or for healthcare and public health workers who may be exposed to the virus. Information provided by the CDC

Missouri Man Infected With Brain-Eating Amoeba After Visiting Iowa Beach

A Missouri man has been confirmed to have a rare life-threatening infection of the brain, which health authorities believe he acquired while swimming at the Lake of Three Fires State Park in Taylor County, Iowa. As a precautionary response, the beach that provides access to the lake will be closed temporarily to swimmers, the Iowa Department of Public Health said Friday.

Naegleria fowleri, commonly called a “brain-eating amoeba,” is a microscopic single-celled free-living amoeba that can causes an infection of the brain called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PAM destroys brain tissue and causes severe brain swelling and death in most cases.

Naegleria fowleri is found around the world, often in warm or hot freshwater (lakes, rivers, and hot springs). It is commonly found in lakes in southern-tier states, but has caused infections in more northern states, including Minnesota.

Alzheimer and Dementia disease in African American individuals: Increasing numbers and not enough data for assistance

**Age-specific prevalence of dementia has been found to be 14% to 100% higher in African- Americans**. The rates vary among studies, three out of four report these higher prevalence rates. The cumulative risk of dementia among first- degree relatives of African-Americans who have Alzheimer's disease is 43.7%.
We’re an ageing population. The older you get, the higher the risk of developing dementia. And survival rates for many illnesses - such as heart disease, the previous leading cause of death are improving with the assistance of continuous dedicated research.

Despite the central role of genetics in AD, racial disparities in AD are not completely explained by genetics

Previous studies have shown that for the overall U.S. population, Black Americans are roughly 1.5 to 2 times as likely than whites to develop Alzheimer's and related dementias.

New York- Research on racial differences in Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia has increased in recent years. Older African American individuals bear a disproportionate burden of AD and cognitive impairment compared with non-Latino white individuals. Tremendous progress has been made over the past two decades in our understanding of the neurobiological substrates of AD. However, owing to well-documented challenges of study participant recruitment and a persistent lack of biological data in the African American population, knowledge of the drivers of these racial disparities has lagged behind. Therapeutic targets and effective interventions for AD are increasingly sought, but without a better understanding of the disease in African American individuals, any identified treatments and/or cures will evade this rapidly growing at-risk population. In this Perspective, I introduce three key obstacles to progress in understanding racial differences in AD: uncertainty about diagnostic criteria, disparate cross-sectional and longitudinal findings; and a dearth of neuropathological data. I also highlight evidence-informed strategies to move the field forward.

Throughout this perspective, the terms race and ethnicity are used. Both terms describe social constructs with no basis in biology, but in the medical literature, race is typically used to group people who are similar in ancestral background and/or share phenotypic features like skin color. For example, in the US Census, five categories of race are officially recognized: white, Black or African American, Asian American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. In contrast, ethnicity is used to group people who share common cultural traditions, languages and values regardless of racial classification (for example, people with cultural ties to Latin America are often referred to as being of Latino, Latina or Latinx ethnicity but can be of any race). In this Perspective, I specifically address the situation in the USA and use the term African American to refer to individuals who would be grouped by the US Census into the Black or African American category. The ageing and dementia research community has identified a number of genetic, medical, and lifestyle factors that are associated with the risk of dementia. Although this knowledge, largely gathered from study cohorts that are overwhelmingly white, is generally assumed to characterize risk in all populations, we know very little about the drivers of disease in African American individuals. The preponderance of data from one population can lead to the false and potentially dangerous conclusion that that group represents some type of scientific norm that all other groups should be compared to. However, research on the drivers of AD in minoritized populations — that is, populations that have been systematically marginalized in society — is as important as research of drivers in the majority population, and should be the focus of studies, even if it does not explicitly inform us about racial differences.