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Top Things to Know about Measles

You may be hearing a lot about measles lately, and all of this news on TV, social media, Internet, newspapers and magazines may leave you wondering what you as a parent really need to know about this disease. CDC has put together a list of the most important facts about measles for parents like you.

Not My Child

“Not my child.”

That’s usually the first thought that runs through every parent’s mind at the thought that his or her child would do the worst and use an illegal substance. We start from day-one protecting them and trying to educate them and keep them from anything harmful. However, if asked, most people struggling with substance abuse disorder will tell you they never started out with an intention of hurting themselves, let alone their family.

Patient Navigation, a Pathway to Better Health Outcomes

Patient Navigators, also known as Community Health Workers (CHW) are in more places than you might think; helping patients just like you navigate the sometimes overwhelming world of healthcare. The potential benefits of patient navigators include improved health outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, decreased no-show rates and reduced disparities in care.

Stages of Parkinson’s

Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that effects movement. While everyone with Parkinson's experiences the disease differently, there are common patterns of progression in the disease that are defined in stages. Identifying an individual’s stage can help doctors and caretakers control and improve symptoms:

Stage One

In the earliest stage of Parkinson’s, the person may experience mild symptoms that usually affect one side of the body. This includes tremor and changes in posture, movement (walking) and facial expressions.

Pregnancy Aches and Pains

Pregnancy is a time of tremendous change for the female body. Some of those changes can come with a bit of discomfort. There will be changes to your skin, breasts, muscles, uterus (a very large muscle), pelvis, digestive system, circulatory system, weight, genital area, and your sleep patterns, just to name a few. Women feel these aches and pains due to a hormone called relaxin which causes the ligaments to relax in preparation for delivery.

Mindfulness and Pain

I think I am on the tail-end of my midlife crisis. It has been an excruciating few years as I experienced my existential crisis and it will most definitely leave its mark. Recent experience however, has me healing and viewing pain, my mental pain, in a much healthier way. It has helped me so much that I sometimes feel like I am cheating or simply using avoidance as a defense mechanism. The magic cure, at this point in time is simple: be content. When I first heard my inner vessel provide that suggestion, I scoffed. What? No way!

Surrendering to the Pain of Labor

Surrender: To yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand.

Lovelace mentoring future health professionals through FACES

If you enter one of our Lovelace hospitals, you may see some new FACES.

Local high school students are participating in the FACES for the Future program throughout Lovelace hospitals. FACES for the Future works to support underserved, minority students interested in careers in health care, mental and behavioral health, public health and global health.

What New Mexicans Need to Know About Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, is no stranger to our state. With approximately 800 new cases of colorectal cancer being diagnosed in New Mexico every year, raising community awareness of colorectal cancer is critical. Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is New Mexico’s second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death.

Gut Health Starts Before Day One

Most of the time we think of gastrointestinal health as something to pay attention to as we age or when we start seeing problems with our health. However, more and more research is coming out showing that our gastrointestinal health starts in our development, prenatally and throughout our infancy. Babies in utero are going through a complex process as they develop their immune system. For instance, we now know that vernix, the thick, waxy substance covering a baby in the womb, is not just for protection of the skin from soaking in amniotic fluid.