I am a caregiver. I help coordinate the health and home care for an elder loved one who, for the purposes of maintaining a bit of anonymity, I will call “M.” He is a healthy, happy octogenarian. We have known each other for nearly 40 years, but we are not related by blood. I am […]
cancer
Public Q&A: Peer support for parents of teens with cancer
Helen Burstin, MD, reached out to ask if I know of an online peer-to-peer support group for parents of teens with cancer. For anyone who knows Helen: Don’t worry, it’s not for her own family. She is asking on behalf of a friend, who writes: “I’ve been able to find groups for parents of children […]
What’s your advice?
My dad was a survivor — of a heart attack in his 50s, kidney cancer in his 60s, and an initial diagnosis of melanoma in his 70s. Melanoma recurrence and complications of treatment are what finally got him. A lifelong runner, Dad kept meticulous notes about his mileage and heart rate on paper. He bought […]
Half of 18- to 22-year-olds seek peer health advice online
A 2018 national survey by Hopelab and Well Being Trust uncovered an astonishing finding: Fully half (51%) of 18- to 22-year-olds say they have tried to find people online with health concerns similar to their own. That is double the percentage of teens (14- to 17-year-olds) who reported doing this activity and it’s much higher […]
A good death
You might think, looking at the open tabs on my browser, that I’ve got death on my mind. And you would be right. My father passed away in December from melanoma. The end was about as peaceful as we could have hoped for, but it was still hard to watch. I spent most of what […]
How did you find your people?
The internet gives us access not only to information, but also to each other. That deceptively simple insight, gained from years of research, contains so much of the hope I have for the future of health and health care. When we get sick or receive a new diagnosis, we often feel alone, but we shouldn’t. […]
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