“I had a black dog. His name was depression.” To look at me, you’d never know. I have a full-time job, a wonderful husband and lots of friends. I genuinely enjoy life, but I also have a secret: I struggle with depression. When I confide this part of me to others, I get surprised looks and raised eyebrows. Most days, I’m OK. I was diagnosed with depress [...]

Stephanie Westerman, Program Manager, Enterprise Learning & Delivery, has a passion. Her true desire is to be more engaged in Down syndrome advocacy and make a difference for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And that passion came to her in the most unexpected way – with the birth of her daughter. Here’s how her story, her passion, began. Step [...]

“When it rains, it pours” is a proverb meaning that sometimes, misfortunes tend to follow in quick succession or arrive all at the same time. We’ve all been there – looking for an umbrella to get us out of the storm. Deanna Stewart, a Referral Specialist at University of Florida’s UF Health Women’s Specialists in Jacksonville, recently had her own personal downpour, but through a lot of hard wo [...]

Have you ever stood in line at a pharmacy and marveled at the countless number of drugs sitting on shelves behind the counter? It seems like there’s a drug—sometimes more than one—for every health condition.  For the last 20 years, I’ve cared for family members who take a mix of prescription drugs. My 19-year-old so [...]

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, most of us feel more than a little stressed this time of year.  Here’s the good news — there’s a stress-relieving tool right in your pocket. Free smartphone apps are available that can help you relieve stress, manage anxiety and improve your mood. Look for these apps on the Apple App store or in the Google Play stor [...]

You see your doctor for your annual wellness visit and you leave with a prescription for medicine to treat high blood pressure. But the medicine is more than you can afford. What do you do? Have you ever skipped a prescription refill to save money, or forgotten to take a dose of your medicine? You should always follow yo [...]

‘Tis the season to be jolly. But as you gather with family and friends to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year, keep these guidelines in mind if you plan to drink alcohol.   Healthy adults over 65 should stick to these limits on alcohol use: Per day: No more than 2 alcoholic drinks for men, 1 drink for women Per week: No mo [...]

What stands between you and good health at the holidays? Just an army of gingerbread men, a sea of eggnog and a whole lot of fruit cakes. Of course, staying healthy at the holidays means more than just going easy on the treats. Here are some health obstacles you might face at the holidays and what you can do about them. Chilly weather: [...]

Now that it’s fall in Florida, it’s cool outside, and all you sports lovers out there are getting together with friends and family and heading to the stadium to cheer on your favorite sports teams. All that rooting for your team can work up an appetite! Hot dogs, nachos and burgers are often part of the stadium experienc [...]

Going the Full Term: National Prematurity Awareness Month  Having a baby should be an exciting time for every expectant mother. You will often hear them say that making sure the baby is healthy is the top priority. Making sure the pregnancy goes the full term is one key to the baby’s health as the health risks are greater the earlier a birth oc [...]