Author Archives: Aimee Amodio

Healthy Websites for Kids: BAM.gov

Confession time: I watch a lot of cartoons. I do! And lately, I’ve caught a series of commercials on Cartoon Network that led me to a new healthy website I want to share. The commercials feature a big, kinda scary-looking guy talking about disease prevention — like sneezing into your sleeve or a tissue, washing your hands, and other tips. The commercials then suggest viewers find more health tips at BAM.gov. So I went to take a look! The first thing I noticed? No scary bald guy. I kinda miss him, actually! The images on the site are bright and … Continue reading →

So Why All the Mystery?

I hope you’re not too fed up with hearing about my uterus. It’s a pretty big deal for me, and a pretty major surgery on the horizon… so I’ve got a lot of processing to do. One lingering question isn’t so much about the health issue itself but about the mystery surrounding it. Why was my regular doctor not willing or able to make a definitive diagnosis when another doctor — faced with the same exact report from the ultrasound — did? I’ve come up with a few possibilities. For one thing, maybe the level of expertise is part of … Continue reading →

Watching Alzheimer’s Progress From Afar

Back when I lived in New Jersey, I was one of the main caretakers for my grandmother. I lived with her, so it was usually easy enough for me to handle insulin injections for her diabetes, daily meds (for various health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease), grooming, and light cleaning. In May 2007, I moved out. I was feeling too stressed and frustrated with the caretaking duties, and starting to have disturbing dreams about hurting her deliberately. That was when I said enough was enough. I didn’t want there to even be a chance of those dreams becoming reality. It’s been … Continue reading →

Unexpected Health Advice From My New Laptop

My computer went to that great big electronics store in the sky last week, so I ended up buying a new laptop. It’s sleek and shiny and actually the first new computer I’ve owned in a long time. (My last two were hand-me-downs, and served long and well.) Like most electronics, the new laptop came with a manual. Several manuals, in fact. The regular operations one, the quick start guide, a shopping-for-accessories booklet, and something called the “Instruction Manual for Safety and Comfort”. With a title like that, I couldn’t resist taking a peek. Much of it is devoted to … Continue reading →

Sympathy Cards for a Lost Pet

It feels like I’ve been signing a lot of sympathy cards at the cats-only boarding facility lately. As much as I hate to think about it, our pets just don’t live as long as we’d like them to. It’s a sad coincidence that we’ve had several guests pass away in relatively quick succession. Sometimes, I don’t know what to say. I do my best to find something to love about each and every cat that comes through our doors. When I’m writing out the card, I try to remember some special moment I shared with the pet — some fond … Continue reading →

Is That My Final Answer?

Yesterday, I talked about my conversation with the doctors at the teaching clinic about my not-so-mysterious-any-more growths. I’ve got two fibroids — one inside the uterus about the size of a mandarin orange and one in the uterine lining about the size of a football. Between the two, I’ve been pretty uncomfortable over the last year or so. My periods are irregular, my cramps are incredibly painful, my bladder always feels full, I have constipation problems, and more — all thanks to the football and the orange. In the last six weeks or so, the pain has really become a … Continue reading →

My Mystery, Solved!

Did you miss me? I missed you! But my computer’s breakdown came at a pretty opportune time, as it gave me a few days to focus on my health. Here’s the latest news. First, a quick recap: a pelvic exam suggested that I might have fibroids. My doctor ordered an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but the results weren’t quite clear. I was handed off to a teaching clinic for more testing. Or so I thought. The doctor walked into the exam room and greeted me with a cheery, “So, you’re here to talk about surgery?” After I picked my … Continue reading →

Pain and Appetite

Pain can be hard on your body. Sure, it’s a good indicator that something is wrong… but pain can really mess with your body’s normal function. Maybe you have trouble sleeping, or maybe you lose your appetite. It seems like pain is one of those signals that overrides some of the other noise going on in your body — like the rumble in your tummy that says you’re ready for another meal. To be honest, I hadn’t thought much about it until it became a personal problem. I’ve been experiencing a lot of pain lately from the region of my … Continue reading →

Free Sample of Rachael Ray’s Dog Food

Celebrity chef Rachael Ray makes no secret of being an animal lover… or a food lover! She’s combined the two to offer a line of premium dog food called Nutrish. The website proudly proclaims that the first ingredient in Nutrish is real meat — and backs it up by posting the full ingredient list. You’ll find healthy omega fatty acids, essential vitamins and minerals, and fiber for digestive health in the mix. And if you’d like to give it a try, she’s giving out free samples. Just visit her Nutrish website (www.switchtonutrish.com) and fill in your address information. You’ll be … Continue reading →

Pain and Sleep

In a way, pain is a good thing: it is the body’s way of saying that something is wrong, and giving you a general idea of where the problem is. But pain can mess with your appetite, concentration, sleeping habits, and more. Sometimes, pain makes you want (or need) more sleep. If you are sick or injured, you need time to rest and heal! There are some types of pain that make me want to snooze — mostly headaches. Often, I’ll try taking a nap to see if I can sleep the headache off before resorting to pain relievers. Though … Continue reading →