Broken Collarbone (Clavicle Fracture) and Kids

What are the symptoms of a broken collarbone? Here are the signs of a clavicle fracture in a child. Unfortunately, as of today, we know this first hand. Well, we were getting pretty close to making it through to teen hood without any broken bones. I thought I would someday get the mom of the year award. My youngest little guy ruined my chances today when it was revealed that he had broken his collarbone. Apparently, a clavicle fracture is pretty common, especially in children. The collarbone is one of those rare bones that are not covered in muscle, but … Continue reading →

What to Do While Waiting for Medical Test Results

Waiting for test results can be a bit un-nerving, especially when the test results might indicate a change in your lifestyle. Knowing what to do while you are waiting for test results can help you keep a positive frame of mind while making sure that you don’t miss any important information related to your tests. Establish How and When the Results will be Delivered How will you know when your test results are in and how will the results be delivered to you? Establish the answers to these questions with the lab or your doctor’s office. Will someone call you? … Continue reading →

Is It a Spider Bite?

This past weekend was not that fun for me. Friday, my 8-year-old went to a party at a place that has the blowup jumpy houses. He came home, happy and full of birthday cake. Around 8:30, he came over to me to tell me something and I saw a white place on his arm with a red circle around it. Yikes – what was that on my son’s arm? I had his dad look at it and we called his grandpa, who used to be an EMT. After sending him a picture of it, he said it might be a … Continue reading →

Disorganized? You May Have Adult ADD

Millions of adults may be walking around with a condition that can be treated, if only it was diagnosed: Adult ADD. Adult ADD is similar to the ADD (Attention Deficient Disorder) that affects children. The difference is that there was not a recognition of this condition when most adults were children. Instead, they may have been been given other labels in the classroom, from slow to the class clown. The fact that they may have adult ADD may never even occur to them. The difference with most adults is that with maturity, they either adapt or accept their self-perceived limitations. … Continue reading →

My Ultrasound Experience

As promised, a report on my ultrasound adventure! I went to an imaging center for a pelvic ultrasound. The prep is different, depending on which body part is being scanned. My prep was pretty easy: drink five glasses of water in the hour prior to your scan. (For ultrasound scans of other areas of the body, you may be asked to fast, or drink only clear liquids.) There was only one hard part: I couldn’t use the bathroom until AFTER my scan. This inspired nightmare images of me having an accident on the exam table! But as it turns out, … Continue reading →

Tests, Treatments, and Nerves

In case I haven’t harped upon this enough in the last few days, I’m having an ultrasound this afternoon. And I’m a little nervous. Long story short: after my recent pelvic exam, my doctor suspects I have fibroids. I’m having an ultrasound today to confirm the diagnosis, so we can figure out a treatment plan. I’m glad to know that there’s a reason for my monthly misery — irregular periods, painful cramps, and other symptoms. I’m glad to know there is a wide variety of treatment options available. But I’m still nervous about the test. Let’s be honest: I get … Continue reading →

What Is an Ultrasound?

I’ve got ultrasounds on the brain at the moment, since I’m having one on Monday afternoon to confirm my doctor’s diagnosis of fibroids. Also known as sonography, ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to create pictures of the inside of the body. One big advantage of an ultrasound over other kinds of imaging is that an ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation (like an x-ray does) and is generally non-invasive. Ultrasound images are captured in real time, so they can even show the movement of blood through vessels! Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, flat sections. There are also 3D … Continue reading →

Occupational Therapy: Overview

Occupational therapy is similar in some ways to physical therapy, and different in others. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, occupational therapy “enables people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health and prevent—or live better with—illness, injury or disability.” (From the AOTA website.) Occupational therapy can help patients develop or regain the fine-motor skills that allow us to do everyday tasks like tying shoes, writing, and using utensils. Other goals of occupational therapy may be improving basic reasoning skills or compensating for a permanent loss of function. Who needs occupational therapy? Patients … Continue reading →

Getting the Most Benefit from Physical Therapy

If you choose to undergo physical therapy, you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you. Here are some tips to help you get the most benefit from your treatment! Remember that this is an active treatment — physical therapy is not something done TO you. It is something you take part in. If you’re not going to do the work, you are wasting your time and the physical therapist’s time. Do your homework. Again, it’s a waste of time if you only put the effort in when your physical therapist is watching — your progress will be very slow … Continue reading →

Types of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is an umbrella that encompasses many specialties. Here are a few of the most common areas of specialization for physical therapists. Pediatric physical therapy deals with congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, neuroskeletal, and other disorders in infants, children, and adolescents. A pediatric physical therapist can help detect, diagnose, treat, and manage a wide variety of conditions, including: Cerebral palsy Spina bifida Developmental delays Pediatric physical therapy focuses on balance and coordination, improving motor skills (both fine motor and gross motor), building strength and endurance, and sensory integration. At the other end of life, geriatric physical therapists deals with aging and … Continue reading →