A leading global men's health advocacy organization has launched an interactive online tool to give people the confidence to have difficult discussions with friends, family members and colleagues who may be struggling with a critical life issue. Movember Conversations offers practical guidance on talking to those hurting because of job loss, social isolation and family pressure. Using multiple choice questions, the program guides the user through typical scenarios, teaching conversational prompts and responses that help to open a conversation and keep it flowing meaningfully. It uses … [Read more...]
Navigating Joy, Worry When Your Spouse is a Healthcare Worker
It’s such a strange disconnect. It feels like the world is falling down around me, yet, on my little island, everything seems sunny and bright. Quite literally as well as figuratively. Every day for the past several weeks, the Florida weather has been relentlessly bright, clear, dry and hot. Completely inappropriate for an apocalypse. And inside the walls of our suburban home, with an air conditioner that whirs and rumbles most hours of the day and night, things are cheery and comfortable. The halls are filled with squeals of joy and laughter that bounce off the wood floors and invade every … [Read more...]
Coping Strategies to Help Families Hit Brakes During Current Worries
There’s a road sign in the low mountains of western Massachusetts that used to strike fear in me: “Runaway Truck Ramp.” As I drove by the uphill side lane with its soft, gravel bed, scenes of crashing 18-wheelers with no brakes would careen through my mind. I passed the sign again last month on my way to retrieve my daughter from her college that, like so many others, closed early due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The empty interstate made me feel like I was driving through the zombie apocalypse, and it didn’t help when Ohio’s “limit your travel” signs gave way to New York’s more … [Read more...]
Child’s Birthday Party Plans Ruined by COVID-19? Not on Your Watch
Your son or daughter is having a birthday next week? Well, my twins are. I've been hesitant to mention it because a child's birthday party amid a coronavirus "shelter in place" order would be frowned up by the governor and most of my neighbors. Explaining the need to cancel or postpone a birthday party to a 5-year-old, let alone two, can be both difficult and fruitless. Your child may not understand the why, but if you're in a situation like mine you owe it to him or her to try. Delaying such an event, even in the light of the current social isolation thing, actually may be harder than … [Read more...]
Rare Diagnosis in Rock Star Offers Children Hope for Treatment, Cure
On my daughter’s birthday last year, I drove several hours to visit her at college. I brought her the local vanilla-bean glazed doughnuts she claims are “the best” along with several assorted goodies from home. We then spent most of our afternoon chatting and watching reruns of Friends while we waited for her latest five-hour drip of IV medication to finish. For all but the first two of her 19 years, my daughter has dealt with juvenile dermatomyositis, an incurable autoimmune disease that affects muscles and blood vessels. Just three in a million children are diagnosed with it, so you … [Read more...]
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