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The High Cost of Dying Without Insurance
Dying without insurance is a painful prospect for up to 28 million AmericansAccording to an article published by The Nation this past summer, approximately 28 million uninsured Americans face the prospect of dying painfully, without the medication or other social supports accessible to those who have health insurance. Primarily made up of working-poor adults under 65 years of age and the 11 million undocumented immigrants and asylum…
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“Spook: Science Tackles The Afterlife”
A book exploring the search for scientific evidence of a soul and an afterlifeIn the preface to “Spook: Science Tackles The Afterlife,” author Mary Roach tells her reader that she is not interested in philosophical debates on the soul, but neither is Spook a “debunking book” for skeptics. (Debunking books assume an outcome and set about trying to prove that outcome, whereas Roach’s goal is to approach her…
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“How Could I Ever Know?”
From the Broadway musical “The Secret Garden”“How Could I Ever Know?” is a song from the musical “A Secret Garden,” which opened on Broadway in April 1991 and closed in March 1993. The show is based upon Frances Hodgson Burnett’s book of the same title. It was published in serial form in 1910 and in its entirety in 1911. “The Secret…
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Do Partial DNRs Increase the Risk of Suffering?
Doctors warn patients that cherry-picking options might cause harmMore patients are taking control of their healthcare wishes than ever before, using advance directives to customize their end of life experiences. While this freedom of choice has given patients more power, doctors warn that some personalized options could do more harm than good. Patients who choose partial DNRs (Do Not Resuscitate orders) might not…
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Monday Hearts for Madalene
Page Hodel creates beautiful hearts as a celebration of lasting loveIt’s an honor for SevenPonds to share with our readers the story of the Monday Hearts for Madalene project, a true account of the power of love in the midst of death.The project’s origins take us to 2005: the moment Page Hodel encountered Madalene Rodriguez and fell “instantly, dizzyingly in love with her.” The couple’s first meeting was electric,…
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Can Dogs Really Detect Cancer?
Researchers are using the canine sense of smell to identify early cancers, with more than a little successEarly detection is one of the most important factors in the successful treatment of many cancers. Since the 1950’s, when the PAP smear for cervical cancer screening became widely available, the death rate from cervical cancer has decreased by over 70 percent. When colon cancer is detected early, the five-year survival rate is over 90…
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An Accidental Witness: A Photographer Captures Domestic Violence on Film
Sara Naomi Lewkowicz’ photo series documents a young woman’s struggle to repair her life after an episode of domestic abuseDomestic violence affects 1 in 4 women in the United States, or about 3 to 4 million women each year. Battery by an intimate partner is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in this country. Over one-third of female homicide victims are killed by a domestic partner…
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Our Weekly Tip: Sing The Blues
Expressing yourself through song is an effective technique to navigate griefOur Tip of the Week: Let out the roar. Let out the sob. Release what is rising to the surface instead of burying it inside. We can do this in an incredibly effective way using the vibration of our own voices. It doesn’t need to be pretty, and it doesn’t have to be done alone.…
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“Extremis”
A short film about real end-of-life struggles is now available on NetflixThere is no experience on earth more disturbing than watching another human being struggling to stay alive. Yet that is the precise reality that the doctors and nurses who work in our nation’s emergency rooms encounter every day. Most often, the person they are treating is a stranger, and they often arrive at the hospital…
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