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It Takes a Village
An African proverb about raising children speaks to the challenges of end-of-life careIn 1996, then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton penned a book, “It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us.” The title of the book was based on an African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” which speaks to the need for entire communities to come together to care for their…
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What Is the Role of an End-of-Life Doula? (Interview)
An interview with Merilynne Rush, founder of Lifespan Doula Association, Part OneToday Sevenponds speaks with Merilynne Rush, founder of Lifespan Doula Association, an organization in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that provides professional End-of-Life Doula training and certification, continuing education programs, mentoring for doulas, and resources and referrals for individuals and families seeking end-of-life support. Merilynne Rush and her Lifespan Doula Association co-founder Patty Brennan are experts in the…
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Guarding Against Alzheimer’s Disease
Study Reveals a Link Between High-Protein Diets and Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s DiseaseAs science and medical technology have advanced, life expectancy has risen, along with survival rates for many diseases that have become more treatable. This is a boon for the elderly (as well as all of us), as it increases both quantity and quality of life for many. This trend toward longer, healthier lives does have…
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“Moving On (before and after cancer)”
The short book of poetry details the author’s experience with breast cancerThe book is divided chronologically into four sections detailing McCollum’s cancer journey: The Discovery, The Treatments, The Follow Up and Life Goes On. Each section is comprised of five to seven poems. Most of the poems’ rhyme schemes occur in the second and fourth lines of each stanza. “Moving On (before and after cancer)” is…
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“You Learn”
Lessons from the school of hard knocksI had my doubts about how compelling a storyline would accompany this summer’s world premiere of “Jagged Little Pill,” a new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s 1995 Grammy-winning alt-rock album. How could this newest jukebox musical, a genre often panned by theater critics, inspire evocative narrative when so many others have failed? My answer to this question came in the words and experience of the show’s…
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Deaths from Liver Disease Rising in U.S.
Alcohol consumption is largely to blame, study showsThe United States has seen an alarming increase in deaths from liver disease over the past decade, according to a recent study published in BMJ. The spike came as a surprise to researchers, who expected that liver-related deaths would decrease in response to recent improvements in the treatment of hepatitis C. Instead, deaths related to…
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Breast Cancer Surgery Harmful in Frail Nursing Home Residents
Elderly women with breast cancer fare worse after surgery, study findsAs a rule, breast cancer surgery is considered a low-risk procedure, even in the elderly. But a recent study published in JAMA Surgery has called into question the wisdom of surgery in women who are elderly and medically frail. After reviewing the records of nearly 6,000 nursing home residents who had inpatient surgery for breast…
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Nick Flessa Transformed His Mother’s Possessions into Objects of Art
The stories of a mother’s life and a son’s grief are revealed in his collectionWhen Nick Flessa’s mother died in 2010, he faced, as we all someday face, the bittersweet task of sorting through a deceased loved one’s belongings — along with the complicated emotions each object embodied. Nick had to answer the same questions we are confronted with when sorting through the possessions our parents leave behind: What to discard?…
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