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Follow Aiden's Heart Surgery As It Happens
We followed 16-month-old Aiden through heart surgery to repair a heart defect called Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) that enables blood flow between the left and right Atria through an abnormal opening. We captured his surgery through Instagram as it happened, posting updates and pictures every few minutes so that his story could be followed in real time. Below are the photos and a timeline of events throughout the surgery. Aiden's surgery was successful and we wish him the best as he gets back to being a normal little boy again.
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Forever and a Day: Jesse's song
A man is supposed to be strong, tough, and show no emotion. Showing emotion, such as fear or pain, would only leave a man weak and vulnerable. This is how Jesse, 22-years-old, feels as he is forced to face these feelings after battling cancer for several years. You see, emotions such as anger, hurt, pain, and fear, are something that Jesse feels every day, as a result of this disease. To cope with his emotions, he turns to music as a way to process what he is going through and help his loved ones understand. Music has become his “safe place”- a place where he can expose his thoughts and feelings, being free to share the turmoil of his heart, without feeling judged or any less of the courageous man that he is.
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School Days
As the back to school ads began appearing a few weeks ago, I remembered the days when my son was in elementary school and how we greeted each new school year with hope, determination and some anxiety. To say my son was an “active” child is putting it mildly. Except for the growling, he resembled the Tasmanian Devil from Bugs Bunny cartoons in terms of his activity level and his attention span.
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One simple test saved Lauren's life
When Lauren Doubleday was born, her parents were excited to welcome a happy, healthy baby girl. But less than 24 hours later, they were told that Lauren had a serious heart defect. The fact that this heart defect was even caught is thanks to one simple test - a pulse ox screening. For the past year, babies born at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies have received additional screening to check the oxygen levels in their blood. This simple test can signal potential heart defects and allows our team to intervene as soon as possible.
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Talking to Teens about Sex
As an adolescent medicine specialist caring for youth at a time of life when first crushes, first dates, and first loves (and for some youth, the first time) happen, I cannot help but notice the obvious lack of communication between parents and teens about sexuality, and quite frankly, sex. For many parents, sex in the teenage years is something to be feared and forbidden and is often a source of family conflict. Many parents cringe at the idea of talking about sex with teens. And when they do talk to teens, conversations usually focus just on the dangers of sex and romance -- STDs, pregnancy and heartbreak.
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What it means to give back
Last month, the Holy Family Catholic School hosted their first mother-daughter fundraiser to benefit Arnold Palmer Hospital! It was a special night for young girls to experience what it means to give back to the families in their community. Several families shared emotional stories of their time at Arnold Palmer Hospital. These little girls who are students at the school, have battled diseases that many people will never have to face in their lifetime. They were the inspiration behind this community event. Their strength, courage, and determination to fight set the tone for the evening. You could see the overwhelming joy these families had for Arnold Palmer Hospital and the doctors and nurses who were with them throughout their journey as tears started welling up in their eyes while telling their story. These families wanted to be able to give back to the hospital that had done so much for them, and this was their way to say thank you. It was amazing to see how every mom and daughter rallied around these families throughout the night. Everyone loved on them and made them feel like the stars of the night.
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Does my child need Antibiotics?
Does My Child Need Antibiotics?
About once a month, I will get a phone call from any one of my girlfriends who is looking for a friendly “second opinion” about their child. She tells me that her child hasn’t been feeling well for a few days, and she finally got an appointment to see their pediatrician on short notice. She becomes disappointed because her doctor did not give her a prescription for antibiotics for her child. She is upset because her child “always gets better on antibiotics.” My friend voices her frustration because she feels like her doctor “didn’t do anything.” Then she may ask me to “just prescribe something” for her child. I gently have to tell her no, because it is not right for me to do that since her child is not my patient, and I have not examined her child. I reassure her to trust her pediatrician, and to definitely keep her doctor in the loop if her child’s condition is not improving, or actually worsens over the next day or two.What are Antibiotics?
Antibiotics are medications that can be used to treat bacterial infections. For example, if your child has an ear infection or strep throat, your pediatrician will prescribe an appropriate antibiotic to help treat the infection. Anti-virals are medications that can treat viral infections, such as influenza or herpes simplex. Anti-fungals work against fungal infections, such as ringworm or yeast infections. -
Healthy snack ideas for kids
Have you ever been to a campfire? To keep the fire burning, you have to continue putting logs onto the fire, right? Your metabolism is like that fire, and to keep it going strong you have to feed it at regular intervals, like when you’re hungry. A strong metabolism keeps your body working efficiently and helps to maintain your healthy weight.
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It’s time to get up and get outside!
With summer just around the corner, what better time to get your kids more active? Concern over kids’ health and the growing obesity rates has been a hot topic for years, bringing to attention the fact that physical activity is a crucial part of kids’ health. Not only does it help to keep kids’ weight in check, but also plays a role in the development of cognitive and social skills.
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Trampolines aren't just fun and games
“Watch this!” cries your youngest child, as his older sibling bounces him high into the air on the backyard trampoline. Your child is all giggles and smiles as he quickly flies into the air and lands with a big bounce on the trampoline’s giving surface. Your child bounces a few more times, until he finally comes to a stop. What may seem like all fun and games at the time, can quickly take a turn for the worse when someone gets hurt.
