Chances are this time last year, you or someone you know had already come down with the dreaded flu symptoms. The tired, achy, feel-like-you’ve-just-been-hit-by-a-train kind of feeling. This year, that’s probably not the case. While the standard cold viruses continue…
After a full day working with senior citizens and special needs kids and adults, Sparkle Hill would come home from her job at the Decatur Park District thoroughly exhausted. Her first stop was the bedroom, where she would lie down…
Not many people look back on knee replacement surgery with fond memories, but Angie Griffin is unique. On April 8, 2013, she turned 60 and was gifted with a new knee joint at Taylorville Memorial Hospital (TMH). Before she was…
Unfortunately, broccoli and carrots don’t top anyone’s list of potential food addictions, but Wendi Schutte, clinical manager for the Memorial Weight Loss & Wellness Center, says food addictions can be a real challenge for some people who suffer from obesity.…
We always want the best doctors that we can find. Well, that’s a two-way street. Doctors want good patients. “We want you to understand that this is a relationship,” said Nicole Florence, MD, an internal medicine physician and pediatrician with…
James Macrander’s world seemed to be falling apart. His 12-year marriage ended. He lost his job. Then, when his Social Security benefits dried up, he became homeless. “My cousin took me in when none of my other family members would,”…
Sheila Huey suffered from blinding headaches, a swollen-right eye and double vision. Initially, the symptoms were thought to be associated with a bad sinus infection. The truth revealed a large aneurysm was growing in her brain. It took two long…
The flu vaccine can be an emotionally charged topic. While medical experts say it’s the single best way to prevent the flu, others question its effectiveness and worry about potential side effects. So what’s the bottom line? Influenza kills thousands…
Phil McCarty, 38, was finishing 30 pull-ups in a friendly competition among friends at the Triple Threat gym in Jacksonville when he lost consciousness and fell 10 feet to the floor, landing on his back and bouncing his head twice…
Smoking, alcohol, drugs, sex. To parents of teenagers, they’re like the four horsemen of the apocalypse. We worry about any of these temptations causing challenges in the lives of our kids. Children are experimenting with these temptations sooner than ever,…