For my fortieth birthday, I rode the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier. The sun setting over the ocean cast a pink glow across beachgoers strolling along the sand. Holiday music echoed from the speakers along the boardwalk below. And next to me, my spouse leaned too far over the edge of our plastic… Continue reading At Forty I Learned to Leave

Larry McMahon, que este mes cumple 80 años, está evaluando someterse a una intervención quirúrgica mayor. En los últimos cinco años, su dolor de espalda se ha intensificado. La fisioterapia, los relajantes musculares y las inyecciones no lo alivian. “Es un dolor que apenas me deja hacer nada”, dijo. ¿Debería McMahon, policía estatal retirado de… Continue reading Siete preguntas que una persona mayor debe hacer antes de someterse a una cirugía compleja

Weighing Risks of a Major Surgery Larry McMahon, who turned 80 in December, is weighing whether to undergo a major surgery. Over the past five years, his back pain has intensified. Physical therapy, muscle relaxants, and injections aren’t offering relief. “It’s a pain that leaves me hardly able to do anything,” he said. Should McMahon,… Continue reading 7 Questions Older Americans Should Ask Their Surgeon

Small Steps, Big Changes Almost 25 years ago, Shield HealthCare’s Spinal Cord Injury Lifestyle Specialist Aaron Baker – a former professional motocross athlete – suffered a spinal cord injury that nearly took his mobility. Aaron not only learned to walk again, but he has biked across the U.S. twice and trained to be on the… Continue reading Aaron Baker on Tamron Hall

Nutrition Guidance For A Higher Quality Of Life Did you know that Shield Healthcare has an entire section of their online community dedicated to nutrition? This resource has been very informative for me when I’m searching for answers, guidance, or maybe just tips for new ways to prepare foods I already enjoy. I am always… Continue reading Top Articles for Nutritional Guidance

I’m Not Raising a Wilting Flower This pandemic has challenged every single one of us as humans. Children, teens, adolescents, adults: we all have had to balance an extra set of life demands that have been outside of the scope of any other life experience we have had thus far. I often pose the question… Continue reading How to Raise Resilient Children

Hippotherapy, aka horseback riding therapy, has been my son Charlie’s favorite pastime for the last six years. He is ten. To remember him on his first horse is to remember a different season of life. Dumpling was like a sweet old man in a pony’s body. He moved in slow, gentle stops and starts that… Continue reading Less Work, More Play: It’s Time To Change the Way We View Therapy

The Mountains Are Calling I spent many years sitting at the bottom of mountains, staring up at the snow covered peaks. From my wheelchair I’d sulk as skiers, snowboarders and sledders shredded their way down powdered hills with grins ear to ear, while I sat and dreamed of one day returning to the cold weather… Continue reading Adaptive Winter Sports

PART 1: Mornings As we move into 2023, I look to the past to see what worked, what did not work, where can I improve, and what new goals I want to achieve. Aging comes with its challenges, but aging well with a spinal cord injury is a whole new game! I use the last… Continue reading Living with SCI: Morning Routine

The word “Cancer” sounds threatening to most people. Unfortunately, it is also a more common disease than you may imagine. According to the Center for Disease Control, the lifetime risk for developing cancer for men is 1 in 2; the risk for women is a little more than 1 in 3. The good news is,… Continue reading Nutrition for Cancer Treatment: What Should You Eat?