Wellbeing

Like a loud train from an unobstructed horizon line, the presidential election is fast approaching. Although come November 3, many more folks than usual will have already voted for the next President of the United States. Because of the pandemic, a…

I am a crazy pet parent. But not the kind who keeps a dog in their purse and has spa days with their Bijou. I’m the other kind — the kind that buys CBD dog treats and asks my cats how they feel about things. I don’t generally buy into supplements in…

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—When a car arrived at the Alabama Women’s Center in Huntsville, Christa White was at full attention. White, wearing a reflective pink vest with CLINIC ESCORT written across it, made her way through the parking lot to greet the…

As pharmaceutical companies race to get a COVID-19 vaccine on the market, citizens are getting more and more wary about the conflicting information they’re getting from health officials. Does it even matter if a vaccine comes to us at warp speed if…

My cat Cabbage loves catnip. I’m not the biggest fan because when she eats it, she gets really aggressive. Whatever toy she's playing with gets destroyed, even if that toy happens to be, say, my hand or another cat. The last time I gave it to her, I…

Since I began hormone replacement therapy two years ago, my body has changed significantly. Bimonthly estrogen injections have yielded an S-line body, softer facial features, and 34B breasts. It’s a strange feeling to go through puberty (again) at…

The urge to party in our 20s is deep and true, and yet one wouldn’t think that it would overpower the urge to survive. However, recent data about America’s battle with COVID-19 and who it’s disproportionately infecting lately seems to prove…

Hanako, a female Asian elephant, lived in a tiny concrete enclosure at Japan’s Inokashira Park Zoo for more than 60 years, often in chains, with no stimulation. In the wild, elephants live in herds, with close family ties. Hanako was solitary for…

Like so many people, I have spent much of this pandemic grappling with grief. I’ve lost people I love, and even now, people I care about are ill. Even if you haven’t personally lost someone, you’re likely tapped into the collective sense of…

The brisk days of autumn are upon us, which means, so, too is the dreaded “second wave” of coronavirus infections, or the at the very least, we’re nearing it. The name alone sounds nothing short of ominous, but what, exactly, would a second wave of…

Let’s be honest: Much of American culture has this strange gray area where things like bronze statues in town squares and formal names for tiny states come across as fairly innocuous at first glance — but when you trace their origins, they are most…

In recent years, psychedelics have made headlines for their promise in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, and other forms of mental illness. But the lily-white demographics of psychedelics research, not to…

For several weeks, Victorians have been required to wear a face covering when they leave home. And while we now have a clearer path out of lockdown, it’s likely masks will be around for a while. Meanwhile, people in other states in Australia with…

In the past few months, I’ve noticed that there seems to be a lot less small talk cluttering my conversations. Last week, on a Zoom call with a new colleague, within three minutes we had discussed the beauty of hugging and her recent move to a place…

The sweltering heat of summer has come and gone, and now we face the briskness of fall, a.k.a., perfect biking weather. For short distances, biking is the ideal mode of transportation right now: Not only is it great for your physical fitness and…

As someone who lives with it, I can assure you that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) really does feel as crappy as it sounds. It hurts, for starters. Symptoms of the large intestine disorder include stomach pain, along with gas, bloating, diarrhea,…

Just like a fresh piece of fish, vaccines are highly perishable products and must be kept at very cold, specific temperatures. The majority of COVID-19 vaccines under development — like the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines — are new RNA-based vaccines.…

Do you think you’re likely to finish reading this entire article in one sitting? Or is it, maybe, going to be opened in a new tab to save for later, when you feel better able to focus? If that’s the case, maybe just admit that it’s going to tab…

As we enter a new season with our not-so-new enemy, coronavirus, doctors on the front lines prepare for our regular flu season while the virus that has changed the world forever still looms large. If that weren’t enough, some medical workers have…