Nancie Wiseman Attwater
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Latest articles
Conditions and diseases
Age should not define a person or diminish respect from others. There is a generation of people overlooked every day, and little attention is paid to this growing problem. As people age, they may become less visible within their communities.…
Age should not define a person or diminish respect from others. There is a generation of people overlooked every day, and little attention is paid to this growing problem.
As people age, they may become less visible within their communities. It can seem like people who once smiled as they walked by begin passing without a glance. Seniors may feel like unwanted outsiders in society. Sadly, many participate in their own
…
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How society forgets the invisible elderly and why their stories matter
Conditions and diseases
A widow's walk, also known as a widow's watch or roof walk, is a railed rooftop platform often having an inner cupola or turret, frequently found on 19th-century North American coastal houses. The name is said to come from the…
A widow’s walk, also known as a widow’s watch or roof walk, is a railed rooftop platform often having an inner cupola or turret, frequently found on 19th-century North American coastal houses. The name is said to come from the wives of mariners, who would watch for their spouses’ return, often in vain, as the ocean took their lives, leaving the women widows. In other coastal communities, the platforms were …
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The widow’s walk: a poignant tale of loss, love, and recovery
Conditions and diseases
I have a handicap placard. I appear healthy, and I walk a lot, but sometimes, the looks I get when I park in the designated handicap space are priceless because I am taking up a special parking spot for someone…
I have a handicap placard. I appear healthy, and I walk a lot, but sometimes, the looks I get when I park in the designated handicap space are priceless because I am taking up a special parking spot for someone who is “sick.” “What gives?” they are thinking. “She doesn’t look sick!”
“It’s a big emotional load,” Dr. Sands says. “People are scowling at you because you took that handicapped parking …
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Strategies for living and coping with invisible illness
Conditions and diseases
Just when you think your autoimmune disease(s) are calming down and you feel better, a dramatic worsening of disease signs and symptoms can happen without warning. They are unpredictable and disruptive, and can cause a disturbing influence in your every…
Just when you think your autoimmune disease(s) are calming down and you feel better, a dramatic worsening of disease signs and symptoms can happen without warning. They are unpredictable and disruptive, and can cause a disturbing influence in your every attempt to feel well.
Taking medications, following a healthy diet and exercise program, and getting enough sleep don’t seem to stop “flares.” These are the markers of autoimmune disease activity, meaning …
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Understanding autoimmune flares: triggers, symptoms, and treatment options
Conditions and diseases
For many people with autoimmune disease, fatigue is the most debilitating symptom. Why autoimmune disease and fatigue go together is not entirely understood, although inflammation may be part of the reason. Other possible factors include pain, poor sleep, inactivity, and…
For many people with autoimmune disease, fatigue is the most debilitating symptom. Why autoimmune disease and fatigue go together is not entirely understood, although inflammation may be part of the reason. Other possible factors include pain, poor sleep, inactivity, and depressed mood. Fatigue is not just feeling tired. Fatigue is composed of both physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Unlike being tired, fatigue is rarely resolved with rest or sleep. Trying …
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Crippling fatigue: a common enemy of autoimmune disease
Conditions and diseases
The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke is increased in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These are also known as IMID: immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Rheumatic IMIDs, including rheumatoid…
The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke is increased in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These are also known as IMID: immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Rheumatic IMIDs, including rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, are associated with multiple cardiovascular issues with an enhanced cardiovascular risk, including premature coronary artery disease. Lupus can also increase coronary artery disease because of the elevated chronic …
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Autoimmune disease? You’re more likely to get heart disease. Here’s why.
Conditions and diseases
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues in the body. More than 80 recognized autoimmune diseases exist, including alopecia areata, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease, scleroderma, and Raynaud's. These conditions can…
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues in the body. More than 80 recognized autoimmune diseases exist, including alopecia areata, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease, scleroderma, and Raynaud’s. These conditions can cause a wide range of symptoms, making management crucial for maintaining a good quality of life.
Why the immune system attacks healthy cells is a bit of a mystery in most …
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Autoimmune disease flares: stress, grief, and management tips
Conditions and diseases
An excerpt from A Caregiver's Love Story. Many people will become caregivers in their lifetime, or on the other hand, may need one. A "caregiver" is anyone who gives basic assistance and cares for someone who might be ill, disabled,…
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.
Many people will become caregivers in their lifetime, or on the other hand, may need one. A “caregiver” is anyone who gives basic assistance and cares for someone who might be ill, disabled, or frail. There are a wide variety of tasks done to assist someone in their daily lives. Balancing a checkbook, writing checks, grocery shopping, doctor appointments, giving medication, …
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Essential caregiver roles and self-care tips
Conditions and diseases
An excerpt from A Caregiver's Love Story. Whether you are the dying or the caregiver, living life to the fullest remains your goal, but somedays it's just too darn hard. When you are so busy that it doesn't seem you…
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.
Whether you are the dying or the caregiver, living life to the fullest remains your goal, but somedays it’s just too darn hard. When you are so busy that it doesn’t seem you have time to take a breath, where does living life to the fullest fit into your day? It may just get a minute or two of your time …
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Dying is a selfish business
Conditions and diseases
An excerpt from A Caregiver's Love Story. My husband was diagnosed with cognitive decline in the last three years of his life. I was desperate for understanding and help and referred to the following source. Here are ten tips for…
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.
My husband was diagnosed with cognitive decline in the last three years of his life. I was desperate for understanding and help and referred to the following source.
Here are ten tips for communicating with the cognitively declined individual from the Caregiver.org website that I found very helpful:
Set a positive mood for the interaction. Speak in a positive, pleasant, and respectful manner. …
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Caring for the cognitively declined individual
Conditions and diseases
My husband passed away six months ago, and it is quite evident to me that not only do I miss him, but so does our dog Grace. She adored Bill and would scamper to find him if I directed her…
My husband passed away six months ago, and it is quite evident to me that not only do I miss him, but so does our dog Grace. She adored Bill and would scamper to find him if I directed her to “Go find dad!” I no longer use the word dad, as that sets her off on a sad but fruitless chase around the house.
Very soon after Bill died, it …
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Loving our pets through loss: Coping with the death of a family member
Conditions and diseases
My husband was clearly losing his independence after a terminal diagnosis and many hospital visits. I was getting more and more responsibility, which I didn't mind, but the best way we could handle it was just to let it happen.…
My husband was clearly losing his independence after a terminal diagnosis and many hospital visits. I was getting more and more responsibility, which I didn’t mind, but the best way we could handle it was just to let it happen. There was no way to stop it, so we just had to live with it. The changes were slow in coming, and eventually, my being responsible for everything just fell …
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Ensuring your voice is heard: the importance of power of attorney, advance care directives, and POLST forms
Conditions and diseases
I wrote an article on letting grief make you stronger and talked about a trip to the grocery store where I was not as strong as I hoped. I walked by the Cream Puffs and broke into tears. My husband…
I wrote an article on letting grief make you stronger and talked about a trip to the grocery store where I was not as strong as I hoped. I walked by the Cream Puffs and broke into tears. My husband passed away almost four months ago, and he always used to ask me to get cream puffs when I went to the store. I didn’t even think about it until …
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Cream Puff Days: Coping with grief and finding comfort
Conditions and diseases
There is one guarantee in life: you will age, no matter how hard you try not to. Some age with more grace than others, and some age so quickly it's astonishing. Aging can come quickly or slowly, it is not…
There is one guarantee in life: you will age, no matter how hard you try not to. Some age with more grace than others, and some age so quickly it’s astonishing. Aging can come quickly or slowly, it is not necessarily determined by your age but the whole dynamics of the life you have lived and perhaps your relatives’ lives before you.
Aging isn’t just the change from dark hair to …
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The slow progression of aging: Let compassion reign
Conditions and diseases
Grief is powerful and can break your heart for the rest of your life, or you can learn from it and become stronger. Losing a loved one is something that everyone will go through, but not all come out as…
Grief is powerful and can break your heart for the rest of your life, or you can learn from it and become stronger. Losing a loved one is something that everyone will go through, but not all come out as survivors in the end. It’s part of life, but a very difficult part. Think of your loss as a lesson to help you live the rest of your life.
How do …
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Letting grief make you stronger
Conditions and diseases
An excerpt from A Caregiver's Love Story. Caregiver burnout is a real and serious problem for those caregivers in for the long haul. It is a serious issue if you go to bed each night in anguish over the next…
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.
Caregiver burnout is a real and serious problem for those caregivers in for the long haul. It is a serious issue if you go to bed each night in anguish over the next day’s chores and wake up each morning with a feeling of heaviness and a reluctance to get going. Caregivers who feel nothing but dread at the next day’s …
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Lessons in avoiding compassion fatigue
Conditions and diseases
An excerpt from A Caregiver's Love Story. After Bill was given his terminal diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the bloody nose scare, I began to worry about the future. It was like "waiting for the other shoe to drop,"…
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.
After Bill was given his terminal diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the bloody nose scare, I began to worry about the future. It was like “waiting for the other shoe to drop,” wondering when and how his death would happen. I didn’t want him to suffer and wanted him to be comfortable until the end.
My other great worry, and it …
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What anticipatory grief feels like
Patient voices
An excerpt from A Caregiver's Love Story. Dying and introspection happening at the same time were a dual reality that I found impossible to ignore when Bill was not doing well. As Bill's poor prognosis and impending death began to…
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story.
Dying and introspection happening at the same time were a dual reality that I found impossible to ignore when Bill was not doing well. As Bill’s poor prognosis and impending death began to reflect on our life, it was getting harder to respond to the living as we had in the past. Bill seemed to be pulling away from everyone he …
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Dying is a selfish business
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