Doctors need to be better educated about the significant long-term side effects of chemotherapy that may affect their cancer survivor patients, according to new research published Wednesday in advance of the 47th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology  (ASCO). Currently there are at least 12 million cancer survivors in the United States. Some may have undergone cancer treatment as children; others may be older and only recently completed their cancer therapy. While advances in cancer care have successfully kept more cancer patients alive, this new study finds there's room for improvement in their follow-up care. Primary care physicians and even cancer specialists need to be aware of the long-term effects of the drugs patients have taken to beat cancer. Researchers at Harvard University, the National Institute of Nursing Research and the American Cancer Society surveyed nearly 1,100 primary care physicians and 1,100 oncologists or cancer specialists. They asked these doctors to identify the long-term side effects of four of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs used to treat breast and colorectal cancer, two of the most common cancers. Overall, only 6% of primary care physicians and 65% of oncologists were aware of all the long-term side effects that the four drugs could cause. When asked about the drug Doxorubicin, 55% of primary care physicians knew patients are at risk for cardiac dysfunction, compared to 95% of oncologists. In the case of Cyclophosphamide, only 14% of primary care physicians knew women are likely to suffer premature menopause, compared to 71% of cancer specialists. Study author Dr. Larissa Nekhlyudov  says these physicians need to be informed about the long-term side effects of cancer treatment, "so that they may be better prepared to recognize and address these among cancer survivors." "This is a problem of our success," says ASCO's president, Dr. Michael Link. Dr. Neal Meropol , chief of the division of hematology and oncology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, says he's not surprised by these findings. He says that, in the past, medical training has not been focused on making sure physicians taking care of cancer survivors are adequately prepared to deal with long-term side effects. In addition to chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatments affecting organs and tissues, Meropol also spoke about psychosocial problems patients can face, like fear of cancer recurrence. Problems with relationships also occur because patients are no longer functioning in crisis mode and reentry into a normal pattern is sometimes very difficult. Experts agree that in the past, the emphasis has been to keep cancer patients alive, and that entire field of cancer survivorship is a pretty new one. But with the success of cancer care, more attention must be given to this area. Meropol points out that it's now recommended by professional societies for doctors to provide a survivorship care and treatment plan when patients complete their cancer therapy. Such a plan will inform the patient of issues they may face and they can share this information with their physician. However this doesn't help patients who had their cancer treated a long time ago. Link, who is a pediatric oncologist, says that data among people who survived childhood cancers may be even more alarming. That's because pediatric patients are usually treated at an age when they are too young to remember exactly what type of cancer they had or how they were treated. "Many don't even know how to spell it," says Link. By the time they see a regular doctor as adults, the likelihood that they know how they were treated and would give their physician accurate information is pretty low. "This is a problem we've encountered for some time [in pediatric oncology] because we've had survivors for quite some time." Not recognizing how a cancer survivor can develop treatment-related health problems is a concern. Link calls it a doctor-education problem and a patient-education problem, which he believes could be helped by better use of electronic medical records. Filed under: Cancer , Conditions Tagged: Miriam Falco – CNN Medical Managing Editor

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – If you’re one of the millions of baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes you should get a blood test to see if you are infected with Hepatitis C. “The CDC views hepatitis C as an unrecognized health crisis for the country, and we believe the time is now for a bold response,” said Dr. John W. Ward, the CDC’s hepatitis chief. The CDC said baby boomers account for 2 million of the 3.2 million Americans that currently have Hepatitis C. CDC officials said by having boomers go through testing could get more than 800,000 patients treatment and could save more than 120,000 lives. According to the CDC, baby boomers are five times more likely to be infected than other adults, but most don’t have any idea they have it because the disease can damage the liver for years with no noticeable symptoms. “Identifying these hidden infections early will allow more baby boomers to receive care and treatment, before they develop life-threatening liver disease,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention. Current CDC guidelines call for testing only people with known risk factors for hepatitis C. But, the CDC wants to implement guidelines calling for all baby boomers to get tested for the liver disease. The CDC will publish draft recommendations for the program and will allow the public to comment from May 22 to June 8.

Editor's note: CNN contributor Amanda Enayati ponders the theme of seeking serenity: the quest for well-being and life balance in stressful times. Last week we responded to your questions about some of life’s most stressful circumstances. Is it any surprise that the themes running through our experts’ advice read like a laundry list of wisdom from the elders? If you do not care for yourself, you will not be able to care for others. Figure out what’s truly important and do not look for perfection. Do your best to remain in the present moment, free of the shackles of the past and fear for what the future holds. All of these are far easier said (and written), of course. It is the execution that's most difficult. The first step is awareness. With that in mind – here are some more of your stress questions answered: Once again, our panel of experts included UC Davis professor Jay Belsky, a developmental psychologist and an internationally recognized expert on the role of nature and nurture in shaping children and families; Dr. Judith Orloff, professor of psychiatry at UCLA and bestselling author of “Emotional Freedom”; and Dr. Rajita Sinha, professor of psychiatry, neurobiology and child study at Yale University and director of the Yale Stress Center. Done in by single parenting My husband’s always traveling so I’m effectively a single parent. I’m overwhelmed with too much to do and not enough time. Balancing is an art form, observes Orloff. It’s important to be able to take time out to center and replenish yourself. Build energy through meditating, laughing or engaging in something other than your tasks. Get beyond the to-do list and make time for yourself. “Go hide in the bathroom, if you must!” According to Belsky, it is critical to prioritize what is more and less important. If the house is messy, that’s not the end of the world. “Sometimes people have to lower their standards and expectations,” he says. “You are better off being sane mom than super mom.” Sinha suggests that single parents strategize about organization and time management. Rethink and moderate children’s often-hectic schedules. She also stresses the importance of keeping oneself regulated: “Eat enough, and get enough sleep and exercise.” When money is tight How do I better handle financial stresses that limit how much money I have to spend on all the things we need, like childcare and home maintenance? The key, says Belsky, is to distinguish between wants and needs. We live in a day and age where the media and advertising want you to believe that your wants are your needs. They are not. Less is often more. A good first strategy is to stop looking at advertisements. Turn the sound down; skip over them in newspapers and magazines. When it comes to services, is it possible to do non-monetary exchanges with friends and family for things like childcare and home maintenance? Belsky points out that using your money thoughtfully and frugally is one of the best lessons you can teach children. Just because everyone has something doesn’t mean everyone needs it. This can serve as an opportunity to figure out what has value and what does not. Internalizing stress I’m stressed daily and I internalize it. It manifests in skin issues (I have psoriasis). I can’t meditate very well and I don’t feel like I have the time or patience to learn. What else can I do? Learn to focus on positive things in your life, says Belsky. This takes discipline and practice, because it’s often easier to focus on the stressful. You have to build up the psychological muscle to focus on the good. “Have a place you can go to in your mind: the beach, your child’s first steps. Close your eyes and go there during stressful moments. Use it as a place to move away from the wallowing and dwelling.” Orloff also recommends writing in a journal to “get out all the raw feelings, your anger and frustration, so you don’t hold them in.” If you don’t feel like writing, confiding in a trusted friend can work equally well. Evolution of stress Why is the fight or flight instinct still so strong? It’s not like we’re running into tigers in the jungle anymore; we’re sitting in traffic jams! Why can’t our bodies adapt and stop wreaking havoc when we get stressed? Evolution, says Belsky, isn’t forward-looking. It’s backward-looking. It prepares us for the things we have encountered in the past, not necessarily for what we will encounter in the future. That is, you may be dealing with modern-day problems, but your instincts are still somewhere back in the jungle. The survival instinct is very basic in all living organisms, says Sinha. And even though we are not facing tigers in the jungle, we still may have crises – natural disasters or violence – for which we need our fight or flight response. Nonetheless, our regulatory system has undergone a great deal of cognitive and emotional adaptation. Our prefrontal cortex has become more complex and sophisticated. But since those regions of the brain are more sensitive to high levels of chronic and repeated stress, it’s vulnerable to not functioning well under certain everyday types of situations, like stressful commutes. Orloff says it’s important to take control and consciously turn off the stress and negative emotions. “Stop and expressly remind yourself that more than likely your life is not in danger, that you are just sitting in traffic.” One simple way to take control? “Listen to mellow music during your commute,” suggests Orloff. Caretaker blues My father is suffering from dementia and I have had to drop my whole life to take care of him. I feel stuck, like there’s no way out, and then I also feel guilty for feeling that way, which makes me more stressed. The first thing you can do, says Belsky, is forgive yourself and accept those feelings of resentment, frustration and anger. “By having unreasonable standards and expectations, you risk draining the tank and beating up on yourself all at the same time.” Orloff believes that though it is a sacred duty to care for our loved ones when they are in need, you also have to take care of yourself. “There’s no reason to feel guilty about the feelings of anger and helplessness. It’s natural. There is never enough time and you can’t do enough work.” Join a support group of others who are coping with the same issue, she recommends. This will allows you to gain perspective and realize you are not alone. And if it’s at all possible, hire an occasional caregiver or helper so that you can take time off for yourself. “If you don’t practice self-care,” observes Orloff, “you will never be able to give quality time to others. You will just be run down and miserable.” According to Sinha, caretaker anxiety is another form of pernicious, uncontrollable stress, similar to financial stress. “The person feels stuck and cannot meet his or her own needs.” Sinha suggests seeking out the help of a mental health professional and agrees that it’s critical for caretakers to take time out for themselves. “Positive activities on an ongoing basis will build optimism and give caretakers strength. This should be part of their routine. Once here and there is not enough.” Information overload The news makes me panic. Even things like Facebook and Twitter and TV that are not meant to be bad make me panic. But it’s not like you can go off the grid and live your life without any technology, so what do I do? Orloff recommends taking periodic technology fasts. “Give yourself a dark period, like 3 to 6 hours where you are not focused on any type of technology.” She also cautions against watching the news before you go to bed because it may disrupt your sleep. “You will risk having insomnia, restlessness and bad dreams.” Build activities that don’t involve technology into your schedule. Take a walk mindfully. Get back to your break. Validate what’s going on inside. “Facebook will always be there,” says Sinha. “But this moment is never going to be there again. It is fleeting.” Follow @amandaenayati on Twitter or on Facebook Filed under: Living Well , Stress Tagged: Amanda Enayati — Special to CNN

Maria asks… My girlfriend cheated on me, please give me tips on what i should do? I have been dating with my girlfriend for 1 year and 2 months now. I am a jealous person and it really makes me insecure seeing her talking to other guys. She’s a very a quiet person who’s very shy. I am also a very quiet and calm person. I found out 2 days ago that she kissed a guy. Long story short, they were “friends” according to her. I had been warning her to please stop making me more insecure and paranoid by talking to guys because I did not like the feeling of competing for my own girlfriend. I had asked her to come with me to a new campus because I wanted her to close to me, and it was there where she met the new “friend” We spent a semester on that campus and we later moved on to a later campus. She says she wants friends, but girls tend to be very mean and she takes it very personal because girls love to talk trash about other people. Apparently, she dislikes that and therefore does not makes friends with many girls. She has 2 main girlfriends whom she talks to . So, the “friend” was sick and she went to the hospital to see him. He reached for her face and kissed her and she kissed back. As you can imagine I am still highly devastated even after a few days. I had already asked her to please stop talking to him long before this crap happened. As you can imagine, I got highly pissed off and yelled at her for doing what she did for hours. Apparently he had been sending her poems through Facebook asking her to be her lover since the summer after we finished the semester on that campus. She told me that she would respond by saying that she already had a lover. This had been going on practically from around May to October, when I found out. She says she never responded in a romantic way, and he was the one insisting for her to be his lover. I am a Biology major and my courses aren’t exactly easy or stress-free. I am almost always under stress due to all the work from school, not only that, but I make myself read computer programming books since I am fascinated with the world of hacking. I feel very hurt because I thought that she would never do this to me. I haven’t stopped sweating for practically 2 days due to all the shock inside flowing through my body. She’s 19 years old and I am 20 years old. We had even talked about getting married after college. I have a sleeping problem. I go to sleep everyday around 2-4 in the morning and wake up at 7 in the morning. (It’s 3am right now) Due to arguments from my insecurity, I broke up with her one night. She texted the guy saying that she wanted to see him. It hurts me very much writing this story. She drove to the hospital and brought him a book. There she apparently visited coming as a “friend” I exceeded the 5,000 word limit. Please read my whole story here http://pastebin.com/Ue5jLEj4 Since Yahoo wouldn’t let me post the whole story. Jonjune answers: Hi from France ♫ Just do from what YOU feel about that, no matter what we think.. If you can forgive her, keep her.. Otherwise well, forget her … Have a nice day, Cat. Michael asks… am i sensitive or weird? when i was young, i couldn’t stop sweating my hand and feet and stomach aches, i still have this occasionally when i have do something when i was something on my mind, i can ‘t do anything properly as i want, i get so loosened at everything because i lose concentration at first i thought that i was doing that, but it’s automatic there are major things on my mind that i think about all the time at first it was not telling someone who raised me about masturbating, i thought that they had the right to know when i get confused about this and mixed thought stay in my head, i get depressed now i constantly have a few points that people on yahoo told me to stay stable i asked if i should pray for forgiveness for something that’s not related to anyone else but god and jesus if someone says something that’s relevant to my thought and fits in well, i think over it again and i get extremely depressed if i can ‘t find a way out from there? 14 minutes ago – 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 11 minutes ago am i considered to be sensitive because i always considered myself to be extremely or at least very insensitive when i had to do piano recitals, my hands would be like i put my hands in water and taken it out and i have to go to washroom everytime and my heart would be pumping in my throat 8 minutes ago i think i used to be unable to bear it if something i did affected other people like the things i said might have affected their decisions then i would feel guilty and i wouldn’t care about what happens to myself 6 minutes ago Jonjune answers: Sweetie, it sounds as if you might have an anxiety disorder but no one here is qualified to say for sure. I would suggest you make an appointment with your doctor and talk to him or her about it. Good luck to you. Joseph asks… am i a highly sensitive person? when i was young, i couldn’t stop sweating my hand and feet and stomach aches, i still have this occasionally when i have do something when i was something on my mind, i can ‘t do anything properly as i want, i get so loosened at everything because i lose concentration at first i thought that i was doing that, but it’s automatic there are major things on my mind that i think about all the time at first it was not telling someone who raised me about masturbating, i thought that they had the right to know when i get confused about this and mixed thought stay in my head, i get depressed now i constantly have a few points that people on yahoo told me to stay stable i asked if i should pray for forgiveness for something that’s not related to anyone else but god and jesus if someone says something that’s relevant to my thought and fits in well, i think over it again and i get extremely depressed if i can ‘t find a way out from there? 14 minutes ago – 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 11 minutes ago am i considered to be sensitive because i always considered myself to be extremely or at least very insensitive when i had to do piano recitals, my hands would be like i put my hands in water and taken it out and i have to go to washroom everytime and my heart would be pumping in my throat 8 minutes ago i think i used to be unable to bear it if something i did affected other people like the things i said might have affected their decisions then i would feel guilty and i wouldn’t care about what happens to myself 6 minutes ago am i a HSP? Jonjune answers: The things you say sound like possible symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I have this mental illness and a lot of times i’d get thoughts in my head i couldn’t get out. I’d feel the need to “confess” things to people I cared about, that really made no sense to tell anyone about. I felt guilty all the time about things that really weren’t even bad. I was always worried some choice I made would end up hurting someone.I also would do things all the time to try to make myself feel better, like washing my hands repeatedly or rearranging things. It got so out of control I had to go on medication and now I feel much better. I finally have control over my life, not OCD. I am not sure if what you have is OCD or something else. But it does seem like you are suffering. I think you should meet with a therapist and try to work on some of these things. Find one you really like and it should be quite helpful. You dont’ deserve to live this way. You are suffering. Please get help. Good luck. Richard asks… Will irresponsible illiteracy, plagiarism and ethical abuse ever stop? I HOPE THAT EDUCATED PEOPLE WILL INTERFERE TO STOP THIS PHENOMENON IN YAHOO , BECAUSE SOME, INSIST TO REPEAT THEMSELVES, ACTING ILLEGALLY. ———————————————————- A post that explains plagiarism and spiritual abuse: http://answers. yahoo .com/question/index;_ylt=Asp_KA6TL224yCU07zghiCin5HNG;_ylv=3?qid=20111003155236AA83gSs ————————————————————- This poem belongs to Alpha Crucis: http://answers. yahoo .com/question/index;_ylt=Aq3p5k9KaQiD7lIgYzbJg4jty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20111002161610AA4TvWQ Will you r/c/c my poem (Swept Idea) with d/b/b while you do not y/s/s if you may? Swept Idea Beatitude whelmed is visiting my esteem, to coincide with my remorse, and dream, and there, as my unguarded pride rings, another solitude to invent on lost sea links. A shudder from the northern blow travels, an antidote to my soul’s solitude unravels kills silent worlds where my failures hide pushes my suspicion of a dim hope aside. On dark roads my enthalpy is a dull emitter, a fly in skies of a sole try, my altimeter, your memory recounts, my fervor of cauma, a knock on my tearing wound and trauma.. And still.. Today’s dream is one more code, that laughs as only one visitor will approach, a wind carries last year in his cold embrace my one attempt will wipe off, a sand trace. The wind cries; it passes my soul’s burden, a message dim never read, call of a maiden, that invites stranded souls of lost wars, to wait on Heaven roads where ether soars. A swept idea of a smile and another of tear, her ghostly upwardly turned hands and stare, guide my senses and my route towards tides, where I felt her to wait for me inside Hades. Copyright 28377218 r/c/c = read, comment, critique d/b/b = diligence, benevolence, beatitude y/s/s = yawn, sleep, snore ————————————————————— ————————————————————— This post belongs to Happy Hiram, it is resolved and it is a parody of the above mentioned poem of Alpha Crucis. http://answers. yahoo .com/question/index;_ylt=AgA20Qgo7AZ3FrWXSpZX7T6n5HNG;_ylv=3?qid=20111002202133AAn19nK Is this poem about Geography? Smelt An Idea With attitudes of whelps letting off steams to commercialize the Morse Code of dreams my unregulated verse so ripely stinks that I can ‘t even find a rhyme for links. We shutter up the house as braggart blows An urge to solitude strikes un-rabbling souls kissed silent words in failing soft asides looking for what sense this nonsense hides. With dark emitted palsied prose I ‘m smitten that flies beneath all cogent line e’er written; my diseased mind sweats words acroamatic traumatic, wounding, tragic and esoteric. And once again we mention Morse Code Reproach us ’cause our poem’s such a load, Ignore the gibberish, my rhyming farce embrace If you can do it, keeping a straight face. The crowd sighs that my work is such a burden ( I ‘ll let you peek behind the Hellenic curtain behind each stoic Spartan is a war) of barbaric pidgin English following sure. The laughers crack a smile and hide their tears as Homer’s ghost covers his virgin ears, Geographer throws a last swish at the ladies And tells all functional critics “Go to Hades ” T/T/P = Talk, Trash, and Perorate C/W/V = Complain, Whimper and Violate L/A/M = Laugh, Applaud or Masticate Copyright 90210-1492 —————————————————————- Notice that he claims of Copyright, on the abused and plagiarized work. My post to explain of Laws that apply to both: Plagiarism and Spiritual Abuse http://answers. yahoo .com/question/index;_ylt=AkkDCt8d5ILJUgwsn0Goig.n5HNG;_ylv=3?qid=20111003163307AAwYHhV Jonjune answers: Are you having fun, yet? Sharon asks… Time for some more NBA comedy brought to you by TWANBBAJ (AKA ME)? NBA things that are unlikely to happen. Karl Malone magically becoming a vampire and sucking the aids infected blood of Magic Johnson. Lebron James shaking the hands of Kobe Bryant after a 4 game Lakers finals sweep. Q-Rich staying in a city for more than a day. People on Yahoo answers stop asking questions that involve Kobe and Lebron. Michael Jordan tells the dealer at a Vegas casino that he is done with gambling for good. The Clippers become the NBA’s next 3 peat dynasty. Dwight Howard learns a refined post game Wilt Chamberlain rises from the dead to sleep with 20,000 more women. David Stern admits that he had a gun to his head when the Magic beat the Cavs stopping his Kobe-Lebron finals. Big Baby Davis seeks counseling for the abuse suffered at the hands of KG. The fans of the Knicks come to the reality that they will get neither James or Wade in 2010 Yao Ming plays a full season of Basketball Phil Jackson gets really angry at Ron Artest for taking bad shots and burns all his Zen books Tom Heinsohn will final admit that the Celtics do commit fouls and there is not a conspiracy against Boston. Pao Gasol lets brother Marc Gasol dunk on him as a favor to mom. Jameer Nelson learns to step up on guys who can make 3′s Kobe admits he really doesn’t speak Italian and he only does it to attract ladies. Isiah Thomas become the GM of the Grizzlies and leads them to the championship. Jamacian Man doesn’t turn every question/answer into Dirk (Jamacian Man I have nothing but love for you. I respect that you admire Dirk) I finally get back to work and stop messing around on Yahoo Answers everyday. Mehmet Okur beats up Hedo Turkoglu in a street fight of who is the real Michael Jordan of Turkey Shawn Bradley and Manute Bol play a game of one on one for the amusement of the Yahoo fans. Wow what laughs that would be. The Following players lose over 50 pounds on the biggest loser – Stanley Roberts, Loy Vaught, Michael Sweetney, Oliver Miller, and Sean May Allen Iverson stars on his own VH1 love reality show with all 30 NBA teams and the winning gets his worthless services. (but he still refuses to practice) People on yahoo answers know who Michael Cage is without looking him up on Wikipedia or basketball reference.com Gerald Wilkins, Dominique Wilkins, and Damien Wilkins star in the remake of my two dads. It is called why can ‘t my Uncle be my dad. Brad Daugherty gets everyone who is watching nascar to switch over to the NBA on espn. (Kudos if you get this one) Reggie Miller openly admits that his sister is a robot made from his own DNA. Don Nelson and Mark Cuban come out and admit that all their problems stem from a sexual encounter they had during the 2003 western conference finals. The executive brass of the Timberwolves admit that have no clue about basketball and admit drafting 16 PG’s was a mistake. The Yahoo answers basketball section gets over run by Toronto Raptor fans who replace the Kobe-Lebron questions with Calderon-Paul questions. Kareem will punch Andrew Bynum in the sack everytime he doesn’t listen to his advice. Patrick Ewing will pour jars of his sweat on Dwight Howard to repell opposing team defenders. Actually Cookie Man, do your research and check my profile to the questions I ask. Most of them have nothing to do with Kobe nor Lebron. RESEARCH BEFORE YOU ANSWER Just checked Cookie man’s profile and notice that he nevers answers any question I ask or that we have a common question that we have both answered. So how could he make a blanket comment without any research. For those who don’t know Brad Daugherty does Nascar commentary on ESPN and he used to be a former NBA player. thanks for the feedback Big Rob is Back. I appreciate all people’s opinions Jonjune answers: Nice. You had me at Tommy Heinson foul calls. Check, check, is this thing on? Here we go. Ladies and Gentleman Michael Cage “Just let You SOUL GLOOOWW!! Oh so silky smooth. Let all your Soul Glow, Flow right over YOU” Sad I know the lyrics. Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPZn7WxuATI&feature=related Shawn Kemp and Calvin Murphy get a sitcom called 2 and 52/2 Men. Now with Soul Glo on my mind, here it comes, check the Q’s. And it looks like somebody missed their Laxative today. Powered by Yahoo! Answers Related Blogs

Editor's note:  In the Human Factor, we profile survivors who have overcome the odds. Confronting a life obstacle – injury, illness or other hardship – they tapped their inner strength and found resilience they didn't know they possessed. This week Krystal Greco, 16, shares her story about pursuing her passion despite a life-changing injury. Ever since the age of four, I've been a horseback rider.  It never occurred to me that a day might come when I wouldn’t be able to ride. But March 7, 2010, was that day. It was a normal Sunday afternoon. As usual, I had woken up late. I was showering and started feeling some cramping in my lower back, which wasn’t uncommon because I was being treated for a stress fracture in my lumbar spine. I was out of the shower and partially dressed when it happened – the explosion of pain. I screamed for help and my mother rushed in.  She managed to help me up off the bathroom floor and helped me finish getting dressed. We made it down the stairs, into the kitchen and through the garage door before my legs started giving out.  At this point, my parents had to half carry, half drag me out to our vehicle.  It was only a matter of minutes, but I had already lost the strength and feeling in my legs; my parents had to completely lift me into the truck. As we drove the 40 minutes to the hospital, I remember constantly trying to move my legs and repeatedly being frustrated that they wouldn’t cooperate.  At that point, I was still able to move and feel my toes, but nothing else below my waist.  When we arrived at the hospital at around 4 p.m., I was immediately taken for X-rays and an MRI. My diagnosis was a ruptured disk which bruised my spinal cord.  A doctor explained that this was a very rare condition for a child or teenager and that surgery was needed to decompress my spine.  By 5 a.m. on Monday, March 8, I was being wheeled into surgery.  The surgeon was able to successfully decompress my spine, but it did not cure my paralysis. I was tested numerous times to establish why my disk ruptured, but the cause was never determined. All they could tell me was that I was paralyzed from the waist down. It was only 10 days before they transferred me to the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, home of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury. I spent nearly nine weeks as an inpatient, where – through intensive rehabilitation – I was taught how to be independent and through physical therapy, rebuild muscle strength and nervous system connections.  This is also where I learned that it might be possible to ride a horse again, even though I was paralyzed.  That place was called Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program, in Port Deposit, Maryland.  Due to my surgery, I wasn't able to ride at the time, but I made sure to keep it in the back of my mind. Five months after my injury, I went back to school for the first time.  It was not without its challenges. Getting around the school on my own and talking with people was difficult.  It was almost impossible for me to look people in the eye, and I got many stares on my first day.  I managed, though, and each day it became a little easier. By October, I had recovered enough to consider riding again. Freedom Hills offers a unique program called hippotherapy. It is a form of physical therapy using the characteristic movements of a horse to help a patient increase trunk strength and control, balance and overall posture strength and endurance.  Two weeks later, I was on my way to Freedom Hills, feeling excited and nervous.  I was nervous that my body wouldn’t be capable of physically doing what I wanted it to do.  Before, I was an accomplished horseback rider, and I didn’t give a single thought as to how different my life would be without the use of my legs. Now, I had to expect the impossible. Almost immediately after arriving at the farm, I was thrown into the situation I feared the most – getting on the horse. It was tricky. I had to transfer straight from my chair onto the horse’s back, but once I was on, all of that nervousness went away. I was grinning from ear to ear. For my first ride, someone led the horse and two people walked on either side of me for support.  I was hooked on horses (again!) and began riding twice a week.  I never imagined how much you could miss by simply not being able to control the lower half of your body, never mind a horse.  I had never noticed how much I took for granted. I continued to ride for five months before something amazing happened. I was at Kennedy Krieger for an evaluation of my recovery, and I was able to move my legs for the first time. I believe this small portion of recovery was brought about by the unique combination of innovative activity-based restorative therapy and the therapeutic horseback riding. Now, a year and a half later, at the age of 16, I ride independently and compete year-round.  I am also a volunteer at Freedom Hills.  I love being able to share my passion and show people, that riding as a para-equestrian isn’t much different from riding as an able-bodied person. I also continue my rehabilitation at Kennedy Krieger. Looking ahead, two of my goals are walking across the stage at my high school graduation from North East High School in North East, Maryland, as well as competing in the U.S. Paralympics for para-dressage.  I would also like to help and encourage others to live an active life in their wheelchairs.  There are so many activities for people with disabilities including basketball, tennis, skiing, and archery.   Having a spinal cord injury doesn’t have to mean an end to the hobbies and sports that you love; it just means having a view from a different angle. Filed under: Human Factor Tagged: Krystal Greco – Special to CNN

Anybody who has a long daily commute knows the frustration of sitting in long lines of traffic with no ability to do anything but wait. Now, a study suggests that long commutes can take away more than just precious time. They negatively impact measures of fitness and health. Previous research has linked longer commutes with obesity. But this new research is believed to be "the first study to show that long commutes can take away from exercise time,” explained lead investigator Christine M. Hoehner of Washington University in St. Louis. Long commutes are associated with "higher weight, lower fitness levels and higher blood pressure, all of which are strong predictors of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers,” she said. One discovery that Hoehner found a little surprising was how “being exposed to the daily hassles of traffic can lead to higher chronic stress and higher blood pressure.” Here's how the research was conducted: Scientists studied 4,297 residents from the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, metropolitan areas. They documented their commuting distances, body mass indices, and metabolic risk, including waist circumference, fasting glucose and lipid levels and blood pressure. Participants reported their physical activity for the previous three months. What did scientists learn?  Commuters who said they drove longer distances also reported they took part in less moderate or vigorous physical activity. They had lower cardiorespiratory fitness, greater body mass index, waist circumference, and higher blood pressure. For a little historical perspective – as obesity rates have increased – so have the number of American commuters and the length of commute times. Between 1960 and 2000, workers commuting in private vehicles jumped from 41.4 million to 112.7 million, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. And as suburbs have sprawled across the nation since the 1950s, commuter miles have increased too, along with the time drivers spend sitting behind the wheel. according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For many commuters, moving closer to work isn't an option but Hoehner said there are solutions that can lead to more exercise. Commuters should find ways to work physical activity into their work days said Hoehner, by doing things like walking during work breaks. Employers could also help, she said, by encouraging fitness break and by offering schedule flexibility to commuters, if possible. Filed under: Fitness , Obesity , Stress Tagged: Ann J. Curley – CNN Medical Assignment Manager

iStockphoto Just in time for the start of tanning season, a federal task force is formally recommending that physicians counsel children, adolescents and young adults with fair skin about minimizing ultraviolet-light exposure to cut the risk for skin cancer. As WSJ reported in November, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a draft recommendation for comment with a novel idea: Rather than focus on the specter of cancer later in life, hone in on the sun’s harsh effects on appearance, which is likely to resonate more with teens who flock to beaches and tanning parlors. The recommendation — available on the USPSTF website and in the Annals of Internal Medicine — replaces a 2003 statement that the evidence was insufficient to recommend for or against counseling. Task force chairwoman Dr. Virginia Moyer tells the Health Blog that over the last decade, researchers have built up evidence showing that the behavior of teens and young adults can be changed with a variety of counseling approaches, such as  showing them photos taken with a UV camera to demonstrate the extent to which UV rays can damage the skin. Moyer, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says public comments on the recommendations were generally favorable. The task force doesn’t recommend any particular way to discuss appearance, but the basic message is: “In people who are sensitive, exposure to sun and tanning beds results in ugly skin,” she says. “We aren’t being underhanded in any way to suggest this is a good way to get the message across, because the damage that causes ugly skin is the damage that causes skin cancer down the road.” With primary care doctors stretched for time already, will counseling take up too much time? Moyer says the message can be delivered in the course of general advice but that doctors can use their office staff and waiting room time to show videos of the sun damage to skin or use the UV cameras on patients. “If patients have to wait anyway, why not use the time for something beneficial,” she adds.

iStockphoto Should grieving people be considered clinically depressed? Johns Hopkins professor and author Kay Jamison , who has written about her struggles with bipolar disorder, weighed in today on that knotty question that’s popped up as doctors consider changing how depression is diagnosed. The main psychiatric diagnostic manual, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, currently excludes people who are mourning from getting diagnosed with major depression. A proposed revision would change that. As the New York Times has reported , this has raised worries that this would pathologize a normal response to painful loss. Jamison, speaking to a packed room of hundreds at the American Psychiatric Association conference , described her own her experience when her husband, Richard, died about 10 years ago. She said she felt distraught and restless. She ruminated and had dark thoughts, doubting that she’d love again, but she didn’t think about suicide. “My thoughts were on the pain of missing life, not the pointlessness of life” as in depression, she said. Depression is “indiscriminate” and unyielding, whereas grief hit her in waves, often when she otherwise felt OK and wasn’t expecting it. “My mind was not right, but it wasn’t deranged,” she said. There are exceptions when grief turns into depression and people need treatment, Jamison says. But, overall, “grief is not a disease; it’s necessary,” she said.

Was your weekend filled with greasy, cheesy, or alcohol-infused fun? Now’s the time to get back on track. Undo your weekend with our meal ideas, from breakfast to dessert, that take advantage of the best detoxifying foods around. Read on for the recipes! View Slideshow ›

You may think you’re right on track with your fitness regimen, but if you’re not seeing the results you expect, these surprising bad habits may be to blame. Sure, there’s something to be said for a steady schedule, but do you remember to switch it up every once in a while? From unreasonable goals to dull solo workout sessions, here are four bad patterns to avoid if you’re hoping to improve your fitness routine. You make unrealistic gym plans: If you don’t have the time or physical energy to run for an hour, then don’t try to force it. Remember that every little bit counts and making yourself do too much can be the quickest way to get injured – or make you give up altogether. You only exercise solo: Including friends in your fitness routine can be a great way to stay motivated. Not only will they keep you accountable, but they can also share tips and tricks of their own. Hesitant to reach out? Learn the benefits of a workout buddy and ask pals to join your plan. You stick to what you know: Stepping outside your comfort zone and surprising your body with new, challenging exercises helps you to break through plateaus and stay in shape. It’s important to mix up your fitness routine : fresh workouts keep you from getting bored, and you’ll have the chance to work different muscle groups for a well-rounded routine. You ignore hunger signals: If you don’t properly fuel your body, you won’t be able to push it during tough gym sessions. Learn what to eat (and when) before working out so you have plenty of energy to maximize your fitness potential. Do you have any tips for a successful fitness program? Share them in the comments below!