Newswise — Looking for a heart-warming story about a young mother who is now able to pick up her son after spinal surgery or a young woman who overcame cancer with the help of music therapy? How about ideas for healthy yet economical gifts? You've come to the right place.
Reporters, producers and editors, here is our holiday gift to you: Story ideas that relate to the holidays, and some evergreen ideas that can help you fill the newspaper or broadcast during the slow-news month ahead.
Surgery creates usable tongue for cancer patientBefore her surgery for tongue cancer, a U-M patient recorded messages to her toddler son so that she would be able to say "how was your day" to him, even if the surgery left her without the ability to speak. But with the help of a reconstructed tongue, she retained the ability to speak, and her son can hear her voice coming from her—not just from a recording.
Healthier meals for Thanksgiving and December holidaysA U-M registered dietitian has created a meal plan that adds up to 789 calories instead of 1,540 for a typical holiday meal. The plan allows you to eat many of the foods you normally would, with just a few slight modifications.
Spinal surgery allows young mom to pick up sonA 50-degree curvature in her spine prevented a young mother from picking up her son. After an experimental, minimally invasive spinal scoliosis surgery at U-M, she is standing straighter and able to run and play with her son—and to pick him up.
Healthy, economical gift ideasFor many Americans, gift-giving this holiday season may provide some special challenges, due to our tough economy. University of Michigan Family Medicine physician Caroline Richardson, M.D., offers some suggestions for healthy gifts that won't over-burden your wallet. Homemade soup mixes, a membership to a community farm and scented tea bags are just a few of her ideas.
Music helps to heal cancer patientsMusic is known to "soothe the savage beast." Can it also soothe those mired in the grief, confusion and pain of cancer diagnosis and treatment? The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center is using music therapy to help heal patients' spirits, as well as their bodies. One young woman found the therapy particularly soothing and inspirational—to the point that she wrote a song and recorded it professionally.
Avoiding financial stresses during the holidaysWith the economic crisis looming on our doorsteps, the holidays can be an especially difficult time. The pressures of providing for family and friends during this time can bring about a lot of unwanted stresses. Sandra Finkel, MPH, manager of Stress Management Services and the Executive Health Program at the U-M Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Domino Farms, suggests several different ways to avoid stress during these demanding times.
Finkel's suggestions include investing in feeling good, taking time to reflect on what is important and accepting whatever actually happens in your life. Finkel says we should focus on what is important because in today's society, because it is easy to get carried away with others' wishes and expectations. She suggests that people "replace 'I have to' with 'I choose to' and consciously choose how you spend your energy and resources based on what you've determined is important." Media: Simple precautions lead to an injury-free winter seasonAs the winter season closes in, so does the risk for winter-related injury. These risks can be greatly decreased by taking some precautionary measures when the cold weather hits. Jeffery S. Desmond, M.D., director of operations in the UMHS Emergency Department, suggests some easy ways to remain out of the emergency room and injury-free during the winter season.
The contributors to cold-weather injuries range from snow blowers to shoveling and from hypothermia to winter sports. Injuries from snow blowers, for example, are very common because people tend to place their hands into the moving parts of the machine when snow gets stuck. Desmond advises everyone to be cautious of the different causes of injuries and a variety of ways to prevent injury. For example, do not put any hands near moving parts; instead use another object to dislodge the snow.
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