The Comeback
Retired movie sound-system executive experiences full stroke recovery thanks to quick action and expert care
Health, Medicine & Well-being
Some medications can increase risk of heat-related illness
Scorching days promise to continue in Southern California, with August generally the region’s hottest month. High temperatures, alone, increase the risk of heat-related illness. However, people who take many common medications face even greater danger of suffering serious health effects. Since they typically take multiple medications, people age 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions may be especially vulnerable.
Under The Surface: Imaging Provides Information Critical to Diagnosis and Treatment
Struggling to breathe, the patient is rushed to the emergency department. The emergency physician orders a chest X-ray, which rules out pneumonia and other chest-related diseases. Next, the patient undergoes an ultrasound to check for a clot in his legs and a CT scan to look for clots in his chest. The CT scan reveals a pulmonary embolism — a clot in the arteries sending blood to the lungs. He then goes to the interventional radiology suite, where physicians pinpoint and remove his clot.
“At this point, the patient has undergone four modalities of imaging: X-ray, ultrasound, CT and interventional radiology,” notes Khalid Shariff, Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s director of imaging services. “Thanks to the skill of practitioners and advances in technology, the patient is able to go home the same day he experienced what was previously a fatal condition.”
The Art of Nursing
The mixed media oil on canvas, entitled Zolofting, included a pill container, disassembled pill capsules and an MRI image. The accompanying description discussed how the anti-depressant Zoloft and therapy helped the artist overcome depression. A pencil drawing of a blue jay came with an explanation from the illustrator noting, “Being in this program has made me rethink how I define success and has presented me with various scenarios where I’ve had to find greater peace by letting go of the illusion of perfectionism.”
These were two of the pieces conceived and created by UCLA School of Nursing MSN students as part of their Mental Health, Mental Illness and Psychiatric Nursing course curriculum.
Taming Life’s Currents
Swimming gave Melody Lomboy-Lowe solace when she underwent cancer treatment from ages 6 to 9. “It gave me a sense of normalcy,” says the now 44-year-old mother of three. “Even if I was sick and in the hospital for chemo one day, I might feel strong in the water the next day.”
The Art of Medicine
Sarina Brar Pai, DO, knows whether a woman comes for a screening mammogram, breast ultrasound or biopsy, she’s likely to feel some fear and trepidation. Dr. Pai has made it her mission to assure her patients that along with receiving excellent medical attention, they will be enveloped in caring arms.
New, More Effective Shingles Vaccine Offers Greater Protection
Close to one-in-three Americans will develop shingles, a rash of itchy blisters similar but more painful than chicken pox. Usually appearing in a swath on the side of the face or torso, shingles feels, as one sufferer described it, “like being pressed against a cactus.”
Savoring Life Outside the Bubble
On a pre-COVID-19 afternoon, the three sisters giggle as they careen, side-by-side-by-side, down a wavy carnival slide. Seven-year-old fraternal twins Annabella and Evangelina sandwich their 5-year-old sister Gigi. The plastic mats the girls sit on as they descend, scuffed and dirt-stained, attest to their heavy usage by other delighted children.
Every Breath You Take
When Michael Ferialdi started feeling poorly one Friday in June of last year, he didn’t worry. The strapping 29-year-old spends his weekdays installing electrical equipment in commercial buildings and his weekends hiking and fishing. A runny nose and some coughing hardly seemed like a threat.
Trying Her Luck
A petite blond with skin sun-kissed from living for three decades in Manhattan Beach, Jan Lesser sits with her husband Rick in the weathered beachfront home they share with a dog, three cats, and a small platoon of parakeets and turtles. Her carefree demeanor shows no trace of the ordeal she experienced nine years ago.