Health, Medicine & Well-being

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.

Calming the Mind Through Music and Meditation

Seven Los Angeles Jewish Home residents sit silently in the library with their eyes closed.

Inhale deeply. Now exhale and release. Release any tension.

The residents have come to participate in a Meditation and Music session led by Anna Kocis, the assistant activities coordinator at the Jewish Home’s Eisenberg Village. Her soothing voice guides them as the sound of rainfall plays softly in the background.

Combatting the Harms of Ageism

From ads for wrinkle creams to calling seniors “dearie” and “young lady” to the “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” commercial, examples of ageism are rampant.