[Trigger Warning: illicit drugs, suicide, death] “Rethink and Remember” is the tagline of International Overdose Awareness Day, marked on August 30th, which aims to bring awareness, challenge perceptions, and remember those affected by drug-related death [1]. An overdose is the act of taking more of a prescription drug than required, or the taking of an illegal drug in … Continue reading “International Overdose Prevention Day: August 30th”

August is Psoriasis Awareness Month! If you don’t know what psoriasis is, you’re not alone. Today, we hope to demystify this skin condition, and to support those living with it! Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition. The word itself is a bit tricky (the P is silent!): it just means that the skin grows too fast. This … Continue reading “Psoriasis Awareness Month”

  This is Murray—he’s a three-year-old black lab, cute as anything, and my friend’s guide dog (you may have met him and Steve in this post!). I have two friends with guide dogs that help them get around confidently without sight, and another friend with type 1 diabetes who has a medical service dog who is trained to alert … Continue reading “Service Animals: How [not] to interact with working animals!”

Vaccination is a constantly debated and somewhat controversial subject. August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and so it seems appropriate to share some facts on immunization and vaccination! First off, what’s the difference between vaccination and immunization? A vaccine is a product given through vaccination—and injection into the body of a very tiny amount of an organism that causes a disease. … Continue reading “Immunization Awareness Month”

When I discovered National Breastfeeding Month was in August, I quickly sent my friend Alysa a message on Twitter–as a breastfeeding mama to a little girl, Alysa has already been sharing posts about breastfeeding and her experiences. For background: many physicians and child development specialists recommend breastfeeding to new parents–it allows for mother-child bonding, provides … Continue reading “National Breastfeeding Month: an interview with Alysa”

Especially in summer, the reminders may come more fast and furious to remain hydrated in the heat. More and more people are carrying around reusable water bottles as constant companions, but (if you’re anything like me!) you might find it hard to enjoy drinking water—especially in the quantities that the commercials of the world may tell us we … Continue reading “Why stay hydrated? Real ways to beat the heat”

As back to school season either enters full swing or looms ahead, we know it can be a stressful time for parents of kids with medical conditions or chronic disease. Here are some of our tips to ease that stress and set your child up for a healthy and successful year. Tips for specific/more common chronic … Continue reading “Back to school with chronic disease: A refresher!”