One of the most famous cases in recent history of a man with testicular cancer is when professional road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with the disease in 1996. Less than a month before his 25th birthday, he was given the diagnosis and the very next day had his testicle removed. To make matters...Continue reading
Category: Boys
Chronic Absenteeism Puts Students at Risk of Failing in School
When Woody Allen famously said that “80% of success is just showing up,” he wasn’t talking about school. But according to some fascinating new research, Woody hit pretty close to the truth. (Actually, the math works out to be a little closer to 90%; more on that below.) Around the country, there are around 180...
Help Us Spread the Word about Child Passenger Safety Week
Did you know that every 33 seconds a child under 13 is involved in a car crash in the United States? That can be a pretty scary thought—and will probably (hopefully) get you thinking about making sure your child is safely snuggled into a car seat every time you head out to school, the grocery...Continue reading
Do We Have Vaccination Amnesia?
It is natural to dismiss dangers that are rarely seen. That has become our present circumstance with respect to many devastating infectious diseases. Since medicine has made significant progress against its former greatest adversaries, complacent beliefs have flourished. Surprisingly, a new malady has arisen and we are now suffering from a growing amnesia regarding the...Continue reading
How US Hospitals Are Fighting Zika
Apart from several incidents involving crime (including some crimes that never actually happened), violence, and some green-colored pools, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro went off pretty much without a hitch. But in the back of everyone’s mind–and at the forefront of the media’s, even now that the Olympics are over–is the Zika...Continue reading
Everyday Olympians
Greatness comes in many forms, and this is certainly one of them! Who are your favorite Olympians this year? Gosh, what a panoply of miracles, upsets, world records and letdowns! Maybe it’s the once-in-a-lifetime-stars like motorized Michael Phelps, soaring Simone Biles or unstoppable Usain Bolt. Possibly, it’s the silent but seriously talented home grown Brazilian beach volleyball players Bárbara Seixas and...Continue reading
Public Health in Action: The Secret Life of Males
It was in fifth grade when I first read a handful of James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” My teacher, Mrs. Dalton, used Thurber as an example of descriptive writing, what she referred to as “Show, not tell” or SNT for short. I vividly remember writing a story similar to Thurber’s Walter Mitty,...Continue reading
Sports, Concussions, and Traumatic Brain Injury, Part III
You Might Be Tough, But Your Brain Isn’t! People feel the risk of injury outweighs the gain of winning a starting position on a team, a game or even a championship. Well, that’s not true when it comes to your brain and it’s great to see many athletes are finally speaking out about their falls...Continue reading
Sports, Concussions, and Traumatic Brain Injury, Part II
The Effects of Concussions The following Monday afternoon I went to football practice and sat with the team in the locker room to review the game film with the coaches. The head coach stopped the film after the kickoff and said, “The coaches and I have never seen a player run so fast down the...Continue reading
The Frightening World of Sports, Concussions, and Traumatic Brain Injury, Part I
Why I Quit Playing Football Thirty years ago, I abruptly quit playing high school football while my team was preparing for a playoff game in which the winner would advance to the 1985 New Hampshire Division I-High School Football Championship. My teammates and coaches were upset at me and confused as to why I just stopped...Continue reading