Your Health | PulseonParenting

The Common Cold: Your Questions Answered

Mar 30 2017

It’s morning. I’m getting ready for school and hear my family in the kitchen. My husband’s rattling cough, punctuated by wall-shaking sneezes, echoes through the house. My daughter harmonizes with a wheezy, low melody. My older son, who normally sneezes three times in a row on a good day, seems determined to break the world’s record for ah-choos in rapid succession. And my younger son? Still out “cold” and I’m just letting him sleep. As for me, I’m dragging and achy and my throat is sore. I don’t have the sonorous coughing or sneezing like the rest of my family…

Mar 15 2017

Remember Snackwells? The near-miracle treat that contains no fat? Back when we were told that fat, any fat, in our diets would surely lead to our artery-clogging demise, these cookies were a godsend to those of us with a raging sweet tooth. And I remember my indulgence, eating almost a whole box of the devil’s food variety, proudly avoiding an eminent heart attack by eating dessert so wisely. But now, times have changed and the “devil” in the name of those (let’s face it) tasteless, half-dessicated cookies has an updated meaning. Most of the calories come from sugar (satanic carbs!) and…

Jan 31 2017

Last week I wrote about the myths of heart disease and how heart attacks present in women. In today’s post, I’ll describe how we (both women and men) can lower our risk of this number one killer in the United States. Heart disease in women doesn’t get the press it deserves. But the unfortunate facts still remain. ♥Only 1 in 5 women thinks heart disease is her greatest health risk. ♥Approximately one woman a minute dies from heart disease. ♥Women don’t necessarily have the same symptoms of heart attack that men do. ♥And 90% of women have at least one…

Jan 24 2017

The media is a powerful entity. And when it comes to its portrayal of heart disease, the danger in that power is especially evident. We are left to assume that heart disease is a man’s disease. That men die from heart attacks. That men need to watch their cholesterol, lower their high blood pressures, and start exercise programs. While this information is certainly true, we are getting only part of the story. Who is missing? Women. Lots and lots of women. Young and old, across ethnic groups and body types, heart disease is very much a woman’s disease. Nearly…

Jan 10 2017

Another new year…already! Did 2016 even happened? Maybe I just slept through it. No. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get that much rest… It’s that time of year we resolve to make positive changes in our lives, or better yet, to not resolve as the former seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whatever it is we have made a resolution to do or become just doesn’t come to fruition. That’s why last year I simply decided to make “the happiness project” a goal, not a big “R.” Last January I posted “The Happiness Project” where I described my goal, through daily reflection and writing,…

Oct 12 2016

I’m out of the loop on this one. Is depression taboo? Or is it “en vogue?” I’ve heard it’s “trendy.” (Really?) My doctor’s opinion: the social status of a depression diagnosis is generational…as in whether you’re Gen X or Gen Y. I’ll take her word for it. But here’s what I know: If anyone I’m close to is depressed, it’s hidden pretty well. And, Depression is real. Maybe it’s because my generation is “X,” or maybe it’s just me, but feeling “blue” is confusing. It’s a frustrating, unscalable boundary. As in: This can’t stop me, I’m too busy for this!…

Oct 06 2016

Darn. We really liked that one. My shot-fearing son finally caught a break. And with a vaccine he has to get annually (yay!). A few years ago, after growing out of mild asthma he was finally eligible for the “up-the-nose” flu** vaccine (FluMist), alongside his brother and sister. One less needle, one less time he could proclaim “No fair!” when it came to his siblings. Well, now “No fair” is in triple harmony this fall. And I don’t blame my kids one bit. Because of recent news regarding the FluMist vaccine, our pediatrician’s office will not be offering it this…

Aug 30 2016

It’s hard to believe the back-to-school season is upon us. Kids love the flurry of activity that swirls around shopping for new clothes and shoes (a pair of Tom’s, please, requests my 9 year-old, already a cute-shoe guru), school supplies and for us, homeschool curricula. It’s not quite as much fun completing the requisite back-to-school paperwork and gathering and maintaining (ouch) up-to-date health records (yes, even for homeschoolers). As I do the paper-pushing, I am reminded it is time to repost the following essay on the importance of vaccinating our children: I’m going to give this to you straight….

Aug 12 2016

It’s not just adding insult to injury. It’s literally adding injury to injury. Two of my kids, when they need a bandaid to cover a scraped knee or elbow, end up with that painful, red and raised “rash” from the sticky part of the bandage. Talk about unfair. And putting bandaids on a bandaid rash obviously isn’t gonna work. I remember the first time I saw a rash from bandage adhesive. I was working as an aide in a hospital, and the rash was actually from the white tape we used to secure gauze dressings. Then I saw it again….

Apr 05 2016

A couple years ago I was walking through town with one of my boys when a complete stranger exclaimed, “Oh, my, you’re sunburned!” The concerned individual was referring to my son, whose face looked rather like a strawberry, red with his brown freckles like berry seeds punctuating his nose and cheeks. My guilt resurfaced, a day after my son’s sun-soaked adventure. Even though I had done my best to slather my son with sunscreen, he, like every time before, wiped his face immediately to remove the offensive gooey cream he hates so much, and keeping a hat on him is…

My name is Heidi Black and I have it all... Maybe not in the traditional sense of the phrase but I do feel I have it all: three beautiful, healthy children, a devoted husband and father and the privilege of being a Domestic Engineer. (I used to call myself a SAHM but that just doesn’t fit when my day is filled with coordinating 5 schedules and preplanning their execution, all up to a week in advance.) And now, indulging in a not-so-secret desire to write, and following the advice “write what you know” I am ready to share what I have learned from this ironic life journey and along with you, discover answers to those many questions related to parenting.

Category - Your Health

The Common Cold: Your Questions Answered

Beware of Hidden Allergens

How Can I Lower My Risk of Heart Disease?

What Women Need to Know About Heart Disease

Getting Happy, One Small Step at a Time

It’s not Weakness, it’s Depression

It’s Flu Season: Can We Still Get the Nasal Flu Vaccine?

It’s Time to Return to School: Should I Vaccinate My Children?

Is My Child’s Bandaid Rash an Allergy?

Don’t Get Burned by Your Sunscreen: Tips for Sun Protection