Health
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States, and it is one of the leading causes of cancer death among men of all races. In 2005 (the most recent year for which numbers are available) 185,895 men developed prostate cancer, and 28,905 men died from
Focus
Most football fans have heard of Herschel Walker. Many of these same people know Walker won the 1982 Heisman Trophy during his junior year at the University of Georgia and he was a top running back in the NFL. Fewer of these folks can rattle off his professional football statistics, which include
Focus
You are standing in line at the door of the pharmacy at Madigan Army Medical Center waiting to take a number. When it is your turn, you take your number and look up at the numbers flashing on the wall. Your number is A98. The number flashing is A 22. A
Transitioning
Have you ever planted a yard full of flowers and plants and two weeks later they have all wilted and died? Or maybe you are the gardener who has to spend hours every day to get plants and flowers to live. Whether you have a green thumb or a black thumb, there
Focus
During his two year stint at Fort Drum, Col Jerome Penner III left the military installation better than he found it. Under his command medical buildings were renovated, a Warrior Transition Unit complex was constructed and a community-based clinic was opened. His job was completed and he was ready to retire. Then
Schools
On a recent evening, dozens of people filed in and out of Beachwood Elementary School. In the school gymnasium, Sgt. Jonathan Dao, a soldier assigned to the 555th Engineer Brigade, attempted to hula hoop with his son, Anthony, 7, and his daughter, Alana, 23 months. Although he fared better with a jump
Health
Have you heard the one about military medical centers offering free cosmetic surgeries to keep the surgeons in practice for wounded warriors? If so, you are not alone. In 2004, several national publications published articles on the topic. New Yorker Magazine reported: "Anyone wearing a uniform is eligible," Dr. Bob Lyons, the
Deals
As spring approaches, golf courses are gearing up with membership drives and special incentives for active duty military service members and their families. With dozens of Pierce County golf courses to choose from, here is a list of some of the public courses you may want to try out. Classic Golf
Kids
About 11 million children and adults attend the 12,000 day and resident camps located throughout the United States, according to the American Camp Association (ACA), a community of camp professionals who work to ensure the quality of camp programs. Over the past two decades the number of children who attend day
Focus
As a young boy Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Peter Brzezinski seemed destined to become a minister. His great aunt, Winnibald Lapinski was a mother superior, and she sent him cards telling him that she was praying for him to be in the ministry someday. "I was only 12 or so years old, and
Operation Family Support
Are you one of those parents who never seems to be able to find a good baby-sitter? Either the person you have hired isn't available when you need him or her, or he or she chats on the phone and ignore the kids in your absence? Look no further. Recently the
Deals
For some spouses, a rose for every year of marriage, a candlelight dinner, jewelry, or a night on the town may be in the works for Valentine's Day 2010. But for thousands of spouses from Joint Base Lewis-McChord married to deployed servicemembers, Feb. 14 may not be quite so romantic. For
Operation Family Support
When soldiers arrive at Fort Lewis they are required to attend dozens of meetings and briefings during their in-processing. One of these meetings is a family brief, a session that military personnel must attend during their first week at Fort Lewis. During this brief, useful information is shared about the
Health
After she graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in May 2009, Natasha Wills, age 27, joined the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Madigan. Although she had visited several units, her heart was in the NICU, she said. "Working in the neonatal unit has all the aspects of nursing that I enjoy - teaching,
Operation Family Support
Are you at the point where you have had so many birthday parties for your children that being original has become daunting? Do you start planning for the party months in advance, and every time you mention something to another parent, they say, "That's a neat idea. So and so did
Spouses
Stress is not a disease. It is a physical response to things that upset, worry, or threaten you. You cannot catch stress, but almost everyone suffers from it to some degree. For the general population, the top 10 life events that contribute to stress are a spouse's death, divorce, marriage separation,
Veterans
Dan Horkey knows what it is like to have your self-esteem ripped from you. At age 21, he was in a motorcycle accident. His ankle was shattered so badly, he had to have his leg amputated below the knee. He spent years embarrassed about wearing a prosthetic limb. "I never wore shorts,"
Support
There will be a lot of lonely hearts this Valentine's Day in the South Sound area. With 18,000 soldiers deployed, that is a fair number of spouses, girlfriends, even boy friends without their loved ones to share the day of love. The Fort Lewis Ranger and Northwest Airlifter newspapers recognized the
Military Life
Alex Fallot woke up on New Year's Day and thought, "You do not want to do this." However, the 9-year-old ignored his intuition. He got up, got dressed, and headed to the Tacoma Country Club with his mother and younger brother. Upon arriving, Alex, and 15 other Pack 472 Cub Scouts,
Operation Family Support
Five years ago Sgt. Thomas Sekely and his wife, Melissa, received Christmas presents for their family from Operation Homefront - a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to low ranking military servicemembers. Shortly thereafter to give back to the organization for helping her family, Melissa baked cookies. As time went
