Your Rights When It Comes to Eminent Domain

Did you know that a government entity can acquire your home and the property it sits on for what it deems to be a public purpose? With that said, keep in mind that you also have rights when a city, county, or utility decides to exercise its option of eminent domain. What are your rights as a citizen, an entity, a business, or a tenant?

The Message of Positive Parenting is Spreading Quickly Across Georgetown County

The message of positive parenting is spreading quickly across Georgetown County. As the Positive Parenting Program, better known as Triple P, takes root across the county, its impact is already being felt by families. The evidence-based program provides parents, grandparents, and caregivers with the skills to manage parenting challenges while building healthy family relationships and promoting positive child development.

Signs You May Have A Shoulder Injury

You’ve been playing a little too much pickleball or bowling, holding babies or toddlers too long or carrying heavy groceries into the house. Now you have some aches and pains in your shoulder and it’s hard to sleep at night. A part of your shoulder called your rotator cuff might be to blame and, no, this injury doesn’t just happen to professional athletes.

Pushing Through Arthritis

Your body is a machine that gets put through its paces each and every day and your joints take the brunt of the workload. Thanks to hours of walking, carrying packages and babies, running, playing sports and standing, you might find that your joints — such as your knees, hips or neck – hurt and feel a little stiff. This could be osteoarthritis.

Urgent or Emergency? When Should I Go to the Emergency Room?

Nobody wants to think about a medical emergency happening to them or their loved ones, but the fact is that illnesses and accidents can happen. If they do, your health – or the health of your loved one – shouldn’t wait. Be prepared by knowing now when you should get to the emergency room, what the medical staff can do for you and when the ER may not be the best place for your symptoms.

I Have Pain In My Throat and My Voice Has Changed. Should I See A Doctor?

When someone gets emotional, it’s said that they have a lump in their throat. While that kind of lump is harmless, you may have a reason for concern if you actually see or feel a lump.  The symptoms of something more serious are not always obvious. They can mimic other diseases. But if you have a lingering sore throat, a sinus infection that won’t go away, neck pain, voice changes, breathing difficulties, coughing or trouble swallowing, all of these symptoms can be indicators of thyroid cancer.

COVID-19: Neighbors Help Neighbors Through Volunteering

It has been said that “every cloud has a silver lining.” Even with all the restrictions, emotional and financial issues that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought, there are “silver linings.” For many, with businesses/offices not open and sheltering in place, life slowed down. Slowing down brought opportunities to complete home “to do” lists, work in the yard, catch up on binge watching, read books, and to spend time with family. Sheltering in place gave us a chance to appreciate all the little and big things, in our busy lives, that we took for granted.

When the Pain Just Won’t Go Away

Are you dealing with a crick in your neck that seems to linger forever? Do you wake up with shoulder discomfort that lasts throughout the day and sometimes disrupts your sleep in the middle of the night? You’re not alone. Millions of Americans suffer from these common issues, but there are ways to ease your pain.

Weighing In On Weight Loss

It seems to make sense that if you eat less food, you’ll lose weight. But that’s not necessarily the case, according to Dr. John B. Cleek, an internal medicine specialist with Roper St. Francis Physician Partners. Dr. Cleek points out that genetics are responsible for 50 to 70 percent of a person’s weight, but other factors contribute to what your bathroom scale tells you each morning. For example, if you don’t get enough sleep, your metabolism decreases and your appetite increases.

Grief after Death…The Price You Pay for Love

Grief is a natural response to loss. It is the emotional response one feels when something or someone we love is taken away. The loss of a loved one is a life-changing event. Coping with the loss of a loved one is one of life’s biggest challenges. Sometimes the pain of that loss can be overwhelming. “Grief is not a disorder, a disease or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve,” Earl Grollman.

This Screening Can Truly Help Save Your Life

While everyone knows colonoscopies are not exactly the most pleasant procedure, getting screened for colon cancer is incredibly important — and can potentially save your life. “Many of the symptoms are silent, so many people will not have any major symptoms whatsoever,” says Dr. Jorge Lagares-Garcia of Roper St. Francis Healthcare. “Pain can be a late symptom of very advanced colorectal cancer.”

The Things Your Mother Never Told You About Menopause

Menopause is a natural, normal process, but for some women it can feel quite mysterious — because it’s something so few people discuss.
“I frequently hear, ‘Why doesn’t anyone talk about this?’ All of a sudden women can’t sleep, and they have no idea what’s going on,” says Dr. Elaine Eustis, with Roper St. Francis Physician Partners OB/GYN. “They see two or three doctors before they get to me. It’s surprising to me that more women don’t talk about this.”

“If Only”…Fear of the Unknown

“If only we had called you sooner. You are such wonderful people who have helped our family so much.” During Tidelands Community Hospice thirty plus years of providing hospice care, to over 6,000 patients and families, that is the statement we hear again and again from a patient or family member, usually quietly and with tears.

There is no hope. What next?

Very few are ever truly prepared to hear the words, “we have done all we can do,” there is nothing more we can do,” or “there is no hope for a cure.” Tidelands Community Hospice, your community’s locally based not-for-profit hospice since 1985, has provided hospice care and services to over 6,000 patients and families in Georgetown, Horry, and Williamsburg counties.

Oh, No. Is it the Flu?

This year, the flu is hitting later than usual, so even though winter may be fleeing, the flu is not. For many people, flu symptoms can appear seemingly out of nowhere, so it’s important to understand the symptoms.

Understanding Weight Loss Surgery

Everyone knows losing weight—and keeping it off long-term—can be challenging, especially for obese individuals who need to lose significant amounts of weight. For many people, bariatric surgery can be a great option that doesn’t just help you lose weight but helps you maintain lifelong health and a better quality of life.

Pack in Holiday Fun, Not the Extra Pounds

Every year we’re faced with the challenge of the holiday and winter season: the dreaded extra pounds we are liable to pack on with an extra cookie here and an extra holiday drink there. If you are trying not to gain weight through the holidays or just trying to maintain a healthy balance, consider these tips.

CBD Products — What Are They? Who Needs Them? Are They Safe?

Traditionally, if you wanted relief from chronic pain, anxiety or the side effects of cancer treatments, you reached for over-the-counter pain relief medicines such as ibuprofen, or you would have your doctor prescribe an anti-anxiety drug or even something more powerful like hydrocodone, which is highly addictive. Today, however, there is another choice — a natural option for treating these and other physical ailments and it’s called cannabidiol or CBD.

4 Signs You Should See a Doctor for a Breast Cancer Screening

It’s imperative for women to make sure they’re maintaining good breast health. While women can’t control their genetics or a family history of breast cancer, what they CAN control is seeking proper medical treatment and screenings. If you are age 40 or older, you should be seeing a healthcare provider for routine screening mammograms, says Dr. Susanne Bradford, an OB/GYN with Roper St. Francis Physician Partners.

Is It Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke?

Sponsored by: Roper St. Francis Healthcare Charleston’s summers are no joke. The high temperatures combined with the high humidity can be potentially dangerous if you don’t pay attention to your body. Whether mowing the grass, playing at the beach or even working in the blistering sun, it’s important to know the signs of heat exhaustion […]

6 Things to Consider When Shopping for LASIK Surgery

One of the first considerations consumers have about LASIK or laser vision correction surgery is the cost. The average cost of LASIK surgery performed in the United States is $2,088 per eye, according to All About Vision. The actual price you pay depends on many factors, including the experience and reputation of your surgeon and the type of technology used for your procedure.

Tidelands Community Hospice Care: Myth or Fact

Tidelands Community Hospice, your community’s non-profit hospice, has been providing care in Georgetown, Horry and Williamsburg Counties for more than 30 years. Yet, on a daily basis, we are asked questions about hospice. We understand it can be difficult to determine myth from fact about something that one has never experienced and cannot see or touch.

How to Hire the Right Contractor for Your Lowcountry, Pawleys Island, Litchfield or Georgetown County Home

Hiring the wrong contractor to handle your exterior remodeling – whether sunroom, screen room, patio addition, pool enclosure, hurricane protection or awnings – can lead to a miserable experience and cost thousands of dollars to fix. That’s why it’s so important to choose a contractor who’s trustworthy, delivers on their promises and does quality work on time.

How Can I Improve Facial Wrinkles Without Surgery?

Aging of the face is a natural occurrence, which can be exacerbated due to genetics, sun exposure and tobacco use. As we age, the skin and soft tissues of the face lose volume and loosen causing wrinkles, redundant skin, jowl formation, sagging skin under the chin, and vertical folds along the front of the neck. Forehead lines and crows feet around the eyes may also appear and deepen over time.