Keeping the Women we Love Healthy

"What do you do when the phone rings at 11:00 at night, and it is the Emergency room telling you your parent fell, broke her hip, will have surgery and be discharged within a couple of days?", asks our own Cheryl Wilson, CEO for St. Paul's and Board Member of the Howell Foundation as she kicks off her presentation at the last Howell luncheon. According to Dr. Kawas, also a lecturer at the past Howell Luncheon, research is showing that half the children born today are expected to live past 103.  An estimated 2 million people in the US is over 90.  By 2050, it is expected that 3% of the population --around 6 million individuals-- will be part of the 'oldest old' segment of the population. That means that the need for care giving will also exponentially grow. Are you prepared? Cheryl Wilson, CEO, St. Paul's Working with senior citizens gives Cheryl the opportunity to share the most important things to make sure your loved one is taken care of wel...

More often than not, women’s health  IS   family health.  By donating towards the Howell Foundation’s community research  and scholarship programs  you help ensure that the illness in the lives of the women you love are diagnosed and treated accordingly.  Women’s health starts with research and continues with education. Here are some suggestions on how you can help this #givingTuesday.  Become a Friend of Howell.  Your small donation or full scholarship award  can help us achieve BIG things; among them, helping young scholars achieve their education goals and dreams!   Attend our events.  Spreading the word with family and friends  or participating with sponsorships  allows us to catch up while enjoying wonderful food and perhaps a great glass of wine.  Donate on behalf of your organization.   Women –and men-- in your company or foundation will have the opportunity to learn more about the women i...

Going beyond the established guidelines of diagnosis, recent studies confirm that estrogen and an untreated infection with the Human Papiloma virus increase the risk of lung cancer in women. Yet, and just as with heart disease, there is typically no gender differences considered when diagnosing and treating women with the illness. Here is a list of recently published findings that can shed a light on women and lung cancer: While statistics show that lung cancer diagnosis is decreasing in men, lung cancer is increasing in young women.  Almost half of all lung cancer cases in young adults are women. Statistics show that diagnosis in older women has maintained in the past year.     Lung cancer is typically different in men (squamous cell lung cancer) than in women (adenocarcinoma)-- ; and therefore, the symptoms vary significantly.  Because of the differences in types of lung cancer and its location in the body, men will show the typical symptoms:  a persiste...

She is affectionately called the 'mother of hospice' in San Diego.  She has influenced hospice and palliative care nationally.  And in honor of her work, she has been named "Woman of Wonder" by the CHEERS Foundation.  She has addressed the La Jolla Women's Club on the adventures of creating a hospice organization in San Diego.  Just recently, the California State Institute of Palliative Care named in Dr. Howell's honor an award given to individuals that advance palliative care in our community and beyond. She has done so much more!  She is the reason why Soroptimist International of La Jolla founded the Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women's Health Research.  And she is, quite frankly, a star in our organization. She has dedicated her career to ensuring women are empowered with information on women's health to make sure we become our best health advocates. She works tirelessly on efforts to light the curiosity of young minds to pursue a ca...

On my way out from my doctor's appointment today at the Naval Base Hospital, I ran across these two wonderful ladies promoting 'smoke out' day.  Bottom line is that smoking affects more than just the smoker. Here are the benefits of 'smoking out': 20 minutes without a cigarette stabilizes heart rate and blood pressure.  After 24 hours, smoker's breath disappears and oxygen levels normalize.  In 2-3 days, breathing is easier.  The sense of taste and smell improve. Take deep breaths and smell the roses!   In just one month, blood circulation levels improve and exercise becomes easier.   One year after quitting, one significantly reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. The risk of heart disease is the same as a non-smoker after 10 years of kicking the habit.  After 10 years, the risk of lung cancer is cut in half. After 10 years, the average of savings from quitting is estimated at 40,000.   Unfortunately, I did not catch their n...

It is often thought that Alzheimer's disease is indiscriminate of age, race and gender.  However, diagnosis in women goes beyond the fact that women live longer than men.  Recent research is showing that more women are diagnosed with the disease than men. In support of Alzheimer's awareness month, a summary of the most relevant information below.                                                                                ### About the Doris A. Howell Foundation: The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is committed to keeping the women we love healthy, advancing women’s health through research and educating women to be catalysts for improving family health in the community. The organization does so by funding scholarships to students...