Lifestyle

By Brianne Fitzgerald, Family and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Recoverymattersma.org The idea of intravenous vitamin therapy became popular in 2012 with raves coming from Hollywood celebrities like Rihanna and Adele.  How is that the idea of being stuck with a needle in an unregulated walk-in clinic and run by for profit companies has been turned into a wellness must for those with disposable incomes?  These clinics boast everything from a cure for jetlag and hangovers, to healthier skin, improving your immune system and sex life.  Why are so many Americans seeking chemical answers for distress?  Is your life here in the richest country in the world becoming more stressful nd traumatic?  How is it that people from other countries are desperate to come to the US [...]

By Tara Kerrigan Hayes   This past Sunday, January 27th, the Boston Bruins Foundation hosted the 3rd Annual BFit First Responder Challenge, presented by National Grid at the TD Garden. Also known as the Climb to Support the Families of Fallen First Responders, the event does precisely that, by donating the proceeds raised to The Hundred Club of Mass, Inc., (the 100 Club), a charity that supports the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The 100 Club was organized in 1959, recognizing early on that when a family faces the devastation of losing a loved one in the line of duty, they are also often met with the harsh reality of losing the [...]

by Rick Winterson     Boxing Day is an English tradition.   Its origin is not certain, but most of the historic references say that it is traditionally (but not always) held on December 26, the day after Christmas.  On December 26 in England, servants and employees who worked on Christmas Day were given the 26th off to visit their own families and friends.  They were also given gifts of food, money, or clothing just before they left for the day, which were usually put in boxes so as to be a surprise.  Hence the name “Boxing Day” (as far as anyone knows). Not to be outdone in celebrating Christmas traditionally, South Boston has observed Boxing Day in years  past – 2018 was no exception.  Michael [...]

South Boston Probation Officer Barbara Loftus and 5th graders at Joseph Tynan Elementary School have teamed up to spread holiday cheer and warmth to Boston’s homeless and senior citizens as part of Cold Hands, Warm Heart, a lesson in empathy.  Loftus and her Probation colleagues will go to the school, located at 650 E. 4th Street, to pick up the gift bags the students decorated and listen to several of the students read the personal messages they wrote which will be tucked into each bag and distributed to the homeless and elderly.   The bags will be filled with items collected by Probation including cold weather gear such as hats, gloves, and hand warmers as well as holiday goodies including cookies, candies, granola bars, tea and [...]

By: Tara Kerrigan Hayes   Your world can change in an instant. That’s what Josh Fitzmaurice of Sandwich, Massachusetts learned last year, when life as he knew it came crashing down with the flick of a doctor’s pen. As a young, successful accountant, Josh seemingly had it all, until he visited the doctor to investigate neck pain and was prescribed Meloxicam. That night Josh was rushed to the ER, (with what felt like a heart attack), where he was diagnosed with a nocturnal panic attack and was sent back to his PCP. That’s when he was handed a prescription for benzodiazepines. Like so many others, he trusted in his doctor and took the benzos (in this case, Ativan), which ultimately would come close to destroying [...]

Connor McGuire, Steven Burke, Lisa Robbins Carrie Havey on Experts on Healthy Schools. By Richard Campbell This year’s ABX Conference showcased such depth in architecture, design, construction and innovation that the show’s program calling the event the “premier” forum in the field was no exaggeration. Running two full days at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this past Wednesday and Thursday, this is a traditional trade show with added educational workshops and special events that cover  a wide variety of topics. Informa Global and Boston Society of Architects who produce the convention have partnered with an array of institutions.  The show drew thousands from the industry and offered free high-end publications. Some publishers like Kathy Bush- Dalton of New England Home came to [...]