Ocala

By JAMES COMBS Lori Esarey knows firsthand what it is like to battle disease. As a registered nurse, she worked alongside patients suffering from acute and chronic illnesses. Plus, her family had a history of diabetes, heart problems, and other ailments. When Lori was pregnant, she struggled with high blood …

When we think of the holiday season, we typically visualize family dinners, lasting memories and some relaxation, and we look forward to a peaceful experience. After all, holidays are a time to get away from our stress-filled lives and visit family and friends. In reality, these things hold true, but …

The holidays bring abundant gifts, many of which are intangible. Love. Generosity. Faith. Family. But unfortunately, for many of us, poor health is also on that list. Although it’s an incredibly special time of year, it’s still important to keep track of your physical, emotional and spiritual health. Overindulging, under-exercising and …

By Dr. J. David Holcomb, M.D. During this time of year, most of our schedules are full with work, the kids, shopping, decorating, attending events and the list goes on and on. All of these activities and celebrations are wonderful, but if we’re honest, it can be a stressful time. Stress …

By Robert C. Goethe, MD Lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma are cancers of the blood. According to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, more than 1.2 million are either living with or in remission from a blood cancer. They account for 10% of new cancer cases in the US each …

By Bob Goethe, MD Medical marijuana is catching on in Florida. We are now well past 130,000 patients on the registry and it is predicted there will eventually be over 400,000 patients using cannabis in Florida. We have been getting great results with chronic pain patients- back pain, migraines, fibromyalgia, severe …

Heavy, long-term smokers are at increased risk of developing lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the US. Lung cancer typically produces no symptoms at first. By the time indications such as chronic cough, hoarseness, shortness of breath, unexplained weight loss, bloody sputum or phlegm show up, cancer has …

By Jennifer Marie Toro Galarza, MD Board certified in Internal Medicine It’s easy to get discouraged by physical fitness as you get older. Your aerobic capacity decreases with time, especially after age 45 or so, which means you have to work harder to see the same results. But an active …

If you’ve been sick and stayed in bed a few days you probably felt much weaker when initially returning to your daily routine. That is because inactivity causes a loss of muscle mass and function in men/women of ALL ages. Any joint or muscle that is not used regularly will …

By Digestive Health Associates Colon Cancer is often a silent disease that has no symptoms. On average, lifetime risk is one in twenty people will develop colon cancer. This is a cancer that is preventable. Beginning at age 50 (age 45 for African Americans according to American College of Gastroenterology), all …