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Hospital stays for acute conditions can leave some patients requiring additional care for chronic medical conditions or even assistance with daily routines. A transitional care unit (TCU) is a specialized nursing home that bridges the gap from the care they receive in the hospital to safely returning home. McLaren Lapeer Region offers one such unit conveniently located within the hospital. What is a Transitional Care Unit? This specialized unit provides skilled nursing care and therapy services to resid...

How should I prepare for my COVID-19 shot? When it’s your turn for the vaccine, there are a few simple things you can do to help things go smoothly. Learn about the vaccine, know which arm you want your shot in, wear loose-fitting clothing, drink plenty of water, and talk to your primary care provider about any additional questions or concerns you might have. Pick your arm Either arm is ok for getting the shot. Many clinicians recommend getting the vaccine in your non-dominant arm, so if you have any pa...

The vaccines are here, but many falsehoods are circulating about the lifesaving inoculations. For months any and all updates on a COVID-19 vaccine were eagerly awaited and absorbed. Now that they’re here with FDA approval and the program is ramping up, many still question and doubt the vaccine — from its safety and efficacy to its underlying technology. Several misconceptions are circulating around the web or being whispered about in social circles to fuel that doubt. Yet those misconceptions’ underlyin...

Blood pressure, heart rate, BMI and blood sugar are just some of the health stats that can indicate troubling conditions. High blood pressure or low blood sugar are most likely to cause a chronic illness than be the result of one. Monitoring vital health statistics — such as blood pressure, heart rate, BMI and blood sugar — and keeping them within an acceptable range will go great lengths toward preventing the development of chronic, potentially quality-of-life-limiting diseases. But what is that accept...

Learn how to prepare for your teen’s first OB/GYN appointment   Your teen's first OB/GYN appointment is a key step in making sure they are safe and healthy as they enter adulthood. It is crucial to not only prepare yourself as a parent, but to prepare your teen for what they should expect. Your teen should consider seeing an OB/GYN for the first time as soon as they become sexually active, at the age of 21 for a pap smear for cervical cancer, or whenever they feel they have a concern or issue that ...

What you need to know about COVID-19 fatigue   It’s been almost a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and although vaccines provide incredible hope for the future, the fatigue of staying vigilant against COVID-19 is proving to be too much for many who are letting their guard down when it comes to keeping themselves safe. Whether it’s not wearing a mask around others, washing hands less frequently, or being more relaxed on social distancing guidelines, many people are starting to loosen their ow...

  Over the last 30 years, obesity has become the most prevalent disease in the world, and more people suffer from the health effects of obesity than from any other disease.   Morbid obesity, which is typically defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher, is a result of neurochemical changes that occur after a person gains a substantial amount of weight. As a result of these chemical changes, diets are often unsuccessful for patients with morbid obesity, and surgical intervention ...

A CT lung screening is the only early detection test for lung cancer. With any form of cancer, early detection is crucial. This allows oncologists to begin treatments before the cancer has had a chance to grow and potentially spread to other areas of the body. In terms of lung cancer, early detection comes in the form of a low-dose CT (computerized tomography) scan, which uses a low dose of radiation to image the lungs, allowing oncologists to see and diagnose lung cancer in its most treatable form. The...