First person

Friend’s breast cancer journey is not as fortunate

A 33-year-old graduate student has Medicaid instead of private health insurance, making her options more limited.

Television

Dr. Oz’s health effort nets 1 million participants

Television already has The Biggest Loser. Dr. Mehmet Oz is looking for the biggest number of losers.

Aging

Study tallies toll of chronic heath conditions

The sunny fact that Americans are living longer, more productive lives has a dark side: More of us than ever live with chronic health problems that are not only a drag on sufferers’ time and energy, but on the nation’s pocketbook.

Actresses Jodie Langel and Sarah Amengual rehearse their parts with Actors' Playhouse Artistic Director David Arisco for his production of Next to Normal.

Performing Arts

THEATER THERAPY

A new musical about mental illness at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables melds the arts with medicine Photo Gallery Available

Crime

Good Samaritan shot during Haiti robbery attempt dies from wound

David Bompart, the Good Samaritan who was shot in Port-au-Prince during an attempted robbery, has died.

FILE - In this Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010 file photo, some of an estimated 45,000 people participate in the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure in Little Rock, Ark. The nation's leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates in 2012 - creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women. Planned Parenthood says the cutoff, primarily affecting grants for breast exams, results from Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress - a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups.

Susan G. Komen cancer charity halts grants to Planned Parenthood

The nation's leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates - creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women. Photo Gallery Available

Eric Hankin, 53, left, and Richard Milstein, 65, have been a couple for the past 10 years. They've prepared carefully for retirement because their marriage is not recognized by the federal government.

Golden years? Many older gays and lesbians worry about their futures

LGBT boomers face the same aging issues as their straight counterparts — but with an added layer of discrimination. Photo Gallery Available

Former Miami Dolphins receiver Oronde Gadsden, who is suing the NFL over the lingering effects of injuries he suffered while a player.

Player lawsuits against NFL to be consolidated

The 20 or so lawsuits filed against the NFL by ex-players who say they suffer from post-concussions ailments should be bundled together, a panel has ruled. Photo Gallery Available

First Person

Breast cancer treatment: After radiation therapy ends

Andrea Torres is a multimedia producer at The Miami Herald. She is chronicling her breast cancer journey Tuesdays in Tropical Life.

Natashia Bishop, in foreground, holds her pose while Maria Massana, far right, with Baptist Health and Wellness leads a yoga session as the Village of Palmetto Bay hosts a Fitness and Health Day in an effort to help residents achieve their health and fitness goals at Coral Reef Park on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012.

Palmetto Bay

Palmetto Bay hosts Fitness Day

A photo gallery Photo Gallery Available

Medicine

High-tech proton cancer therapy center planned for Palm Beach County

Backers of the controversial, and expensive, procedure say it can zap tumors with such accuracy that surrounding tissue is unharmed.

Ohio man clings to life at Jackson Memorial after botched robbery in Haiti

An American man building an orphanage in Haiti is hospitalized in critical condition at Jackson Memorial after he was shot during a botched robbery attempt at a Port-au-Prince bank. Photo Gallery Available

Richard and Jodi Brodsky, in white shirts, finish the Quebec City half marathon in 02:01:41 in August.

ING Miami Marathon

Cancer and HIV survivor says he’s running for his life

If truth is stranger than fiction, marathoner Richard Brodsky has quite a tale to tell. That he has lived to tell it will make the 59-year-old even more extraordinary Sunday when he and his wife, Jodi, line up with nearly 25,000 others for the start of the ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon. Photo Gallery Available

Medicine

Cue the puppies: How drug ads downplay health risks

Critics say drug ads mislead consumers by showing happy images as they recite health risks. Photo Gallery Available

From left, student Nick Schmoke receives some directional sailing tips from John Beauregard during a course that gives University of Miami physical therapy doctoral students a chance to learn how to sail from experienced disabled sailors while also learning how to handle disabled patients in situations on the water at Shake-A-Leg Miami in Coconut Grove on Friday, Jan. 20, 2011.

Coconut Grove

Disabled sailors teach boating to UM physical therapy students

A photo gallery Photo Gallery Available

Plastic Surgery 101

Given 3 options, which to choose?

As a patient you have every reason to be confused. None of those options are wrong, but there is one I think is better than the rest and I’ll explain to you why.

NFL vets bring battle over brain damage to Miami

The legal fight by hundreds of former NFL players to be compensated for brain trauma comes to a Miami federal courtroom Thursday. Photo Gallery Available

Chew on this

Three ways to manage your diabetes

So celebrity chef Paula Deen has Type 2 diabetes. I am concerned for everyone with this diagnosis since I have a first cousin who died from diabetes and I work with teenagers who are struggling with the required lifestyle changes.

First Person

Breast cancer patient uses diversion to cope with harsh reality

Andrea Torres is a multimedia producer with The Miami Herald who is chronicling her breast cancer journey Tuesdays in Tropical Life

Nutrition

Start small to build habits that stick

Where do you start?

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ING Miami Marathon

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Chew on this

First Person

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