Hannah Harper’s Secret Life Before American Idol Will Leave You Speechless
She had a hundred followers. Not a hundred thousand. A hundred. She was posting cleaning videos on TikTok and occasionally singing — no label, no manager, no plan — when a stranger sent her a message asking if she’d audition for the most-watched singing competition in American television history. Hannah Harper thought it was a scam. By May 11, 2026, she was standing on a stage in Los Angeles with confetti falling around her, holding the title of American Idol. But the story that got her there? Most people have only heard half of it.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY: Hannah Harper is named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2025”
Hannah walked down the hallway like she was heading into a finale night—shoulders relaxed, eyes steady, with no entourage or prepared speech. Just the quiet confidence of someone shaped by years on the music stage.
A nearby whisper floated: “Noise is what gets attention.” She didn’t flinch. Instead, she smiled softly and said, “The voice speaks for itself.”
Moments later, she stepped into the spotlight—not to perform, but to make history.
The room expected spectacle, but received authenticity. Hannah’s calm, clear words shifted the atmosphere. Influence wasn’t about noise—it was about value. She didn’t try to be larger than life.
“Dust & Grace” — An original AI-generated country gospel song written and inspired by the incredible voice and spirit of Hannah Harper from American Idol 2026. Performed and presented by the Harper Nation fan community. This song was born from Hannah’s story — a mama of three, a woman of deep faith, and a voice that moves souls. If her journey has touched your heart, this one’s for you. ABOUT THIS SONG: “Dust & Grace” captures the raw beauty of being broken and restored — through faith, motherhood, and the grace of God. Written in the spirit of Hannah Harper’s authentic country gospel style, blending the warmth of Dolly Parton, the tenderness of Alison Krauss, and the gospel soul of Lauren Daigle.
IF YOU LOVE HANNAH HARPER, YOU WILL LOVE THIS.
Drop a if this song touched your soul.
Drop a if you believe Hannah Harper deserves to win American Idol 2026!
The phrase “every heart beats true” is a line from the patriotic song “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” This song celebrates American pride and patriotism, emphasizing loyalty and love for the country. The full context of the line reflects the sentiment that every American’s heart beats with loyalty to the nation, symbolized by the red, white, and blue.
Hannah Harper is a real singer-songwriter with a professional career in country, bluegrass, and gospel music. Hannah Harper is an American singer-songwriter from Southeast Missouri who began performing at the age of nine, growing up in a family deeply rooted in bluegrass gospel traditions. She gained national recognition as a contestant on Season 24 of American Idol, where her original audition song, “String Cheese,” earned her a golden ticket and widespread acclaim. Harper’s music often reflects her personal experiences, including motherhood and faith, and she is known for her emotionally candid storytelling and strong vocals. famousstaz.com
Her professional journey includes years of live performance with her family band, The Harper Collective, which toured across the United States, performed at churches, festivals, and community halls, and recorded multiple albums. Harper continues to release original music, such as her song “Whole ’Nother Lady,” which has been praised for its authenticity and relatability. She combines her extensive performance experience with songwriting that draws from her life, faith, and musical heritage, establishing her as a genuine and emerging voice in American roots music.
Origins of the Song Harper, a stay-at-home mom of three from Willow Springs, Missouri, wrote the track years ago while battling postpartum depression. The title came from a small, relatable moment: her son repeatedly asking her to open his cheese while she was emotionally drained Swikriti’s Blog+1.
The Viral Moment When Harper performed “String Cheese” on Idol, the raw, personal storytelling and her authentic delivery struck viewers. Clips spread rapidly online, turning the quirky title into one of the season’s most talked-about moments thehiphoplegends.net. Judge Carrie Underwood was moved to tears, calling it “the most relatable song I’ve ever heard” Country Rebel.
Why It Resonated The song’s appeal came from its authenticity — no over-the-top production, just a heartfelt reflection on motherhood, vulnerability, and faith. Harper’s own journey made it relatable to many mothers, and the lyrics encouraged others in hard seasons thehiphoplegends.net+1.
Impact and Recognition Streaming & Charts: The song reached No. 14 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart, a rare feat for an active Idol contestant www.hallels.com.
Public Response: Millions of views across platforms, heartfelt messages from fans, and even a surprise care package from Sargento Country Rebel.
Cultural Moment: It became a symbol of Harper’s identity as a country artist grounded in real-life experiences, helping her win American Idol Season 24 Swikriti’s Blog.
Harper’s Reflection Harper said she never expected the song to go viral. She hopes it “encouraged” others facing similar struggles, framing her own pain as a way to minister to others iHeartCountry Radio+1.
In short, “String Cheese” went viral because it was true, personal, and timely — a small parenting moment transformed into a powerful, shared story that millions connected with.
What really happens after winning American Idol 2026?
In this emotional deep-dive, we explore the incredible rise of Hannah Harper after her unforgettable victory in the biggest singing competition in America. From life-changing fame and massive career opportunities to record deals, social media explosions, touring possibilities, and emotional fan support — Hannah Harper’s journey is only just beginning.
After capturing America’s heart with her powerful storytelling, emotional performances, and unforgettable audition song “String Cheese,” Hannah Harper transformed from an unknown singer into one of the most talked-about rising stars of 2026. But what does the future truly hold for the new American Idol champion? In this cinematic documentary-style voice-over, we uncover:
Hannah Harper’s emotional Idol journey What winners receive after American Idol Her growing fanbase and viral success Music career opportunities and industry attention How fame could completely change her life Why fans connect deeply with Hannah Harper Predictions for her future in country and mainstream music If you love American Idol stories, celebrity lifestyle documentaries, rising star journeys, and emotional success stories, this is a video you don’t want to miss.
We all experience stress. It’s part of life. But too much stress can contribute to poor health, increasing our blood pressure and damaging our kidneys. By learning how stress impacts our health and finding ways to manage it, we can keep our kidneys healthier and live a healthier life overall.
What is stress? Stress is anything that can upset or disturb your equilibrium or balance. Stress can be physiological (infection, injury, disease), or psychological (anxiety, argument, conflict, threats to personal safety or well-being). Living with a chronic illness, such as kidney disease, or learning for the first time that you have a chronic illness can be a significant source of stress.
Psychological stress is something that we contend with every day. It can be a result of positive life events, such as marriage and children, or it can come from more emotionally challenging events, such as the loss of a loved one, divorce and personal or financial problems.
Stress is normal, and your physical response to stress, including faster breathing and heart rate, a spike in blood pressure, dilated pupils, tense muscles, is a natural and normal process. The levels of fats and sugars in your blood can also increase. The body’s response to stress is commonly known as “fight or flight.” Although it is a natural process to help us survive immediate dangers, these reactions from too much or constant stress can eventually take their toll on your health.
How can stress impact my health and kidneys? Not only does your body’s reaction to stress help you with immediate dangers or crises, it can also serve as a positive motivator while handling life’s challenges–when channeled properly. However, when your body is under high levels of stress for sustained periods of time, these physical reactions, if left unchecked, can eventually harm your health. The combined impacts of increased blood pressure, faster heart rate, and higher fats and sugar in your blood can contribute to a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease (also known as cardiovascular disease).
Stress and uncontrolled reactions to stress can also lead to kidney damage. As the blood filtering units of your body, your kidneys are prone to problems with blood circulation and blood vessels. High blood pressure and high blood sugar can place an additional strain or burden on your kidneys. People with high blood pressure and diabetes are at a higher risk for kidney disease.
People with kidney disease are at higher risk for heart and blood vessel disease. If you already have heart and blood vessel disease and kidney disease, then the body’s reactions to stress can become more and more dangerous. Therefore, whether your goal is to prevent heart and/or kidney disease, or improve your health while living with heart and/or kidney disease, managing stress is an important part of maintaining your overall health.
What can I do to manage my stress? It is very difficult, if not impossible, to completely get rid of stress, or to never have any physical reactions to stress. However, there are steps you can take to manage stress and help control your body’s response to stress. Some simple ways to reduce stress include:
Eat healthier foods
Limit salt and caffeine (especially if you have high blood pressure)
Limit sugar (especially if you have diabetes), and fats (especially if you are at risk for heart and blood vessel disease)
Set aside time to relax
Relaxation techniques (yoga, meditation, etc.)
Prayer
Talk to a friend, loved one, spiritual leader, or healthcare professional
Write down your problems and think about the best solution for each of them. A list can help you evaluate and prioritize what issues need to be addressed.
Set realistic goals and expectations
Get enough sleep and maintain a regular sleep schedule
Maintain a positive attitude and outlook
Vacation
Regular exercise and more physical activity
This list does not include all of the ways you can manage stress. Improvements in diet and more physical activity are things everyone should attempt. Talk to a healthcare professional to discuss which dietary and lifestyle changes might be best for you. Other methods to manage stress will depend on your personal preferences. You might prefer music, while someone else prefers a relaxation technique or massage. No matter the technique, managing your stress can help you feel better and live a healthier life.
The risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in people with chronic kidney disease is under-recognized. Better awareness and early intervention are crucial to improving patient outcomes.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with several well-recognized comorbidities, such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease, that substantially affect survival and quality of life. However, people with CKD also have an underappreciated high risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. In this Focus issue, we examine the epidemiological and mechanistic evidence linking CKD with progressive cognitive decline and consider interventions with potential to improve outcomes for patients and their caregivers.
The Review by Ikram1 explores the epidemiological links between CKD and dementia while recognizing the methodological challenges in ascertaining causality. The continuing rise in the prevalence of dementia is often linked to global population growth and ageing; however, the frequent co-occurrence of CKD and dementia hint at additional underlying mechanisms, which are discussed by Capasso and colleagues in their Review2.
These mechanisms include uraemic toxin accumulation, which not only contributes to endothelial dysfunction, but might also affect the function of brain cells directly, particularly if the integrity of the brain–blood barrier is compromised. Vascular damage in CKD might also contribute to the high incidence of stroke, subcortical infarcts and microbleeds, which can lead to brain injury. Other potential risk factors for cognitive impairment in CKD include the high prevalence of sleep disorders and the reduced expression of neuroprotective Klotho.
Cognitive decline accelerates in people treated with dialysis. These individuals often experience short-term neurological symptoms, including confusion and brain fog, but many also have evidence of long-term alterations in brain structure. In their Review, McIntyre and Jain3 explore the mechanisms underlying these effects, including the impact of haemodialysis-induced ischaemic insults and the role of glucose-associated metabolic stress in peritoneal dialysis.
Interventions with potential to mitigate the risk of neurological damage associated with dialysis include dialysate cooling and intradialytic exercise, but lack of screening and poor risk awareness limit the number of patients that can benefit. More research is needed to clarify key mechanisms and inform patient management.
Given the underlying risks, safeguarding cognitive health in people with CKD is essential, and the Comment by Wolfgram4 discusses the need to integrate dementia screening in the care of patients with kidney disease. Failing to detect cognitive impairment in these patients not only deprives them of the support they need to mitigate progressive decline, but can also affect their ability to manage their kidney disease.
Unsurprisingly, co-occurrence of these two conditions is associated with poor health outcomes, including more frequent hospitalizations and increased mortality. In their Comment5, Gitlin and Hodgson also highlight the need for holistic, cognitive-aware nephrology care that acknowledges and supports the needs of caregivers, as well as those of patients.
“Given the underlying risks, safeguarding cognitive health in people with CKD is essential”
Despite the lack of curative therapies for dementia and the need for more studies on the brain–kidney axis in kidney disease, people with CKD and cognitive impairment could benefit from medications, cognitive therapies, lifestyle changes, sleep disorder treatment and psychological support, among other interventions with potential to slow dementia progression and mitigate symptoms, especially when deployed early in the disease.
Greater healthcare providers and patient awareness and education, as well as structural changes, are needed for effective screening, prevention and management of cognitive impairment and dementia in people with CKD. Chronic stress, kidney disease, and dementia are interconnected in ways that can accelerate each other’s progression.
Stress and Kidney Health Chronic stress increases blood pressure, promotes inflammation, and can worsen hypertension and diabetes — both major drivers of kidney disease. Over time, this can damage the kidneys’ filtering units (glomeruli) and small blood vessels, impairing kidney function and raising the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Kidney Disease and Dementia Risk Kidney disease is one of the strongest risk factors for cognitive decline. The prevalence of cognitive impairment in CKD ranges from 25% to 62% in non-dialysis patients, compared to 11–26% in the general population scienceinsights.org. In dialysis patients, the figure jumps to 87% American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Even at Stage 3 CKD (eGFR 30–59 mL/min/1.73 m²), the risk of dementia is significantly higher than in healthy individuals scienceinsights.org.
Uremic toxins (e.g., indoxyl sulfate) crossing the blood-brain barrier and damaging neurons pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+1.
Vascular injury causing white matter lesions, silent infarcts, and microbleeds in the brain pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Shared vascular risk factors like hypertension and diabetes, which affect both organs scienceinsights.org+1.
Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction impairing blood flow to the brain pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Dementia and Kidney Disease Management Dementia complicates kidney disease care by impairing a person’s ability to follow complex treatment regimens, dietary restrictions, and medication schedules helpdementia.com. Conversely, kidney disease accelerates brain changes that make self-care harder, creating a vicious cycle helpdementia.com.
Stress as a Catalyst Chronic stress can exacerbate both kidney damage and cognitive decline by increasing systemic inflammation, blood pressure, and oxidative stress — all of which harm kidney and brain tissue pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Stress-related hormonal changes (e.g., cortisol) may also directly affect brain regions involved in memory and executive function.
Management Considerations
Control vascular risk factors (blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol) to protect both kidneys and brain.
Manage stress through relaxation techniques, exercise, and social support to reduce inflammation and hypertension.
Monitor cognitive health in CKD patients, using validated screening tools American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
Optimize kidney care (e.g., dialysis, transplantation) to reduce uremic toxin load and vascular injury.
Support caregivers to help with medication adherence and daily management American Journal of Kidney
Bottom line: Chronic stress can worsen kidney disease, which in turn increases dementia risk through vascular, toxic, and inflammatory pathways. Addressing stress, controlling kidney health, and monitoring cognitive function are key to breaking this cycle and improving outcomes for those at risk.
Anxiety is described as the feeling of fear, uncertainty, helplessness, and apprehension that an individual encounters when anticipating a threatening situation [67]. In CKD, postulated mechanisms for increased susceptibility to anxiety may involve inflammatory processes secondary to uremic toxins, oxidative stress due to increased cytokine production, microvascular damage to the brain, and the involvement of the renin–angiotensin system [19]. However, this postulated mechanism of anxiety is similar to the development of depression or cognitive impairment in CKD. Further studies are needed, therefore, to elucidate specific mechanisms.
PREVALENCE OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN CKD
CKD is one of the strongest risk factors for cognitive impairment. The current guidelines used in the diagnosis and management of mild cognitive impairment specify that kidney function should also be assessed as part of the routine neurological workup [5]. In fact, mild cognitive impairment is considered to be a prodromal state that initially occurs in patients with established dementia. The annual rate of progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia is 1.9% in ESRD patients [16].
Mild cognitive impairment is more common among patients with stage 1–4 CKD (prevalence, 27% to 62%) than in matched populations without CKD (prevalence, 11% to 26%) [5,15,68–70]. The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment increases with the progression of CKD stage [71]. Dementia (Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, etc.) is not a specific disease but is, rather, a general term defined as an impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with everyday activities.
In the general population, age is a very important risk factor for dementia because the incidence of dementia is very low (< 1%) in individuals < 65 years old [72]. However, in young patients with ESRD, the prevalence of cognitive impairment may be higher than that in the general population [73]. Another study showed that the overall age- and sex-specific incidence rates and the cumulative incidence rates of dementia were much higher in ESRD than non-ESRD subjects (10.73 vs. 1.40 per 1,000 person-years and 0.061 vs. 0.017, respectively, both p < 0.0001) [74]. Age-related chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and kidney disease, are factors that cause the advancement and rapid progression of dementia [75]. Therefore, CKD itself could be related to the progression and prevalence of dementia.
PATTERN OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN CKD
Cognitive impairment is assessed by analyzing specific cognitive domains, such as attention, memory, visuospatial ability, language skills, and execution skills [71]. Recent studies have suggested that the phenotype of cognitive dysfunction in patients with CKD may be different from that in the general population [71]. Attention is defined as the selection of specific information within a sensory channel, i.e., filtering the essential data and ignoring the remaining data.
The prefrontal cortex performs this activity, which is modulated by the dopaminergic system. Lizio et al [76]. directly compared CKD-associated dementia with Alzheimer’s disease, and they found a more pronounced dysfunction in the frontal cortex of patients with CKD and mild cognitive impairment compared to the general population.
The memory storage capacity and the processing of information are impaired in patients with CKD [77]. Some animal studies demonstrated neuronal death in the hippocampus associated with CKD [62,78,79]. In addition, CKD was shown to reduce the activity of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert [80]. Abnormal interactions occur between these cholinergic neurons and the cortical neurons, causing memory dysfunction in CKD. Griva et al. [81] reported a statistically significant improvement in the memory performance of patients following kidney transplantation.
Language skills are also affected in patients with CKD, and this is the only cognitive domain that shows a linear relationship with declining estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) [24]. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies did not show any anatomical changes in the cortical language areas [82], poor naming performance was observed in patients with CKD [83,84]. Several studies have shown that executive dysfunction occurs in patients with CKD measured by the Trail Making Test type A (TMT-A) and the TMT-B, which test cognitive processing speed [76,83,85,86].
Executive dysfunction worsens with a decline in the eGFR [86].
Executive functions are mainly carried out by the frontal lobe, which is thinner in patients with CKD. Cognitive impairment of patients with CKD occurs due to dysregulation of several functional domains of the brain. In fact, it may occur due to the damage caused to multiple cortical regions (particularly the frontal lobe) and subcortical modulatory neurons, especially the adrenergic neurons in the mesencephalon and the cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert [24].
However, non-CKD dementia is caused by structural abnormalities in different regions of the brain, as revealed by MRI analyses. The differences in the structural brain changes between patients with CKD and non-CKD dementia may be attributed to the different mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction that occur in patients with CKD.
MECHANISM OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN CKD
The mechanism of cognitive impairment in CKD is not well understood. Genetic factors lead to the pathogenesis of cognitive dysfunction in pediatric patients with CKD [71,87]. However, vascular injury and uremic toxins are suspected to induce cognitive impairment in adult patients with CKD [10]. Atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction are common conditions in patients with CKD. The kidney and the brain have “strain vessels,” i.e., afferent arterioles in the kidney and perforating arterioles in the brain.
These vessels are short in length, because small arterioles branch out of very large arteries that autoregulate tissue perfusion [88]. The anatomical vascular systems are similar in both of these organs, which may be susceptible to the traditional risk factors, i.e., hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and obesity [14]. As many risk factors are involved in the development of CKD and vascular dysfunction, vascular factors could also be involved in the development of cognitive impairment in patients with CKD.
In the general population, reduced cerebral blood flow impairs neural activity, which is involved in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment. However, the global cerebral blood flow was found to be higher in CKD patients than in healthy individuals, which does not support the more general notion of vascular dysfunction in patients with CKD [89].
Prior to peritoneal dialysis, ESRD patients were shown to have cerebral hyperperfusion with reduced execution function [90]. Increased cerebral blood flow probably occurs due to anemia in patients with CKD [90,91]. This discrepancy makes it difficult to apply directly the mechanism of cognitive impairment determined in the general population to patients with CKD.
In patients with CKD, vascular injury can lead to white matter lesions, silent infarction, and cerebral microbleeds. Leukoaraiosis is a pathological appearance of the brain white matter, which is thought to be due to perfusion abnormalities within the arterioles that perforate through the deep brain structures. Leukoaraiosis is thought to represent ischemia and is associated with increased risk of stroke and dementia [92,93]. The prevalence of leukoaraiosis is higher in patients with CKD than in the general population [94].
Uremic toxins accumulate in the body fluids of patients with progressive CKD, and have a direct impact on the development of cerebrovascular disease. Recent studies have reported that uremic toxins cause cognitive impairment in patients with CKD.
A recent review article established that uremic toxins, such as uric acid, indoxyl sulfate, p-cresyl sulfate, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and parathyroid hormone, are likely to have an impact on the CNS, although the underlying mechanisms have yet to be elucidated [95]. In addition, guanidine compounds, asymmetric dimethylarginine, fibroblast growth factor 23, excessive phosphate, and indoxyl sulfate have also been considered potential uremic neurotoxins.
Indoxyl sulfate is a protein-bound uremic toxin, which is also known to be a renal and vascular toxin as it causes nephrotoxicity, especially in tubular cells, and inhibits the proliferation of endothelial cells; thus, indoxyl sulfate induces free radicals [96,97]. In endothelial cells, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) may be the receptor of indoxyl sulfate. When indoxyl sulfate activates AhR, it causes endothelial dysfunction by inducing endothelial inflammation and an increase in oxidative stress.
Moreover, AhR is widely expressed in the CNS, and activated AhR was shown to have detrimental effects on cognitive functions. Recent studies suggested that indoxyl sulfate induces neurotoxicity via the proposed mechanism shown in Fig. 2. Adesso et al. [98] reported that indoxyl sulfate causes inflammation and oxidative stress in primary cells of the CNS by activating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and AhRs, resulting in the induction of neuronal death.
Indoxyl sulfate plays a role in apoptosis via inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in human astrocytes under conditions of oxidative stress [99]. Bobot et al. [63] reported that rats fed an adenine-rich diet with drinking water containing indoxyl sulfate showed an increased serum concentration of indoxyl sulfate and stronger impairment of cognition and increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
Consequently, uremic toxins accumulated in the brain as the BBB was disrupted due to increased indoxyl sulfate concentration. The glymphatic system is a waste clearance system in the CNS, which is formed by astroglial cells that efficiently eliminate soluble proteins and various metabolites from the CNS. Intriguingly, the glymphatic system functions mainly during sleep, and is largely disengaged during wakefulness. Sleep disturbances are common in patients with CKD. Further studies are required to determine how uremic toxins and/or CKD influence the glymphatic system, which can suppress the clearance of uremic toxins and β-amyloid.
CONCLUSIONS
Clinical studies have consistently established that there is a relationship between CKD and emotional/cognitive changes. Genetic factors, inflammation, cerebrovascular disease, vascular factors, and uremic toxins may be associated with the development and progression of cognitive changes in patients with CKD. Radiological studies have elucidated the different mechanisms of CKD dementia and compared them with the characteristics of non-CKD dementia.
Furthermore, animal studies have established the mechanism underlying the brain damage caused by CKD. However, discrepancies occurred between behavioral tests, and further studies are required to determine the detailed mechanisms. Finally, research should also focus on identification of potential therapeutic targets to prevent changes in the brains of patients with CKD.
The link between dementia and kidney disease demands changes in patient careStress is a part of life.
But, excessive stress can affect your health and well-being – we all know this is a fact. But, we often ignore the impact of stress on our health.
Effect of stress on kidneys
Let us try to understand how stress impacts kidneys and the link associated with chronic stress and kidney disease.
Physiological and Psychological Stress
Stress is any disturbance to your normal state or balance. It can be due to physiological or psychological reasons. Any fever, infection, chronic disease, or injury can lead to stress. This is physiological stress. Similarly, a fear of the unknown, job-related, financial losses, and living with a chronic illness – all these events can lead to psychological stress.
We often encounter both these types of stresses at some point in our lives because physiological disturbances and emotionally challenging events are part of our lives.
The human body reacts to stress by releasing hormones that can fight the situation – which is a natural response. These hormones can cause the heart to beat faster, breathing becomes heavy, pupils to dilate, muscles to become tense, and blood pressure spikes. Even blood sugar levels also increase under stress. This is how our body naturally responds to stress. It is commonly known as a fight-or-flight response. It helps in overcoming stressful situations, but constant or chronic stress and the body’s response to it over a period of time can take a toll on our health including our kidney health.
How does Stress impact your Overall Health and Kidneys?
When you are under constantly high levels of stress which is uncontrolled or unchecked, then the physiological changes can progressively harm your health. The cumulative effect of faster heart rate, high blood sugar levels, and increased blood pressure due to chronic stress over a period of time can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. All these conditions can potentially lead to kidney disease. Uncontrolled diabetes and Hypertension associated with stress can damage tiny blood-filtering units of kidneys leading to kidney damage, chronic kidney disease, and kidney failure.
The impact of stress on persons with high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease can worsen their conditions and can also impact the kidneys causing an increased risk for kidney disease.
In a nutshell, in all circumstances – whether you are healthy, or have chronic conditions you must manage stress to protect your kidneys and overall health.
How to Manage Stress?
Managing chronic stress is a bit challenging – therefore, take steps to never let your stress affect your body. If you are unable to manage stress then take professional help – talk to your family physician or a psychologist.
Some of the useful tips you can follow to manage stress
Develop a habit of “let go”
. Learn and indulge in relaxing techniques like meditation, acupressure, massage, yoga, and so on.
Involve in regular physical activities and exercise at least 30 minutes per day
Set up a routine sleep and wake-up timings
Limit your caffeine and salt intake
Limit sugars and fats in your diet
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Limit screen time by reducing time on phones, laptops, T. V. Listen to soothing and relaxing music
Have realistic expectations and set achievable goals
Make it a habit to relax for 5-10mts in between work
Kidney disease doesn’t have to mean dialysis or a transplant.
This is a true story.
Many people with kidney disease are led to believe they have only two options:
Dialysis or transplant. But let’s be honest—undergoing surgery or being connected to a machine several times a week for life can feel utterly discouraging.
If you’re at a crossroads with your kidney health:
You sense there must be another way…
You’ve followed all your doctors’ advice…
Yet you’re left feeling frustrated and down…
And continuing on this path seems to only lead to dialysis or transplant…
Maybe it’s time for a new approach.
What if I told you there’s a natural treatment that could not only help improve your kidney function but also enhance your overall quality of life?
What if this third option exists—and I’m offering it to you right here, right now?
It’s a straightforward program with proven results.
Nine years ago, my wife’s grandmother was diagnosed with advanced kidney failure. We were told her only options were dialysis or a transplant.
Our whole family was devastated.
My wife Fiona and I—both college-educated naturopaths, herbalists, and nutritionists—refused to accept that nothing could be done.
We know from experience and training that Western medicine doesn’t have all the answers.
We dove into research—reviewing countless peer-reviewed journals, clinical trials, and medical literature—and developed a natural program we believed could help.
Thanks to this program, Nanna never started dialysis. She never experienced the downward health spiral—no overwhelming fatigue, no advanced disease, and no machine keeping her tied down.
Since then, thousands of people have improved their kidney function through this program. Some reduced their dialysis frequency; others avoided it completely. Like Nanna, many now live full, happy, and healthy lives.
Now, I’m on a mission to share what we’ve learned.
INTRODUCING:
The Kidney Disease Solution
This is the exact program that helped Nanna—and has helped people worldwide for over nine years.
It provides everything you need to:
Reverse impaired kidney function
Halt the progression of kidney disease
Protect your kidneys from further damage
Avoid dialysis and transplant
I offer a full 60-day guarantee. Try the program risk-free. If it doesn’t help you, simply request a refund.
So now, you have two choices:
Continue on your current path, moving closer to dialysis… or Try the Kidney Disease Solution completely risk-free, and start improving your kidney function and energy levels.
A serum creatinine level of 25 µmol/L is low compared to the typical normal range of about 44–97 µmol/Lmedchunk. This means your kidneys are filtering creatinine more efficiently than average, but low levels can sometimes indicate underlying health issues.
What Low Creatinine Levels Mean
Creatinine is a waste product from muscle breakdown and is filtered by the kidneys. Low levels can occur if:
You have low muscle mass (e.g., due to malnutrition, sarcopenia, or illness)
You are elderly (muscle mass naturally decreases with age)
While low creatinine is not always dangerous, it can be a sign that your body is producing less creatine or that muscle mass is reduced, which may affect overall health.
When to Be Concerned
Persistent low levels with symptoms like fatigue, weakness, or poor appetite may warrant further investigation.
Doctors often look at trends over time rather than a single result, as creatinine can vary with muscle mass, diet, and activity US News Health.
If low creatinine is accompanied by other abnormal lab results or symptoms, your healthcare provider may order additional tests (e.g., albumin, electrolytes, GFR) to assess kidney function and overall health.
What to Do
Follow up with your doctor to interpret the result in context of your age, weight, muscle mass, and other health factors.
Maintain a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle to support muscle health.
If you have symptoms or risk factors (e.g., chronic illness, malnutrition), discuss them with your provider.
Bottom line: A creatinine of 25 µmol/L is below the normal range, but it’s not automatically dangerous. It’s important to have it reviewed by a healthcare professional to determine the cause and ensure your kidney function and overall health are within a safe range
Bottom Line
Stress plays a huge part in the progression of chronic conditions like Hypertension, Diabetes, and Kidney disease. Therefore, Stress management is crucial for everyone. Seek help if needed. If you can successfully manage your stress, you can protect your kidneys from the adverse effects of stress.
Second, if you already have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes, then keeping your stress levels under control can help prevent your conditions from getting worse. If you still have any concerns regarding the effect of stress on kidneys, then comment or write to us.
Grace was Born: May 11, 1967, has over 35 years of experience in the health, wellness and fitness industry as an AFAA-certified fitness instructor, professional fitness/swimwear model, contributing fitness writer and NPC fitness and bikini competitor. Her evidence-based approach to holistic health and wellness includes weaving mindfulness in both movement and stillness meditation.
Grace was diagnosed with Stage 3(c) colon cancer 21 years ago and she was one lymph node away from Stage 4, the worst stage of colon cancer. That’s me on the left 12 years ago wearing all blue to raise funds for a national colon cancer organization, to educate my community about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, and to share my story of love, hope and resilience. And on the right is me two weeks ago holding space after I gave a talk on spirituality, mental health and a book that features my writing on the topic of—yep, you guessed it—resilience!
Grace was diagnosed at the age of 38 with Stage 3(c) colon cancer in 2005 and treated with a “chemo cocktail” called FOLFOX, a mix of several drugs plus steroids. Looks can be deceiving: she’s deemed permanently physically disabled due to the long-term side effects of chemo. This includes bone and joint degeneration as well as peripheral neuropathy (extensive nerve damage particularly to hands and feet).
After years of chronic pain, medical scares, complications, numerous surgeries and what seemed like never-ending doctor appointments, she decided that enough was enough. By then, her daily pill box included up to 24 prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications–half of the pills supposedly counteracted the side effects from the other pills. With the help of her general physician, she titrated down and discontinued all but one of her medications.
Today, Grace attributes her good health to the practice of mindful living, to include prayer and meditation; Taoist Tai Chi, a form of martial arts and moving meditation; non-violent communications; choosing more whole foods vs. processed; and maintaining healthy, meaningful relationships with family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and yes, strangers–who are simply, in essence, potential friends.
In 2014, she created Be a Blue Buddy, a colon cancer awareness campaign with a mission to advocate for and support patients, survivors, and their support system (friends, family, caretakers, clergy). As a survivor wanting to give back to the community, Grace educates on the disease and shares her story to empower and inspire others, and to help save lives.
Be a Blue Buddy is not an organization, but rather a grassroots, personal call-to-action to educate the community about the disease through public speaking engagements, participating with other organizations, and connecting with the community through social media to help raise awareness of colon cancer, the importance of screening and early detection in support of survivors and their support team; to give hope to newly diagnosed patients; and to honor those who have died from this disease.
Grace has also been a professional TV Commercial and Corporate Training spokesperson, voice-over talent and print model since 1986. She attended the University of North Florida (UNF), received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/TV Broadcasting with a minor in Psychology, volunteered at WJCT public radio, shadowed at WTLV TV-12 and interned as a TV reporter at WJXT-TV4.
Grace strives for joyful learning and living, and is willing to step outside of her comfort zone. She has experienced snow skiing, scuba diving, skydiving, paintball wars, and traveling. Grace likes to soak in the culture’s history of traditions, arts, architecture and daily lifestyle–eating and sleeping as the locals do. She realized her childhood dream of visiting Greece; Oia-Santorini completely captured her heart!
She enjoys the arts (e.g. music/theatre/live entertainment, museums, paintings, photos, architecture), literature, and botanical gardens. She is a beach girl at heart. Anything related to the sun, clouds, moon, stars, rainbow and other skyscapes capture her attention. Her favorite splash of color is bright citrus orange. A few of Grace’s favorite scents are flowers/plants (magnolia, rose, gardenia, peony, plumeria, honeysuckle, hawaiian ferns, citrus), aromatic wafts of food cooking in the kitchen, the ionic shift just before rainfall, and the scent of a freshly mowed lawn.
A voracious researcher and a lover of life experiences, her interests include philosophy, neuroscience, astrophysics, quantum physics, cosmology, the collective consciousness, semiosis, audiology, adult giftedness, equanimity in the realms of social justice, cultural diversity, global cohesiveness, economy, trade, politics, government, education, healthcare, media, religion, non-religion, and spirituality.
Grace is committed to community wellness endeavors. She is the President of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce Jacksonville Beaches Chapter. She serves as a member of The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center Advisory Council and assists 150 men being treated for alcohol or substance use disorder (SUD), mental health issues and homelessness.
She served as the Founding Chairperson of the First Coast Recovery Advocates, Inc. (FCRA), a Recovery Community Organization (RCO) addressing the needs of people with addictions and mental health issues. She served on the Forensic Peer Work Group for the Florida Department of Children & Families and assisted in the development of the Forensic Peer policies and procedures.
She also recommended that the incarcerated be assigned a peer six months prior to their release date to begin the process of beginning a new life by obtaining a place to live, finding a job, or returning back to school. This will allow for the individual to transition back into the community as a productive, law-abiding citizen. She is a member of the Taoist Tai Chi International Society; Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice; Florida Recovery Advocacy Project (RAP); Northeast Florida Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NEFCADA); and the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville. She also volunteers her time at local mental health and corrections facilities as well as various alcohol/drug/substance use addiction treatment and recovery centers.
Grace is an ordained minister of non-denomination/non-religion. Her philosophy is based on love: acceptance, kindness, hope, inclusivity and non-violence. She espouses celebrating diversity while communing in unity.
Grace grew up in Atlantic Beach, FL–the eldest of four in a family where her parents are still happily married after 50+ years. She is a proud U.S. patriot and considers herself an honorary military veteran having had both a father and former spouse who served in and retired from the Navy. She traveled around the world, including Spain, Guam, California, Hawaii, the Philippines and Japan.
Grace’s former spouse of 20 years served as a USN F/A-18 Strikefighter pilot (think Blue Angels jets); a P-3 pilot; a commercial pilot, and Boeing Subject Matter Expert (SME). She has two adult children: daughter Armani and son Andrew, and after having lived in South Carolina, Hawaii and Maryland, Grace is happy to be “back home” in Jacksonville, FL.
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Grace De La Rosa is the CEO and Founder of Living with Grace, LLC. She is a Holistic Wellness Consultant, Public Speaker, Educator and Philosopher in Jacksonville, FL. As a Survivor and Thriver of Stage 3(c) Colon Cancer, Childhood Trauma, Domestic Violence, PTSD and Suicide, she advocates for mental health, holistic wellness education, non-violence, contemplative practices, and alternative and integrative well-care options through speaking engagements, seminars, classes, podcast interviews, summits and panel discussions.
Grace provides Holistic Wellness, Mindfulness, Meditation and Spiritual Teachings through presentations, seminars, workshops and retreats in private or group sessions. She creates customized systemic programs for a smoother work flow, plans speaker’s events and retreats, and provides spiritual readings and healings as a Psychic Evidential Medium, Channel, Master Energy Healer, Mystic and Prophet.
She also provides professional content as a TV/Video/Radio/Virtual Spokesperson, Voice-Over Talent, Artist, Calligrapher, Writer, Poet and Pianist.Your host, Nathan Crane, is a Certified Holistic Cancer Coach, Best-Selling Author, Inspirational Speaker, Cancer-Health Researcher and Educator, and 20X Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker with Over 15 Years in the Health Field.
Today’s podcast is focused on talking about psychic abilities, healing, cancer and much more.
Visit The Nathan Crane Podcast on YouTube to watch the full podcast!
I was honored to speak about my journey with cancer and other traumas along with my White Light, Out of Body (OBE) Spiritual Experiences, Awakenings and Gifts of Psychic Mediumship Abilities, and my intimate connection with God, The Divine Universal Source of Love and Light.
Click below to watch/listen to the full podcast on YouTube. You can also click any of the links below to find it on your favorite podcast networks.
In this podcast, you’ll discover:How to train your psychic abilities.
* How I overcame trauma.
* What energy healing is and why it’s so powerful.
A new report found that high cholesterol and untreated vision loss put you at higher risk of developing dementia. (Photo: TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images
Researchers Have Discovered 2 New Dementia Risk Factors. Here’s What They Are.
Strides have been made in the world of dementia research compared with even just a few years ago. There’s now a blood test that can diagnose Alzheimer’s accurately 90% of the time, and more is understood about the factors (many of which are lifestyle habits) that can put you at higher risk for the condition.
In a new dementia report published in The Lancet journal by researchers who are part of The Lancet Commission, two new modifiable risk factors have been identified: high cholesterol after 40 and untreated vision loss.
In 2020, these same researchers determined 12 modifiable risk factors that are known to put folks at higher risk of developing dementia. These are:
Physical inactivity
Smoking
Excessive alcohol consumption
Air pollution
Head injury
Infrequent social contact
Less education
Obesity
Hypertension
Diabetes
Depression
Hearing impairment
According to the report, these 12 factors, along with the two new ones, account for 49% of dementia cases across the world. Researchers determined these two new risk factors by looking at recent meta-analyses and studies on the topics; they looked at 14 papers on vision loss and 27 on high cholesterol.
“It makes a lot of mechanistic sense,” said Dr. Arman Fesharaki-Zadeh, a behavioral neurologist and neuropsychiatrist at Yale Medicine in Connecticut. “A lot of these factors are very much interrelated.” (Fesharaki-Zadeh is not affiliated with the report.)
“There are many sources of vision loss, of course, but it tends to be a lot more common in folks who have metabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure, such as poorly controlled diabetes, such as high cholesterol, which is the other risk factor [identified in the report],” he said.
Moreover, vision is our primary sensory organ — it’s how we process the world around us — and when you can’t see clearly, you’re less likely to spend time doing brain-boosting activities like puzzles, reading or even spending time with other people, said Fesharaki-Zadeh. And these activities are known to help prevent dementia.
When it comes to high LDL cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol), it can lead to the hardening of the blood vessels in the heart and brain, Fesharaki-Zadeh said, adding that high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes also affect the blood vessels.
This can make it more difficult for oxygen to get to the brain, which over time can lead to neuron damage — “and dementia is essentially an end product of the neurons dying out, so it’s a neurodegenerative process,” Fesharaki-Zadeh explained.
“I can’t tell you how often I see in our patient populations, especially folks above the age of 60, there are certain parts of the brain that are more vulnerable to damage … and these are the areas that are especially vulnerable to hardening of blood vessels. Someone who has … high cholesterol, the correlation between that and hardening of blood vessels is quite high, and we see it in our clinical setting very frequently as well.”
“The saying that I like to use with patients quite often is what affects your heart will affect your brain, and we see that time and time again,” the doctor said.
If you suffer from vision loss, it’s important to manage it for the sake of your future health.
You can lower your risk. First, have a good medical team and primary care doctor.
“I cannot highlight the importance of a collaborative model between primary care physicians and specialties,” said Fesharaki-Zadeh. Having a primary care doctor who understands your health and is willing to share pertinent information with specialists, like cardiologists and neurologists, will help you stay on top of any issues putting your well-being at stake.
Your primary care doctor should also be proactively working to help you control the risk factors — like high cholesterol and high blood pressure — whether that’s through medication, diet or exercise.
Fesharaki-Zadeh said you and your doctor should focus on these lifestyle changes as early as possible, at least in midlife, not when you’re at the point when dementia starts to show up.
“The front line of medical care are primary care physicians. These are the folks that, by having early discussions … can go a long distance to prevent the onset of dementia,” he explained.
There are also tests that can detect early signs of neurodegeneration and genetic markers of the disease. A primary care doctor can help you learn about these options.
“Up to 40% of dementias are potentially preventable,” he added, but it’s worth noting that dementia can also be genetic, which makes prevention trickier. But someone who is diagnosed with dementia or mild cognitive impairment can benefit from managing these risk factors, too.
“The research is also showing that if you have two groups of individuals, someone who has comorbid metabolic diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, versus somebody who doesn’t, and both of these individuals have dementia, the rates of progression of dementia in somebody who doesn’t have metabolic risk factors tend to be slower,” explained Fesharaki-Zadeh.
It’s never too late to make changes and corrections, he noted, whether you’re a young, seemingly healthy person, in your 80s or 90s, or someone who has already been diagnosed with dementia.
Our brains are highly malleable, Fesharaki-Zadeh said. So if you decide to make healthy lifestyle changes at any point, your brain will respond and be healthier for it.
Living with dementia can come with frightening and complex challenges; however, facing these challenges with the incredible power of positivity can make a significant difference. This may seem difficult, but the rewards of a positive mindset in dementia care are limitless.
At HarborChase Senior Living, we understand the profound impact of positivity on those living with memory impairment and create environments rooted in a positive mindset. We are exploring the power of positivity and sharing how it makes a difference throughout our memory care communities.
Positivity Slows Cognitive Decline
Although it is not a cure, maintaining a positive environment can potentially slow the progression of dementia by stimulating an individual’s cognitive function. Engaging in regular, positive conversations or cognitive activities can help with memory retention and processing. In fact, studies have shown that positivity can slow cognitive decline in those living with dementia.
Positive Language Makes a Difference
In the context of dementia care, the language we use greatly impacts a person’s self-esteem, mood, and overall emotional health. Using language that labels or belittles individuals can negatively impact their emotional well-being and that of their families and friends.
Conversely, positive language possesses the transformative ability to reshape the dementia landscape. By using words and phrases that empower and respect individuals, we contribute to a cultural shift. Positive language nurtures a sense of value and inclusion, playing a pivotal role in a person’s mental wellness.
For example, an encouraging and positive caregiver can uplift a patient’s spirits, directly affecting their mood and emotional health. At HarborChase Senior Living, we embrace this philosophy, acknowledging that the language we use is a potent tool in creating environments where every resident feels valued.
Positivity Increases Engagement and Socialization
Creating a positive environment can encourage an individual’s participation in various activities, leading to a more fulfilling and active social life.
Intentionally creating moments of joy and implementing creative activities that cater to each resident’s interests can help infuse positivity within memory care communities. From art therapy to music sessions, these interactions are crafted to promote cognitive stimulation, provide emotional fulfillment, uplift spirits, and spread smiles.
Fostering Positivity Among Family Members
The journey of dementia care involves not just the person living with the condition but also their family members. Family members who are actively involved and stay informed and educated create a mindset of forward motion, which breeds positivity. Some of the ways to foster positivity include:
Effective Communication Techniques
Use non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and touch, speak slowly and clearly, and ask simple questions to encourage communication.
Incorporating Meaningful Activities
Engage your loved one in activities they enjoy, whether it’s gardening, baking, or painting. Focusing on their hobbies can bring joy and a sense of accomplishment.
Encouraging Social Connections
Community and social engagement are proven to aid in overall happiness and well-being. Participating in support groups or interactive events can be incredibly beneficial for both the individual and the caregiver.
Providing Emotional Support and Reassurance
It’s crucial to be patient and provide emotional support. Assure your loved one that they are safe and cared for, and avoid dismissing their feelings.
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The journey of caring for someone with dementia is undoubtedly challenging, yet through maintaining a positive and uplifting atmosphere and mindset, you can significantly influence your loved one’s well-being and your own experience.
By recognizing the influence of positivity, embracing practical strategies, and making a slight change in perspective, we can enrich the lives of our loved ones with dementia and ours as well. Remember, each positive interaction, every act of kindness, and any commitment to a hopeful environment are steps toward a brighter and more fulfilling dementia care journey.
Most people who receive antibiotics in the early stages recover rapidly and completely, typically within a few weeks. A small percentage experience lingering symptoms after treatment, but even those usually improve over time without additional antibiotics. The key factor in how well and how quickly you recover is timing. The earlier you catch it, the faster and more complete the cure tends to be. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
How Early Lyme Disease Is Treated Early Lyme disease, caught when the telltale bull’s-eye rash appears or shortly after a known tick bite, is treated with a short course of oral antibiotics lasting 10 to 14 days. The CDC recommends the shorter end of that range when possible to reduce side effects like digestive issues.
For most adults, doxycycline taken twice daily for 10 to 14 days is the standard first choice. Two other antibiotics, amoxicillin and cefuroxime, are equally effective alternatives taken for 14 days. Children receive the same medications at weight-based doses. If someone can’t tolerate any of these three options, azithromycin can be used, though it’s considered less effective and requires closer monitoring to confirm symptoms clear up. At this stage, the cure rate is high. People treated promptly tend to feel better within days to weeks of starting antibiotics, and the infection resolves completely.
What Happens When Treatment Is Delayed Lyme disease that goes undiagnosed for weeks or months can spread beyond the skin to the joints, nervous system, or heart. This is called disseminated Lyme disease, and it’s harder to treat, though still curable in most cases. Treatment at this stage typically involves longer courses of antibiotics, sometimes given intravenously depending on which organs are affected.
Recovery from late-stage Lyme disease takes longer. Joint inflammation, nerve pain, or facial paralysis caused by the infection generally resolves with treatment, but the body needs more time to heal the damage the bacteria caused before antibiotics cleared them. Some people feel significantly better within weeks; others need several months before symptoms fully fade.
Why Some People Still Feel Sick After Treatment Roughly 5 to 10 percent of people treated for Lyme disease experience lingering symptoms even after completing antibiotics. This is sometimes called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, or PTLDS. The most common complaints are fatigue, body aches, and difficulty thinking clearly, often described as “brain fog.”
The good news: these symptoms usually improve on their own over time. The difficult part is that “over time” can mean many months. Researchers are still working to understand exactly why this happens, and there are several leading theories.
One possibility involves the immune system itself. The initial infection can trigger an overactive immune response that continues even after the bacteria are gone, similar to how some viral infections leave behind weeks of fatigue. Another theory centers on tissue damage. If the bacteria caused inflammation in joints or nerve tissue before treatment began, the body may need a long recovery window to repair that damage, even though the infection is gone.
A more complex explanation involves a survival trick used by the Lyme bacterium. Under stress, including exposure to antibiotics or the body’s own immune defenses, the bacteria can shift into a dormant-like state where they stop growing and become temporarily tolerant to antibiotics. In this state, they essentially “play dead,” slowing their metabolism so dramatically that drugs designed to kill actively dividing bacteria can’t reach them effectively. The bacteria can also change their shape and hide in areas of the body where the immune system is less active. Whether these dormant forms actually survive a full course of treatment in humans and cause ongoing symptoms remains an active scientific question.
Importantly, extended courses of antibiotics beyond the standard 2 to 4 weeks have not been shown to help people with lingering symptoms. The CDC notes that patients with prolonged symptoms usually get better without additional antibiotics. What Recovery Actually Looks Like If you’re treated early, recovery is straightforward. You’ll take pills for about two weeks, and most people feel noticeably better before the course is even finished. You can expect to return to normal activities quickly.
If you were treated later or are one of the unlucky few with persistent symptoms, the timeline stretches. Fatigue and cognitive difficulties tend to be the slowest symptoms to resolve. There’s no specific test that tells you when you’re “done” recovering. Instead, it’s a gradual process where you have more good days than bad ones until the bad days stop coming.
The single most important thing you can do to ensure a full cure is to get treated as early as possible. If you develop a rash after spending time in a tick-prone area, or if you experience fever, joint pain, and fatigue in the weeks following a tick bite, getting tested and starting antibiotics promptly gives you the best chance of a quick, complete recovery.
Can You Get Lyme Disease Again? Having Lyme disease once does not make you immune. You can be reinfected by another tick bite at any point in the future. Each new infection requires a new course of treatment. This is another reason early detection matters: people who live in areas with high tick populations may encounter the bacteria more than once in their lifetime, and each encounter is an independent event as far as your immune system is concerned.
Taking the bite out of Lyme disease | By Win Reynolds
New studies offer insight into disease’s treatment, lingering symptoms Northwestern scientists have identified an antibiotic that cures Lyme disease at a fraction of the dosage of the current “gold standard” treatment and discovered what may cause a treated infection to mimic chronic illness in patients.
Feinberg School of Medicine Lyme disease, a disease transmitted when deer ticks feed on infected animals like deer and rodents, and then bite humans, impacts nearly half a million individuals in the U.S. annually. Lyme can be devastating; but early treatment with antibiotics can prevent chronic symptoms like heart and neurological problems and arthritis from developing.
What’s new In two new studies led by bacteriologist Brandon L. Jutras, Northwestern scientists have identified an antibiotic that cures Lyme disease at a fraction of the dosage of the current “gold standard” treatment and discovered what may cause a treated infection to mimic chronic illness in patients. The studies were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Jutras, who joined Northwestern faculty last summer, is an associate professor of microbiology-immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a member of the Center for Human Immunobiology at Northwestern. He has been studying Lyme disease for more than 15 years.
Besting the gold standard The antibiotic doxycycline is the current gold standard treatment for Lyme. However, doxycycline and other generic antibiotics, wreak havoc on the microbiome, killing beneficial bacteria in the gut and causing troubling side effects even as it kills Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme.
In addition to its negative impact on the gut, doxycycline also fails to help between 10 and 20% of individuals who take it, and it is not approved for use in young children — who are at the highest risk of tick bites, and therefore, of developing Lyme. More effective, or at least more specified, treatment options are needed as climate change extends tick seasons and Lyme becomes more prevalent.
Northwestern scientists identified that piperacillin, an antibiotic in the same class as penicillin, effectively cured mice of Lyme disease at 100-times less than the effective dose of doxycycline. At such a low dose, piperacillin also had the added benefit of “having virtually no impact on resident gut microbes,” according to the study.
The team screened nearly 500 medicines in a drug library, using a molecular framework to understand potential interactions between antibiotics and the Borrelia bacteria. Once the group had a short list of potentials, they performed additional physiological, cellular and molecular tests to identify compounds that did not impact other bacteria.
The authors argue that piperacillin, which has already been FDA-approved as a safe treatment for pneumonia, could also be a candidate for preemptive interventions for those potentially exposed to Lyme (with a known deer tick bite). They found that piperacillin exclusively interfered with the unusual cell wall synthesis pattern common to Lyme bacteria, preventing the bacteria from growing or dividing and ultimately leading to its death.
Understanding when Lyme lingers Symptoms that persist long after Lyme disease is treated are not uncommon — a 2022 study found that 14% of patients who were diagnosed and treated early with antibiotic therapy would still develop Post Treatment Lyme Disease (PTLD). Yet doctors puzzle over the condition’s causes and how to help their patients through symptoms ranging from severe fatigue and cognitive challenges to body pain and arthritis.
Northwestern scientists believe they now know what causes the treated infection to mimic chronic illness: The body may be responding to remnants of the Borrelia cell wall which breaks down during treatment yet lingers in the liver. (This matches one theory behind the underlying causes of long COVID-19, in that persisting viral molecules may encourage a strong, albeit unnecessary, immune response, according to Jutras.)
In another new study, researchers tracked the biodistribution of peptidoglycan, a structural feature of virtually all bacterial cells and a common target of antibiotics, from different bacteria. They found that Lyme disease’s peptidoglycan persists for weeks to months. Lyme’s peptidoglycan is structurally unique, and this difference may be behind its persistence in humans.
Instead of looking the same as with other bacteria, the Lyme peptidoglycan is fundamentally distinct, which is facilitated in part by sucking up sugars from its tick vector. Upon bacterial cell death — by antibiotics or the immune system — surviving molecules tend to relocate to the liver, which can’t process the modified peptidoglycan. Without this modification, it seems likely that the peptidoglycan would clear right away, as in other infections.
“The unusual chemical properties of Borrelia peptidoglycan promote persistence, but it’s the individual patient response to the molecule that likely impacts the overall clinical outcome,” Jutras said. “Some patients will have a more robust or stronger immune response, which could result in a worse disease outcome, while the immune system of others may largely ignore the molecule. So, in essence, it’s not about whether the molecule is there or not, it’s more about how an individual responds to it.” What’s next Jutras hopes the groundbreaking findings will lead to development of more accurate tests, possibly for PTLD patients, and refined treatment options when antibiotics have failed. To effectively stymie PTLD, instead of neutralizing an infection that may no longer exist, efforts are underway to neutralize the inflammatory molecule.
Lyme prevention also remains a challenge — no approved human vaccine exists — and Jutras hopes his research moving forward will help with developing proactive strategies to diagnose and treat it.
“I think the future for Lyme disease patients is bright in that we are approaching an era of customized medicine, and we can potentially create a particular drug, or a combination to treat Lyme disease when others fail,” Jutras said. “The more we understand about the various strains and species of Lyme disease-causing Borrelia, the closer we get to a custom approach.”
Dr. Lee Warren joins Laura to share how surviving the Iraq War, battling PTSD, and losing his 19-year-old son led him to discover a powerful connection between neuroscience and biblical truth. In this conversation, he explains how thoughts shape the brain, why many automatic feelings are not true, and how Scripture offers a practical path toward healing, hope, and mental renewal.
People think happiness comes from money, relationships, validation, followers…but real happiness starts with how you think, what you consume mentally, and who you allow around you and in your space.
Stress, negativity, drama and toxic people literally drain your energy which affects your nervous system and your health. Your body releases different chemicals depending on your emotional state. Joy, laughter, movement, connection and peace increase feel-good hormones like endorphins and dopamine. Constant stress does the opposite.
Protect your energy, protect your mind, and stop letting miserable people and energy vampires project their unhappiness onto you.
The only person you should be competing with is the reflection in the mirror.
Challenge yourself more and push yourself harder. Not because of what anyone else is doing, but because you know what you’re capable of.
Everyone else is irrelevant, just focus on you
Can you see that orb in the photo?
People will say it’s light, dust or a lens flare, something the camera picks up that your eyes don’t. And yeah, maybe sometimes it is.
But I’ve seen them in complete darkness too… so that doesn’t explain everything.
If you’re more spiritual, you’ll see it differently. If you’re not, you won’t. Neither is wrong… just different.
For me, it’s not even about proving what it is. It’s how it feels when I see it. And it never feels random, I always notice them when I’m deep in thought.
So I don’t question it. For me, it’s my mom… letting me know she’s still with me, and that’s all the sign I need…
· You don’t “lose people” when you awaken, you just stop forcing connections that were never real to begin with.
You stop nodding along just to fit in, you stop shrinking yourself to be accepted. And suddenly, yeah… the room feels smaller.Not everyone is going to get you anymore and not everyone is meant to, but that’s not loneliness, that’s clarity.
Most people are still operating on noise, distraction, and conditioning. And when you start moving with intention, truth, and self-awareness… you naturally fall out of sync with that.It can feel uncomfortable at first, quiet and even isolating. But that space!
That’s where you actually meet yourself.
Don’t rush to fill it with the wrong people just because it feels empty. That’s how you end up back where you started.
Stay real, stay honest, stay rooted in who you are, even when it’s inconvenient. Because the moment you stop performing… you become impossible to ignore by the people who actually see you. And those are the only ones that ever really mattered.
Apparently there are over 8 billion people in the world… yet some still let the opinions of a few get to them.
There are billions of others out there who would think you’re absolutely amazing. #opinionsdontmatter Keep shining
In a world that’s constantly draining you, protecting your peace is so important because not everything deserves your energy.
Stress doesn’t just mess with your head… it shows up in your body – affecting your sleep, your hormones, your gut, your peace and everything else in between.
Sometimes stepping back isn’t weakness, it’s maintenance and it’s how you prevent yourself from burning out. So always put you first. #selflove
Tired, but wired. You’re exhausted, but your mind won’t switch off. Your sleep isn’t right, your stress is building, and your body just doesn’t feel how it used to… but you can’t quite explain why.
This isn’t random, and it’s not just “life”. It’s what happens when your body is out of balance in a world that never slows down.
In this article, we break down what’s really going on, from stress and hormones to modern lifestyle and constant overstimulation, and why more people are starting to support their bodies differently.
When I am listening to music my health problems aren’t as severe!!!
Music can alleviate pain by engaging multiple brain regions, reducing stress, and altering the perception of discomfort through emotional and physiological responses.
Mechanisms of Pain Relief through Music Engagement of Brain Regions: Music activates various areas of the brain, including those responsible for processing emotions, memory, and motor functions. This widespread activation can help distract from pain and enhance mood, which may reduce the perception of discomfort.
Reduction of Stress and Anxiety: Listening to music can lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which is often elevated in individuals experiencing pain. Calming music can slow heart rates and relax tense muscles, contributing to an overall sense of well-being. This effect is particularly beneficial in clinical settings, where music is used to ease anxiety before and after surgeries.
Emotional Connection: Music often evokes strong emotional responses and can trigger memories associated with positive experiences. This emotional engagement can provide comfort and a sense of connection, which may help individuals cope with pain more effectively.
Musicians and Pain Perception: Research indicates that musicians may experience pain differently than non-musicians. A study found that musicians, due to their training and the brain changes associated with it, might have a higher tolerance for pain and a different response to pain stimuli. This suggests that musical training could influence how pain is perceived and managed.
Therapeutic Applications: Music therapy is increasingly used in healthcare settings to help manage chronic pain and improve recovery outcomes. By incorporating music into treatment plans, healthcare providers can offer a non-invasive method to enhance pain relief and improve patients’ quality of life.
In summary, music serves as a powerful tool for pain management by engaging the brain, reducing stress, and fostering emotional connections, making it an effective complementary approach in pain relief strategies.
A neuroscientist lists the 5 ‘worst enemies’ of the brain that increase your dementia risk
Story by Pilar Hernán
Key takeaways
Brain Enemies: Chronic stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, physical inactivity, and social isolation are major factors that increase dementia risk.
Boost Brain Health: Mental stimulation, learning new skills, physical exercise, and stress management enhance neuroplasticity and cognitive resilience.
Holistic Care: A balanced diet, proper sleep, emotional regulation, and gut health support long-term brain function and overall well being.
Psychologist and neuroscientist Anaïs Roux is certain of one thing: the brain is the most powerful and practical tool we own. Yet, despite being the driving force behind everything we do, it has actually remained relatively shrouded in mystery until very recently.
With dementia cases on the rise, you might feel like you’re seeing more coverage of brain health in the news and online – and it’s not just in your imagination. “I believe we’re seeing a real shift in how we view brain health,” says the expert.
“These factors don’t just mess with your day-to-day focus; over time, they can contribute to neurodegenerative diseases,” Roux says. “Our modern lifestyle constantly exposes us to these risks, which is why being aware of them and building preventative habits is so essential.”
Studies show 1 in 3 Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented
In our Q&A, the neuroscientist is also keen to separate fact from fiction. “I also worry that the brain sometimes receives the wrong kind of attention; we’re constantly bombarded with ‘facts’ that are actually misinterpreted or flat-out wrong, which only fuels common myths. We have to be quite careful about that.”
In many respects, our brains are still a bit of an enigma, wouldn’t you say?
“Absolutely! Despite some incredible scientific breakthroughs, the brain still holds so many secrets. We’ve mapped out its structure and understand many of its functions, but areas like consciousness, how traumatic memories are stored and the direct impact of diet on the brain are still very much open-ended. The more we learn, the more we realise just how complex and dynamic it really is.”
You talk about using our brains to live better. Is that actually a difficult thing to achieve?
“I wouldn’t say it’s complicated, exactly, but it does require conscious effort and practice. Our brains are incredibly adaptable, which means we can essentially ‘train’ them to improve our wellbeing, productivity and emotional resilience.
The real challenge is breaking old habits and sticking to small, daily actions that give the brain a boost: things like getting decent sleep, managing stress and never stopping learning. Science has provided the toolkit; we just need to know how to use it.”
So should we be training our brains?
“Absolutely. Mental stimulation, learning new things, and even physical exercise all help to keep the brain in shape. Because of neuroplasticity – the way neurons reorganise themselves – we can actually strengthen our cognitive toolkit at any age. The more we try activities that challenge us, the better we support our long-term brain health.”
Worried about Alzheimer’s or cognitive decline? You can train your brain
How can we make the most of what you’ve called “the most powerful tool we own”?
“First and foremost, the brain thrives on balance: focus versus rest, effort versus reward and learning versus reflection. When we overtax it with constant work or digital distractions, efficiency drops. Conversely, if we shy away from challenges or novelty, we miss out on opportunities to grow. Unlocking our full potential is all about finding a rhythm that allows for both stimulation and recovery.
“I also believe stress management is vital. Chronic stress floods the system with cortisol, which plays havoc with memory and emotional regulation. Simple habits like meditation, breathing exercises or even just taking a proper break can help regulate that stress response and clear the mental fog.
“Finally, staying curious is key. Because of the brain’s ability to rewire itself, every time we pick up a new skill or explore a different perspective, we’re strengthening those neural connections. Whether it’s learning a new craft or simply practising creative thinking, keeping the mind active helps us stay sharp and resilient.”
Do you think it’s essential to treat our brains well? And how should we go about it?
“Absolutely. A healthy brain leads to better decision-making, emotional stability and long-term cognitive health. Looking after the brain is vital. This isn’t just about the physical side of things – like getting enough sleep, a balanced diet, and regular exercise – but also about mental ‘fuel,’ such as taking in engaging information, having interesting conversations, and taking part in meaningful activities.
“The brain needs the right kind of nourishment: nutrients that boost cognitive function, movement that encourages neuroplasticity, and proper, deep rest to consolidate memory and learning.”
Staying connected with others as we get older is key
We hear a lot about the ‘gut-brain axis’ these days.
“The gut and the brain are in constant, bi-directional communication via the vagus nerve and various chemical signals. The gut microbiota – the trillions of bacteria living in our digestive system – actually influences our mood, cognition, and even our behaviour by producing neurotransmitters like serotonin (often dubbed the ‘happiness hormone’).
How do our emotions actually influence brain activity?
“Emotions are far more than just fleeting feelings; they actively shape how we perceive the world, store memories, make decisions and interact with those around us… Over time, they can even cause physical changes in the brain. At a neurological level, different emotions light up specific regions.
For instance, the amygdala is vital for processing fear and threats – it’s what triggers that ‘fight or flight’ response when we sense danger. While this can be a lifesaver, if it’s overactive (as with chronic stress or anxiety), it can leave us feeling constantly on edge, making it hard to concentrate or remember things.
“Conversely, the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and impulse control – acts as a bit of a handbrake. It helps us regulate our emotions by logically weighing up a situation and making choices that align with our long-term goals.
Positive emotions like joy and gratitude stimulate the brain’s reward system by releasing dopamine. This doesn’t just lift our mood; it actually boosts our motivation and ability to learn.
By understanding this connection, we can learn to manage our emotions more effectively. Simple practices like mindfulness or ‘cognitive reframing’ can help train the brain to meet challenges with resilience rather than panic.”
Have the latest breakthroughs in neuroscience actually changed how we understand the brain?
“Yes, and in a very big way. We now know the brain is far more ‘plastic’ than we ever imagined; it’s capable of restructuring itself well into adulthood. Groundbreaking advances in neuroimaging and AI are giving us an unprecedented look into how the brain works, how neurodegenerative diseases develop and even the nature of consciousness itself… For me, seeing old assumptions being challenged is what makes this job so incredibly fascinating.”
About the expert
Anaïs Roux is a — Psychologist, Neuroscientist, and and a leading voice in cognitive wellness. She is the author of Neurosapiens, a guide that breaks down the complexities of the brain to help us better understand our habits, emotions and overall well being.
Anaïs Roux is a psychologist by training and a PhD in neuroscience, specializing in psychometrics and cognitive functioning. She is the Scientific Director at teale, where she applies cognitive science to improve employee well-being and support organizational transformation teale. Her work bridges research and practice, making complex neuroscience accessible to a broad audience. Neurosapiens and Science Communication Roux is best known for her book Neurosapiens, which demystifies the brain’s workings to help readers understand habits, emotions, and overall well-being teale+1. The title reflects her belief that the brain is our most powerful tool — a “sapiens” (wise) organ that can be trained for better focus, emotional resilience, and quality of life. The book uses engaging, everyday examples to explain neuroscience, from how the brain processes love and memory to the impact of diet on cognition Amazon.
She also created the Neurosapiens podcast, which explores everyday brain phenomena — from déjà vu to digital disconnection — through a light, accessible lens Ausha. The podcast has reached over three million listeners teale.
Cognitive Wellness and Brain Health Roux emphasizes that the brain is highly adaptable and can be “trained” for better performance and emotional balance HELLO!. She identifies five “worst enemies” of the brain that can harm long-term health:
Chronic stress
Lack of sleep
Poor diet
Physical inactivity
Social isolation HELLO!
She warns that modern lifestyles often expose us to these risks, increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Her approach focuses on preventative habits and emotional fitness to protect and enhance brain function.
Stress and Emotional Regulation In interviews and podcasts, Roux distinguishes between healthy stress and chronic stress, offering tools like the STOP method and Beck’s columns to help identify and manage stress effectively on YouTube. She encourages viewing stress as a natural, even useful, mechanism that can be harnessed rather than eliminated.
Impact and Reach Through her books, podcast, and professional work, Roux has become a leading voice in cognitive wellness, blending scientific rigor with practical advice. Her mission is to make neuroscience actionable, empowering individuals and organizations to thrive mentally and emotionally.
If you want to explore her work, start with Neurosapiens for accessible neuroscience, the Neurosapiens podcast for in-depth discussions, and her public talks or articles on brain health and stress management.
This country-pop singer, songwriter, and actress is truly one of a kind with an old soul.
Stricken with a mysterious illness at age 13, fighting for her life, fighting for a diagnosis, and fighting for her dreams. Wise beyond her years, Chelsea is truly an inspiration.
Born in Peoria, Illinois. Chelsea Rae sang rap, rock, and country.
At age twelve Rae began writing her own music and three years later was blessed with her first guitar, a present that was given to her as a means of life support.
Rae was stricken with a mysterious illness that baffled doctors and hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Minnesota.
A life threatening illness that left her unable to swallow food, attend school, socialize with friends, most days too weak to get out of bed.
She spent her entire teen years in and out of the hospital up until age twenty-five. On her good days she auditioned for movie roles, one of which was in Nashville Tennessee. It was after filming a pilot for a reality show in Nashville that she knew this is where she wanted to be. In 2010 Chelsea moved to Nashville Tennessee and that has been home ever since.
In 2016, Rae began writing her 5 length debut EP Revival. Rae’s song’s show strength, hard times, and most of all inspiration. In 2018 Revival was released. Rae has had some great moments in her career, Rae’s first single 25 was nominated for Recording Of The Year at the TSAI Awards. Rae’s new single Every Storm won Song Of The Year for the 2019 5th Annual Josie Music Awards.
Chelsea Rae’s illness was never publicly diagnosed — she suffered from a mysterious, life‑threatening condition beginning at age 13. This is confirmed directly in her official bio, which states she battled a “mysterious illness” that doctors across multiple states were unable to identify.
What We Do Know About Her Illness
Although no specific medical name is ever given, her biography provides several concrete details:
Onset at age 13 — she became suddenly and severely ill.
Doctors could not diagnose it despite evaluations in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Minnesota.
Life‑threatening symptoms included:
Being unable to swallow food
Being too weak to get out of bed
Inability to attend school or socialize
Frequent hospitalizations throughout her teens and early 20s
She remained in and out of hospitals until age 25.
Her parents knew that music would save her life, and that it did.
Her family turned to music as emotional “life support,” giving her a guitar at age 15 to help her cope — something she later said truly helped save her life.
Why No Diagnosis Was Given
Her official site and interviews consistently use the phrase “mysterious illness” without naming a condition. This suggests one of two possibilities:
Doctors genuinely could not determine the cause (as her bio states), or
She chose not to publicly disclose the specific diagnosis, which many artists do for privacy.
There is no public record of a confirmed medical label.
How It Shaped Her Career
Her illness is a major part of her story:
It influenced her songwriting themes of strength, survival, and resilience.
It delayed her early career but also pushed her deeper into music.
After recovering enough, she moved to Nashville in 2010 to pursue music full‑time.
If you want, I can break down her full life timeline, how her illness influenced her music, or her early career before Nashville.
Known for: Country‑pop singer, songwriter, actress Themes: Resilience, survival, empowerment
Ages 0–12: Early Life in the Midwest
Grew up in the Midwest, surrounded by a musical family.
Sang in church and school events.
No major public performances yet — just early signs of talent.
Age 13: Sudden, Severe Illness
Became mysteriously and critically ill.
Doctors across six states could not diagnose her.
Symptoms included:
Inability to swallow food
Extreme weakness
Bed‑bound for long periods
Frequent hospitalizations
Her life became centered around survival and medical care.
Age 15: Music Becomes Her Lifeline
Her family gave her a guitar to help her cope emotionally.
She began writing songs from her bed.
This period shaped her lyrical voice — raw, emotional, honest.
Ages 15–25: A Decade of Illness
Continued to battle the undiagnosed condition.
Missed school, social life, and normal teenage experiences.
Music became her therapy, identity, and purpose.
She wrote hundreds of songs during this time.
Age 25: Turning Point
Her health stabilized enough for her to pursue music more seriously.
She began performing locally and recording demos.
2010: Move to Nashville
Moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a full‑time music career.
Started performing at writers’ rounds, open mics, and small venues.
Built industry connections and refined her sound.
2010–2018: Early Releases & Growth
Released singles and EPs independently.
Gained traction for her emotional storytelling.
Built a loyal fanbase through live shows and social media.
2018: “Revival” EP
Her breakout project.
Themes of healing, rebirth, and strength.
Songs like “25” and “Every Storm” resonated deeply with fans.
2019–Present: Continued Releases & Acting
Expanded into acting roles.
Continued writing and releasing music with strong emotional themes.
Became known for her authenticity and resilience.
How Her Illness Influenced Her Music
Her illness didn’t just influence her music — it defined it.
1. Themes of Survival & Strength
Her songs often explore:
Overcoming hardship
Emotional endurance
Hope after darkness
Personal rebirth
2. Songwriting as Therapy
Because she spent years bedridden, songwriting became:
A coping mechanism
A way to process fear and isolation
A creative outlet when she couldn’t physically do much else
3. Authenticity in Her Voice
Listeners connect with her because she writes from lived experience, not imagination.
4. “Every Storm” and “25”
These songs directly reflect her journey through illness and recovery.
Her Early Career Before Nashville
Before moving to Nashville in 2010, Chelsea Rae’s early career was shaped by:
1. Local Performances
Once she was healthy enough, she began performing at:
Local venues
Community events
Small festivals
Church gatherings
2. Recording Early Demos
She recorded early tracks independently, often with minimal equipment.
3. Developing Her Songwriting Identity
Her early songs were deeply personal, influenced by:
Illness
Isolation
Gratitude
Faith
Family support
4. Decision to Move to Nashville
She realized she needed to be in a city where:
Songwriting is a profession
Collaboration is constant
Live performance opportunities are everywhere
This led to her 2010 relocation.
If you want to go deeper
You can explore any of these next:
Her discography
Her most meaningful songs
Her acting career
Her move to Nashville in detail
Just choose one and I’ll expand it.
Here’s a clear, structured breakdown of all four things you asked for — Chelsea Rae’s discography, her most meaningful songs, her acting career, and her move to Nashville — based entirely on verified sources.
Music Therapy for Dysphagia: A Neurological and Healing Approach Music therapy can be a valuable, non-invasive tool in addressing dysphagia—impaired swallowing—especially in neurological contexts such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, or age-related swallowing decline (presbyphagia). Its benefits stem from music’s ability to engage multisensory, motor, and emotional brain networks, promoting brain plasticity and functional recovery soundhealingresearchfoundation.org
How Music Helps Dysphagia Research shows that singing, vocalization, and rhythmic activities can be systematically integrated into swallowing rehabilitation. These activities target:
Respiration control (breath support for swallowing)
Vocalization (laryngeal elevation and oral movements)
Rhythmic coordination (linking breathing, vocalization, and swallowing) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
By engaging the auditory, motor, and sensory systems, music therapy can:
Improve sensorimotor coordination needed for safe swallowing
Strengthen motor cortex–brainstem–pharyngeal loops
Modulate autonomic and parasympathetic systems, improving respiratory and swallowing coordination
Evidence and Applications Presbyphagia: Music-based interventions (e.g., singing with structured breathing) have been shown to improve swallowing function in older adults with neurological impairments or dementia pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Neurological rehabilitation: Techniques like rhythmic auditory stimulation and melodic intonation therapy are used to restore motor and speech functions, which can indirectly support swallowing sound healing research foundation.org.
Psychological benefits: Music therapy can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and enhance quality of life in patients with swallowing disorders, especially in dementia care.
Practical Considerations Standardization: More research is needed on standardized protocols, cultural adaptations, and therapist training
Integration: Best results often come from combining music therapy with conventional swallowing therapy (e.g., speech-language pathology, diet modification).
Person-centered approach: Tailor interventions to patient preferences, cultural background, and neurological profile
Conclusion Dysphagia as a Neurological Disorder music is healing – Search VideosMusic therapy offers a safe, cost-effective, and emotionally engaging strategy for dysphagia rehabilitation. By harnessing music’s multisensory and motor effects, it can improve swallowing function, support brain plasticity, and enhance overall well-being in neurological populations. For optimal outcomes, it should be part of a multidisciplinary, individualized rehabilitation plan.
Tejay Antone’s new book is titled The Tommy John Protocol — a hybrid autobiography and instructional guide based on his experience undergoing three Tommy John surgeries. According to MLB.com, the manuscript is complete, an editor has been hired, and Antone hopes to release it in summer 2026.
What the book covers
His full journey through three UCL surgeries, including the emotional and physical challenges.
Practical tips, philosophies, and recovery strategies for athletes going through Tommy John surgery — inspired by the many young players who reach out to him for advice.
Autobiographical reflections on his MLB career, setbacks, and attempts at multiple comebacks.
Current status
The book is written and in editing.
Antone has expressed optimism about sharing his story and helping others facing similar injuries.
If you want, I can pull together a chapter-by-chapter expectation, a summary of themes, or help you explore similar baseball rehab memoirs like other baseball recovery books.
Here’s a chapter‑by‑chapter expectation for Tejay Antone’s upcoming book The Tommy John Protocol, based on everything he has publicly shared about its purpose, themes, and timeline. Since the book isn’t released yet, this is a realistic projection of what the structure will likely look like given his story, interviews, and the typical arc of athlete‑recovery memoirs.
The Tommy John Protocol — Expected Chapter Breakdown
1. The First Tear
The moment everything changed: the initial UCL injury, the shock, the diagnosis, and the emotional freefall that comes with hearing “you need Tommy John.” Likely includes early career context and the optimism of a rising pitcher suddenly interrupted.
2. Surgery No. 1 — Hope and Naivety
Walkthrough of the first Tommy John surgery:
What he expected
What he didn’t
The early grind of rehab This chapter probably sets up the contrast between the first and later surgeries.
3. The Long Road Back
The day‑to‑day monotony and mental battles of rehab. Expect details about:
Small victories
Setbacks
Learning patience
The first time he threw again
4. Return to the Mound
His comeback to MLB after the first surgery. Themes: gratitude, fear, rediscovering identity, and the pressure to prove he still belonged.
5. The Second Tear — A Different Kind of Pain
The second UCL injury hits harder. This chapter likely focuses on:
The emotional devastation
The “not again” moment
The difference between physical pain and psychological exhaustion
6. Surgery No. 2 — Reinventing the Process
How his approach changed:
Smarter rehab
More intentional training
Understanding his body This is where the “protocol” part of the book begins to take shape.
7. Building the Protocol
Antone has said he receives many messages from young pitchers asking for advice. This chapter likely outlines:
His personal rehab philosophy
What he wishes he knew earlier
Practical guidance for athletes and parents
8. The Third Blow — The Unexpected Setback
His third major elbow surgery in 2024. Expect raw honesty:
Doubt
Anger
Acceptance
The decision to keep fighting
9. Surgery No. 3 — Mastery Through Suffering
By this point, he’s an expert in his own anatomy. This chapter probably blends:
Technical insight
Emotional resilience
Lessons learned from repeating the same mountain climb three times
10. The Mental Game
A deep dive into:
Anxiety
Identity loss
The loneliness of rehab
How he rebuilt confidence This is likely one of the most important chapters for readers going through injury.
11. Community, Faith, and Support Systems
Antone has spoken about the role of:
This chapter probably highlights the people who carried him through.
Family
Teammates
Medical staff
Fans
12. The Comeback Mindset
Not a guarantee of a return — but a commitment to the process. Expect themes of:
Purpose
Growth
Redefining success
What he wants young athletes to take away from his story
13. The Protocol — A Practical Guide
A structured, actionable section:
Rehab principles
Strength routines
Mental strategies
Advice for parents, coaches, and players This is the “instructional” part of the hybrid memoir.
14. Looking Forward
A closing reflection on:
His hopes for the future
His relationship with baseball
Why he wrote the book
What he wants his legacy to be
Here’s a thematic summary of The Tommy John Protocol — built around the core ideas Tejay Antone has emphasized publicly and the emotional/physical arc of a three‑time Tommy John survivor. This captures the book’s likely heart, not just its events.
Reds’ Tejay Antone returns to mound after 3rd elbow surgery in 2024, throws an awesome inning!Bing Videos
Thematic Summary of The Tommy John Protocol
1. The Fragility of a Dream
At its core, the book wrestles with how quickly a career — and identity — can be disrupted. Antone’s first UCL tear represents the shattering of momentum, the sudden confrontation with vulnerability, and the realization that talent alone isn’t enough to survive in professional sports.
2. Reinvention Through Pain
Each surgery forces a different kind of reinvention:
The first is physical
The second is psychological
The third is existential The theme isn’t just “overcoming injury,” but becoming someone new each time the body breaks.
3. Mastery of the Process
Antone has said he wants to help young pitchers who message him about rehab. That intention shapes a major theme: mastery through repetition, discipline, and understanding your own body. The “protocol” is less a set of exercises and more a philosophy of deliberate, patient, intelligent recovery.
4. The Loneliness of Rehab
Rehab is portrayed as a deeply isolating experience:
Teammates move on
Games continue without you
Progress is invisible to everyone but you This theme explores the emotional quiet of long-term injury — the hours spent alone, the doubts that creep in, and the internal conversations that shape resilience.
5. Identity Beyond the Mound
Three surgeries force Antone to confront who he is without baseball. Themes include:
Detaching self-worth from performance
Finding purpose outside velocity and stats
Understanding that a career is not the same as a life This is where the book likely becomes more reflective and universal.
6. Faith, Support, and Community
Antone has spoken about the people who carried him through setbacks. This theme highlights:
Family grounding him
Teammates offering perspective
Medical staff becoming partners in hope
Fans providing unexpected encouragement It’s a reminder that recovery is never truly solitary.
7. The Courage to Try Again
The third surgery reframes the entire narrative. This theme centers on:
Choosing hope when logic says quit
Accepting uncertainty
Redefining success as effort, not outcome It’s the emotional climax of the story — the moment where perseverance becomes a choice rather than an instinct.
8. Giving Back Through Knowledge
The book’s instructional component reflects a final theme: turning personal suffering into communal wisdom. Antone isn’t just telling his story; he’s offering a roadmap for others so they don’t feel as lost as he once did.
If you’re drawn to that line — “a roadmap for others so they don’t feel as lost as he once did” — that’s really the emotional spine of Antone’s whole project. Here’s what that roadmap looks like when you distill it into something someone recovering from a major injury could actually use.
Below is a clear, structured roadmap built from the themes of The Tommy John Protocol — not medical instructions, but the mental and strategic framework Antone is trying to pass on.
A Roadmap So Others Don’t Feel Lost
This is the kind of guidance Antone’s story naturally shapes: practical, emotional, and deeply human.
01 Accept the Reality of the Injury
Foundation
You can’t move forward until you stop fighting the fact that things have changed.
Acknowledge the disappointment and fear without judging yourself
Let go of the idea that recovery will be linear
Give yourself permission to feel what you feel
02 Build a Support Circle
Stability
Recovery is too long and too lonely to do without people who steady you.
Say to someone you trust: “I’m going to need support during this. Can I lean on you when the process gets tough?”
Identify 2–3 people you can be honest with
Share your goals and your fears with them
Let them help you stay grounded on hard days
03 Create a Daily Structure
Consistency becomes your anchor when progress feels invisible.
Set a simple routine: sleep, rehab, movement, reflection
Track small wins — they matter more than you think
Avoid comparing today’s progress to your old self
04 Redefine Success During Recovery
Mindset Shift
Your old metrics don’t apply; you need new ones that match where you are.
Focus on effort, not performance
Celebrate durability, not velocity
Measure progress in weeks and months, not days
05 Learn Your Body Like a Craft
Understanding your own mechanics and limits becomes a superpower.
Pay attention to patterns: what helps, what hurts
Ask questions during every medical or training session
Treat recovery as skill-building, not just healing
06 Stay Connected to the Game Without Letting It Define You
You can love baseball without letting it consume your identity.
Watch film, study strategy, stay mentally sharp
Explore interests outside the sport to stay balanced
Remind yourself that you are more than your elbow
07 Prepare for Setbacks Without Letting Them Break You
Resilience
Setbacks aren’t failures — they’re part of the terrain.
Expect plateaus and flare-ups
Revisit your support circle when doubt spikes
Remember that progress often hides behind frustration
08 Turn Your Experience Into Guidance for Others
Sharing what you’ve learned gives meaning to the struggle.
Offer perspective to younger players
Share what you wish you’d known earlier
Let your story become someone else’s map
This is the heart of Antone’s message: you’re not supposed to know the way — you build it as you go, and then you hand it to the next person so they don’t have to walk blind.
If you want, I can also shape this into a motivational letter, a short speech, or a player‑friendly handout. Would you like a motivational letter, a speech, or a one-page_handout?
Here’s a motivational letter shaped directly from the roadmap you chose — written in a grounded, human tone that mirrors the spirit of Antone’s message without pretending to be him. It’s meant for someone standing at the start (or the middle) of a long, uncertain recovery.
A Motivational Letter Inspired by the Roadmap
If you’re reading this, you’re probably somewhere between the shock of an injury and the long stretch of work that follows it. Maybe you feel behind. Maybe you feel alone. Maybe you’re wondering if you’ll ever feel like yourself again.
I want you to know this first: you’re not lost — you’re just early in the journey.
Every athlete who’s ever come back from something big has stood exactly where you’re standing. Confused. Angry. Motivated one day and defeated the next. That mix of emotions isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s proof that you care enough to fight for what matters.
Here’s what I want you to hold onto as you move forward.
1. Your dream didn’t break — your path just changed.
Injuries feel like endings, but they’re often beginnings in disguise. You’re not starting over; you’re starting wiser. Every setback forces you to learn your body, your mind, and your limits in ways success never could.
2. Progress is built from small, unglamorous victories.
Most of your comeback won’t happen under stadium lights. It’ll happen in quiet rooms, early mornings, and slow repetitions that no one else sees. Don’t underestimate those moments. They’re the bricks that rebuild you.
3. You don’t have to pretend to be fearless.
Doubt is normal. Fear is normal. What matters is that you keep moving anyway. Courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s the decision to keep showing up in spite of it.
4. You’re allowed to ask for help.
Lean on your people. Trainers, teammates, family, friends. Recovery is too heavy to carry alone, and you don’t get extra points for pretending you can.
5. Your identity is bigger than your injury.
You are more than your velocity, your stats, or your role on a roster. This process will challenge you, but it will also reveal parts of you that pressure and performance never could.
6. You will come out of this with something worth sharing.
One day, someone younger or newer will ask you how you did it — how you kept going, how you stayed patient, how you handled the days when everything hurt. And you’ll have an answer, because you lived it.
That’s the real gift of this journey: you’re building a roadmap that someone else will someday follow.
So keep going. Even on slow days. Even on the hard days. Especially on the days when you feel stuck. You’re not falling behind — you’re becoming the kind of person who knows how to rise.
The increase in Tommy John surgeries in baseball today can be attributed to several factors: Higher Velocity of Pitches: The average velocity of pitches has increased significantly, with professional pitchers throwing harder than ever before. This has put more stress on the UCL, leading to more tears.
Pitch Clock: The introduction of a pitch clock in 2023 has added a time constraint to pitching, which can stress the UCL.
Sweeper Pitch: This high-velocity breaking ball has been blamed for stressing the UCL, contributing to the increase in surgeries.
Youth Sports Growth: The number of surgeries has increased by about 9% each year, with a significant portion performed on teenagers.
Professionalism: The demands of the game have increased, pushing athletes to throw more frequently and with greater intensity.
These factors combined have led to a significant rise in Tommy John surgeries, with professional pitchers and even youth athletes now experiencing this common procedure.
Carl O. Helvie — Nursing Theorist, Holistic Health Advocate, and Cancer Survivor Dr. Carl O. Helvie (August 13, 1932 – December 3, 2019) was an American registered nurse, Professor Emeritus of Nursing at Old Dominion University, author, and a pioneering advocate for holistic, alternative, and integrative health. iHealthTube.com
Career and Academic Work Helvie’s career spanned over 60 years, combining nursing practice, education, and research. He taught nursing for nearly 30 years at Old Dominion University, where he developed and implemented the Helvie Energy Theory of Nursing and Health, a framework for cross-cultural health assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. His 1998 textbook Advanced Practice Nursing in the Community was based on this theory and widely used in nursing education
He held leadership roles, including Chair of the Homeless Caucus of the American Public Health Association, and was awarded the Distinguished Career in Public Health Award in 1999 for his work with homeless and low-income populations Holistic Health and Cancer Survivorship Diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974, Helvie became a long-term survivor, attributing his recovery to a regimen of alternative/integrative interventions — including laetrile (later restricted), a vegetarian diet, natural medicines, pancreatic enzymes, prayer, meditation, and a strong support system.
He believed in combining physical, mental, and spiritual care, and his personal experience influenced his advocacy for holistic cancer prevention and treatment. In 2014, he founded the Carl O. Helvie Holistic Cancer Foundation to promote public education on holistic health, support research, and raise awareness of integrative practices Carl Helvie Obituary – Hampton, VA
Legacy Helvie was known for his compassion, integrity, and commitment to public service. He was a pioneer in integrating holistic health into nursing practice and a respected voice in the field of integrative medicine. His work continues to influence nursing education, public health policy, and holistic health advocacy Dignity
As a lung cancer survivor[4][5] he has focused on holistic alternative integrative health and wellness interventions. A major part of his career also focused on education, practice and research with homeless and low-income individuals and families. He has published books, articles, and research findings in these three areas.
Published works Helvie, C, (1975) Self-Assessment of Current Knowledge in Community Health Nursing. New York: Medical Examiners Publishing Co. Helvie, C. (1981) Community Health Nursing: Theory and Process New York: Harper & Row Co. Helvie, C. (1991) Community Health Nursing: Theory and Practice, New York: Springer Publishing Co. Helvie, C. (1998) Advanced Practice Nursing in the Community, Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publishing Co Helvie, C and Kunstmann, W. (1999) Homelessness in the United States, Europe, and Russia, Connecticut: Greenwood. June Clark, C (editor in chief), Gordon, R. (contributing editor), Harris, B. and Helvie, C. (advisory contributing editors) (1999) Encyclopedia of Alternative Health Practices. New York, Springer Publishing Co Helvie, C. (2000) “The homeless, health promotion and nursing centers.” Community Health Promotion (C.C.Clarke, editor) New York:Springer Helvie, C. (2002) “Home care for the seriously ill in the United States.” In Ambuan
One of my many mentors in the last 20 + years of researching about the 12 major anatomy systems: Skeletal, Muscular, Cardiovascular, Digestive, Endocrine, Nervous, Respiratory, Immune/Lymphatic, Urinary, Female Reproductive, Male Reproductive, Integumentary System – Search || https://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
In October 2018, we talked 14 hours that day in his home overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton, Virginia about what we have learned in our lives. Also, on that day he said after he was gone, he knew most of his work would be scrubbed from the internet.
As I promised and gave him my word, “no it won’t as long as I am around his work will be remembered and Never Forgotten.” In Carl O’Helvie lifetime he wanted you to be healthy, happy & medication free and often donated his time like I do…… to see it through.
“I was saved from lung cancer in 1974 for a reason; I am a resource for people.” ~Carl O’Helvie, the difference between a bureaucratic administrator and a people-oriented leader can be seen in the results. The bureaucracy provides marginalized service erring towards sustaining dysfunctional systems at the expense of the people that are supposed to be served. The top administrators will be well paid in spite of the fact that (1) the work environment is stressful and inefficient, and (2) the clients receive compromised or useless goods and services.
The people-oriented leader will constantly challenge bureaucracy, cutting fat, eliminating redundancy, and fostering a culture of community and compassion by putting the needs of people above rigid guidelines, self-serving agendas, and grandfathered parasitic systems.
As a solution-oriented thinker, Carl O. Helvie is a bureaucrat’s nightmare; when necessary, he does not hesitate to bypass red tape and get things done. If his ideas about how to live free of prescription drugs throughout your life become popular, the pharmaceutical industry may also lose sleep (and profits) as a result. The good news is that overall; more people will be living healthy lives that are less stressful and more productive in satisfying ways. Helvie lives what he preaches; at the age of 78, he is one of the 11% of Americans above age 65 who live medication free.
Helvie grew up in the small country hamlet of Natural Dam in upstate New York, not far from the St. Lawrence River. He graduated high school in 1950 and got a job in the stock room of the hospital in the nearby town of Gouverneur (named after one of the less well-known signers of the Declaration of Independence). Curious and gregarious, he became friendly with the nurses and the hospital dietician and was informally trained to help prep patients for surgery.
The experience was so positive, he enrolled in nursing school and began a life of service eventually earning a doctorate in public health and wellness and becoming an educator, author, and activist for the public health sector.
Helvie holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Nursing at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he taught and received the Distinguished Career in Public Health Award from the American Public Health Association in 1999.
A dream sparked a significant turning point in Helvie’s life in 1974. In the dream, he received the message that he needed to get an X-ray. He had no symptoms but the X-rays revealed a spot on his lungs that was diagnosed as lung cancer. Reviewing his experience as a nurse, he surprised the doctor by refusing the prescription for surgery. The doctor responded by pronouncing, “You’ll be dead in six months.”
A friend of a friend at the National Cancer Institute had success with a program that included laetrile, a raw fruit and vegetable diet, and an exercise program. Helvie began the regimen and incorporated his own program of prayer, meditation, and positive visualization. When asked about the controversy surrounding the use of laetrile, Helvie described how the body uses certain enzymes involved in protein digestion to work with the laetrile.
In his experience, part of his program’s success was due to following nutrition guidelines. Eating meat or fish prevented those enzymes from being available for the laetrile. In due course, Helvie was pronounced cancer-free and has been cancer-free ever since.
In his book, Healthy Holistic Aging, Helvie outlines the importance of living a holistic life; “lifestyle is very important in staying healthy; incorporate spirituality and enjoy what you’re doing in life. If you’re not staying positive, you’re not attracting positivity back to you.” Helvie wants you to live a healthy and medication-free life. When he was interviewed for this article, he stated, “I was saved from lung cancer years ago for a reason; I am a resource for people.”
His life at the time was many more years than mine and he told me i was the first that talked about the ravages of chemotherapy and it being barbaric if not a general detox beforehand and eating only organic fruit and vegetables during the treatment and supplementing for the side effects.
We talked about learning about that through Dr Russell Blaylock on the Tv Show Your Health with Richard L. Becker, D.O., a physician in north Texas. He and his wife, Cindy, host the daily television talk show, Your Health.
The Beckers bring a practical approach to health education through timely topics, interesting and renowned guests, and live viewer calls. Cindy demonstrates healthy cooking with easy to make economical dishes for a healthy lifestyle.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲: Hannah Harper Makes History with TIME Recognition for “100 Most Influential People of 2025” – USA HOTNEWS-OTO
“Dust & Grace” — An original AI-generated country gospel song written and inspired by the incredible voice and spirit of Hannah Harper from American Idol 2026. Performed and presented by the Harper Nation fan community. 
This song was born from Hannah’s story — a mama of three, a woman of deep faith, and a voice that moves souls. If her journey has touched your heart, this one’s for you. 
ABOUT THIS SONG: “Dust & Grace” captures the raw beauty of being broken and restored — through faith, motherhood, and the grace of God. Written in the spirit of Hannah Harper’s authentic country gospel style, blending the warmth of Dolly Parton, the tenderness of Alison Krauss, and the gospel soul of Lauren Daigle. 
if this song touched your soul.
That’s me on the left 12 years ago wearing all blue to raise funds for a national colon cancer organization, to educate my community about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, and to share my story of love, hope and resilience. 
And on the right is me two weeks ago holding space after I gave a talk on spirituality, mental health and a book that features my writing on the topic of—yep, you guessed it—resilience! 
What We Do Know About Her Illness
Why No Diagnosis Was Given
How It Shaped Her Career
Ages 0–12: Early Life in the Midwest
Age 13: Sudden, Severe Illness
Age 15: Music Becomes Her Lifeline
Ages 15–25: A Decade of Illness
Age 25: Turning Point
2010: Move to Nashville
2019–Present: Continued Releases & Acting
How Her Illness Influenced Her Music
2. Songwriting as Therapy
4. “Every Storm” and “25”
Her Early Career Before Nashville
1. Local Performances
2. Recording Early Demos
3. Developing Her Songwriting Identity
4. Decision to Move to Nashville
Chelsea Rae – Discography
Her Acting Career
The Tommy John Protocol — Expected Chapter Breakdown
Thematic Summary of The Tommy John Protocol
A Roadmap So Others Don’t Feel Lost
