WELLNESS & WELL-BEING
Nobody’s
Immune
By Vi c k i Fr e n c h B e n n i n g t o n
F
or some reason, people tend to think of celebrities as
somewhat larger than life, and perhaps, super human.
That might also include the kind of thinking that makes
them seem immune to the kind of diseases and health
maladies that the rest of the population faces.
But deep down, we know that’s not true.
Take Sharon Stone, for instance.
The picture of health outwardly, Stone was training for a 3-mile
charity run when she was just 43 years old, and suffered a stroke.
It is believed that she suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which
is bleeding in the membrane between the brain and the skull. It was
diagnosed as a vertebral artery dissection. Subsequent research has
Sharon Stone looking healthy
with her son at this year’s
Golden Globe Awards. Now
60, Stone suffered a stroke
when she was just 43.
Brooke
Shields
had a skin
cancer scare
when her
doctor found
precancerous cells
on her face.
shown a large increase in 40-somethings, who are normally somewhat
inactive, but suddenly begin to do strenuous exercise, and then have a
stroke. Though not confirmed that's what happened with Stone, there
was some speculation that it is possible.
The study suggests that younger people who do the same thing,
have more “supple” blood vessels than those who have entered middle
age. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise after 40. It means that you
need to pay more attention to your age and suggested, age-appropriate
workouts, or ease into a routine, especially if you haven't been exercising
for awhile. Of course, talk to your doctor before starting a program.
And because skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, there
have been some heavy hitters who have been touched by that, too.
Reggae musician Bob Marley died at just 36 from malignant melanoma
after ignoring his doctor’s advice to remove a toe where the initial
cancer was diagnosed. Brooke Shields discovered she had precancerous
skin cells on her face while visiting a dermatologist, even though she
had not tanned or even used tanning beds for years. Hugh Jackman
has had skin cancer surgeries; Ewan McGregor had a cancerous mole
removed near his right eye. Football star Troy Aikman had a suspicious
mole removed from his shoulder. Even President Bill Clinton had a
basal cell skin cancer removed from his back. The important thing is
to catch it early.
SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY
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