Michigan woman’s face split open to remove cancerous tumor

Mary Ann Jarrett didn’t hear her voice for three months. Or eat solid food for two. But she was alive — which she says is the most important thing after she had her tongue sliced in half and her face split open to remove a cancerous tumor. More

An aortic tear is often a death sentence

Dear Dr. Roach: I wrote to you previously about my wife’s death from an aortic dissection. She was in the hospital for a urinary tract infection and was being examined by a resident doctor so she could be released within 12 hours. More

Asthma meds tied to high blood pressure?

Dear Dr. Roach: I use Advair every day, two times a day, and I now have high blood pressure. I have heard there is a connection between the two. More

Report: Kids need to be more active

Washington — Reading, writing, arithmetic — and PE? More

Cirrhosis of the liver cannot be reversed

Dear Dr. Roach: Could you please explain why alcoholics get distended abdomens, and would the disorder reverse itself if someone quit drinking? More

Body's testosterone serves a legitimate need

Dear Dr. Roach: Could you help explain the preponderance of testosterone-enhancing drugs that I see advertised lately for More

Balance meds with the quality of life

Dear Dr. Roach: Several years ago my husband received a stent for a 99 percent blockage. What had kept him alive was a network of collateral arteries, thanks to a lifelong high level of exercise. More

Measles surges in UK years after vaccine scare

London — More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of a vaccine scare that raised the specter of autism. Now, health officials are scrambling to catch up and stop a growing epidemic of the contagious disease. More

New state law requires one form for authorization of medicine

Lansing — A new Michigan law calls for the creation of a universal form doctors can use when patients need prior authorization for coverage of prescription drugs. More

ARDS is a breathtaking illness that can be fatal

Dear Dr. Roach: My son-in-law, age 48, suffered for a week with what he thought was the flu. Then he started having trouble catching his breath. He went to the emergency room and was admitted with what was diagnosed as double pneumonia. He was put on oxygen so that he could breathe. More

Calcium supplements are not necessary for all women

Dear Dr. Roach: I have been taking 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium daily for a long time now — more than 12 years. I am 46. More

Delusions are real for the sufferer

Dear Dr. Roach: I am writing on behalf of my mother. For the past 17 months she has been experiencing what she feels are parasites coming out of her skin. She has seen multiple doctors, including skin doctors. More

Preemies get a boost from live music therapy

Chicago — As the guitarist strums and softly sings a lullaby in Spanish, tiny Augustin Morales stops squirming in his hospital crib and closes his eyes. More