For many, the holidays are the happiest time of the year. But there are years when they can be the saddest, too. For some people, like my friend who lost his wife this year, they are bittersweet. While he's happy to see his children return home from afar, he expects it will be painful getting through the first Christmas without his partner of many years. For almost anyone who has lost someone, even if long ago, the holidays can magnify feelings of loneliness or evoke memories that add to the grief. A patient I spoke with just this week said she'd lost both of her parents during the holidays over the past two years. She is wondering how she'll get through this season, and if her melancholy will ruin the planned festivities for her children.
We make it our mission to cover difficult subjects in Neurology Now. For example, in the October/November 2017 issue, we discussed having a contingency plan in case a caregiver dies. In this issue, our story "Begin Again" examines what happens when someone you've long been caring for passes away. For many, it's a double tragedy: losing a spouse or family member and a sense of purpose. As I've seen in my practice, tragedy can even affect physical wellness, since surviving caregivers are vulnerable to health problems in the weeks following a funeral. My favorite part of the story is how one woman handled the loss of her husband, who had been a doctor, by having family members dress up in his lab coats.
Another story in this issue, "Helping Hands," describes an unusual kind of caregiver; it's sure to bring a smile to your face. (Here's a hint: Animal lovers will yearn for such a companion.) Our "Weight Watch" feature on the ways neurologic conditions can be associated with weight gain or weight loss, sometimes related to the medications needed to treat them, provides expert tips on how to work with your neurologist if you notice your weight fluctuating.
We are fortunate to be able to provide this kind of expert insight from the members of the American Academy of Neurology through our "Ask the Expert" column, as well as from our editorial board members, who review each issue. But at Neurology Now, we also understand that those of you with neurologic conditions have unique expertise as well. We wouldn't have columns like "Pictures of You" or "Speak Up" or pages of letters without wonderful readers like you.
Starting in 2018, we will be sharing more of your stories in a new online feature called "Strong Voices." For now, you can take a sneak peek by reading "7 Things You Can Ask Me About My Disease" and "3 Ways to Manage Fatigue." There are several other very exciting surprises planned for next year that we will announce soon, so stay tuned.
Finally, I want to wish all of you a holiday season in which, no matter your personal circumstances, you practice self-care and find peace and joy in connecting with family and friends.
Orly Avitzur, MD, MBA, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief
