Articles » January, 2009

There's been a lot of hubbub tonight about Wellsphere: the selling of the company to HealthCentral (reported by our pals at the Wall Street Journal Health Blog) for one, and Wellsphere's use of blogger's RSS feeds to fill its content well. Twitterers across the globe went berserk (check out this search to see the fallout) and lots of readers and fellow health writers checked in with me, especially since ChronicBabe is up for one of the sites People's Health Blogger Awards.

So it's late, I'm pooped, but I thought I'd offer a few thoughts. First, read Dr. Val's nice overview of the situation, and consider listening to Dr. Anonymous's show tomorrow night for what I'm sure will be a robust discussion of the situation. Second, if you're a health blogger who gave Wellsphere your RSS feed, please don't think I'm peeing in your pool here—I'm just throwing out a few opinions and hoping current and aspiring writers will be inspired to learn more beyond what I have to say so they can protect themselves, as we all have a right to do. P.S. After much thought and discussion, I am withdrawing from the People's Health Blogger Awards and pulling my Wellsphere account. I just can't support an organization that's causing so much dischord in the health blogging community.

Posted: 1/28/2009 in Announcements

Call us biased, but we think chicks rule. There's a ton of health information on the 'net, but often, medical research and reporting focus more on men—so we thought it was high time the ladies got a little attention in Grand Rounds, a showcase for the best health and medical writing on the web. This week: 35 different bloggers address pregnancy, advocacy, self-esteem and body image, mental health, diet, love and romance, experimental treatments, lost tampons, primary care, lawsuits, headaches and so much more.

Posted: 1/27/2009 in Cool Tools  |  Also posted in: Announcements

We LOVE hosting Grand Rounds, the weekly traveling collection of the best medical web writing, so we're excited to host for the third time on January 27, 2009! Read on for more details...

Posted: 1/23/2009 in Announcements

Blog carnivals are a terrific way to spread the word about both new and established health bloggers, and we get so much fun out of participating in Grand Rounds each week we started to wonder: Would ChronicBabe readers enjoy reading—or participating in—a woman-focused health blogging blog carnival? Take the 5-minute ChronicBabe blog carnival survey and tell us what you think. Thanks!

Posted: 1/23/2009 in Announcements

Optimism is not the easiest quality to come by. For us ChronicBabes, it can be hard to embrace fully. But there's a positive energy in the air right now, and I think the time is ripe to capitalize on it and remind ourselves that we can accomplish SO MUCH with just the right attitude.

In two days, the U.S. will have a new president, and with him will come a wave of change. Our new leader represents optimism in action, a concept I've been thinking about a lot lately. For those of us who live with chronic illness, optimism is a precious commodity—something we cultivate and cherish. Barack Obama is a perfect example of what it means to not only be optimistic, but to take that positive energy and drive it forward to create a positive result...and to inspire others to do the same.

In honor of our incoming president, I've crafted a short list of five things I do to cultivate a sense of optimism in myself and the people I impact. These are simple things you can do in your own life, too!

Posted: 1/18/2009 in Coping  |  Also posted in: Inspiration

Our pal Tawra Kellam at Living on a Dime are having a big sale through January 7, where you can get 50% to 63% off their terrific books: Dining on a Dime, Dig Out of Debt and Penny Pinchin' Mama.

But even bigger than that: Tawra's letting us give away a copy of Dining on a Dime, which includes more than 1,200 tips on saving cash when grocery shopping and cooking (including tons of helpful recipes). Read on for rules...

Posted: 1/1/2009 in Announcements