Welcome to Rx.Magazine, the health interest publication of Rx.com.
Rx.com is a pharmacy first and foremost, and in order to develop
the trust in us that we think people should require of their pharmacy,
we want to give you something: a wealth of information. We¹re
really excited to grow the best health content on the Web, and to
help readers manage their health by providing sharp, reliable, and
entertaining articles. We also eventually hope to put you in contact
with other people who might have similar health concerns, and to
distill the many sources of health information out there, so that
you can feel confident that what you are reading online is accurate.
Nowadays people are coming to the Internet in droves to learn about
their health, but a few years ago I had an experience that opened
my eyes to what this newfound access to health information could
do for the quality of life.
For months during 1995 I was training for a marathon. I had been
a runner for years, but this was the first time I¹d gotten
my mileage up into the double digits. I was following the training
guidelines and schedule of a respected guidebook, one that I assumed
covered all the bases: form, nutrition, injury. My first over ten-mile
run was genuine cause for celebration, but almost immediately after
stopping I developed stomach cramps that doubled me over. Indigestion,
I thought, after all my stomach had just been jostled for over an
hour. A few weeks later, after a 15 mile run, the same thing happened,
only this time the pain sent me to bed and didn¹t reside until
morning. The next day I felt fine again, but I was worried about
what would happen during the race. And the pain was a lot to endure
even after the elation of crossing the finish line.
The next day I got online and did a search for sports medicine.
I found the site of the physician/director of a reputable university¹s
sports medicine program, and his email address was listed. Now probably,
if I had contacted this doctor via telephone, he wouldn¹t have
called me back. But when I sent him an email outlining my symptoms
and concerns he wrote me back almost immediately. The simple diagnosis:
I was dehydrated. I learned that when your body gets dehydrated
to a certain point, drinking all the water in the world won¹t
suffice. I wasn¹t drinking enough before or during my runs,
something I could change.
Not everyone¹s health problems are so simple, or so easily
solved. But no matter what our current state of health we can always
learn more about our bodies. Being informed can make a big difference
in the way we manage our healthcare, and allow us to get the most
out of our doctor visits when we do discover a problem.
In Rx.Magazine we want to feature a range of perspectives and voices,
from newsy reports on breakthrough medical treatments to first person
essays and stories of inspiration concerning individuals who dealt
nobly with or have surmounted health conditions to a positive end.
We¹ll also be publishing regularly a column written by our
own Dr. Kevin, Rx.com¹s Chief Medical Officer who will share
his experiences as a physician, a family member, and a patient suffering
from diabetes. And you can be sure our information is substantiated,
a healthcare advisory board of Doctors who are specialists in their
fields presides over Rx.Magazine to ensure our information is current
and correct.
Feature stories will populate our eight departments, and eventually
a new Rx.Magazine story will be posted to the site daily, so come
back often to see what¹s new. We are also looking to develop
regular columns written by health professionals when a subject is
worthy of ongoing attention. Ultimately we¹ll be looking for
feedback from you, the reader, to tell us what you¹d really
like to see in Rx.Magazine, so be sure to drop us a line and tell
us what you think.
Sincerely,
Jen Scoville
Editor, Rx.com