There won't be any brightly wrapped packages under Annette Peterson's Christmas tree this year.
It was just after 7 a.m. and Cassie Graham was lighting up her second cigarette of the morning.
Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq, but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world's largest aquarium: swimming alongside a massive whale shark.
Experts are predicting a record voter turnout for tomorrow's presidential election.
It's just after dawn on a chilly Monday morning. The leaves crunch under Van Lewis' feet as he treks through the woods in rural Monroe, Georgia, clutching a hunting rifle.
Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things. He can turn on a light or open a door. He can pick up a remote control off the floor. He can pull a heavy object with his teeth.
Rob Sandler comforted his infant son as he lifted him out of the crib, cooing in his ear while he walked to the living room.
The scene looked like a flashback to ancient China.
The scene looked like a flashback to ancient China.
A dozen old family photos were strewn across the table as Gary Neal picked them up one by one.
There won't be any brightly wrapped packages under Annette Peterson's Christmas tree this year.
It was just after 7 a.m. and Cassie Graham was lighting up her second cigarette of the morning.
Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq, but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world's largest aquarium: swimming alongside a massive whale shark.
Experts are predicting a record voter turnout for tomorrow's presidential election.
It's just after dawn on a chilly Monday morning. The leaves crunch under Van Lewis' feet as he treks through the woods in rural Monroe, Georgia, clutching a hunting rifle.
Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things. He can turn on a light or open a door. He can pick up a remote control off the floor. He can pull a heavy object with his teeth.
Rob Sandler comforted his infant son as he lifted him out of the crib, cooing in his ear while he walked to the living room.
The scene looked like a flashback to ancient China.
The scene looked like a flashback to ancient China.
A dozen old family photos were strewn across the table as Gary Neal picked them up one by one.
A dozen old family photos were strewn across the table as Gary Neal picked them up one by one.
Latin music pulses from the stereo as 40 women jump, shimmy and sway to the beat.
It was hard to miss the bright yellow Student Driver bumper sticker on the back of the car driven by Tosha Mulligan.
Rosa Foster sat down at the kitchen table with a plate of fried chicken and a salad. Before taking a bite of food, she bowed her head and prompted her grandchildren to say the blessing.
The crowd cheered as Morgan Lawless faced her first pitch of the fall baseball season.
A week before the start of the new school year, principal Denise Magee roamed the hallways of Campbell Middle School in Smyrna, Georgia, preparing for battle.
Makiri Pugh is not your typical college freshman. At age 18, he knows more than most young adults about the structure and health of his heart, and it's not because he's sick.
The lights were turned down low and the music was pulsing as Kimberly Wright made her way toward a 16-foot tall dance pole to do some tricks.
Before Amy Harned goes outside to work in her garden, she coats her face and neck with sunscreen, then puts on a hat, jacket and work gloves.
It's the middle of the night and Steven Ford is wide awake.
Lisle Nolan started noticing the symptoms four months ago: headaches, mood swings and a menstrual cycle that was out of whack.
You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but at any given moment Dana Poole hurts all over.
Andre Rives no longer mows his own lawn and it's not because he's too busy. The thought of cutting his grass brings back some bad memories.
A good friend of mine recently learned she has breast cancer. Even though I spend most of my time writing for a living, I was at a loss for the right words to comfort her.
Cheryl Reed's morning routine starts like that of millions of other mothers around the country. She makes breakfast for her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, piles them into a minivan and drops them off at school.
During the first seven years of their relationship, Judy Kelly doesn't remember her boyfriend, Bill Horrisberger, ever going to a doctor.
An hour on horseback once a week is more than just fun for Will Hillis. It's therapeutic.
Marquez Benson, 9, sits patiently on the edge of the indoor pool at the Boys and Girls Club near downtown Atlanta, Georgia.
Jennifer Roberge is expecting her first child any day now. With one more mouth to feed, the 30-year-old from Smyrna, Georgia, is also expecting to see a jump in her $50 weekly grocery bill.
Maggie O'Connor minces garlic for a Mexican lasagna while across the kitchen Melissa Thornton chops basil for a turkey wrap.
At 33, Lori Hamilton is young and healthy. So what is she doing at an oral, head and neck cancer screening at an Atlanta, Georgia, hospital?
Driving a taxi for a living can be exhausting. Just ask 62-year-old Stephen Belcher of Atlanta, Georgia.
Twice a day, 7-year-old Hannah Austin exhales all the air from her lungs. She then takes a puff of a low-dose steroid from a purple inhaler, holds her breath for a few seconds and exhales.
A middle-aged woman arrives at yoga class, a guide dog beside her wheelchair. She slides onto a mat on the floor and begins warming up with help from the instructor, stretching her knee and leg muscles to the side.
Kelli Heath just turned 30 and she's spending more and more time deflecting questions from family and friends about when she plans to get pregnant.
Mashed bananas or baby food prunes don't sound very appetizing on their own, but substitute one of those ingredients for the vegetable oil in a store-bought brownie mix and it will add moisture while cutting the fat and calories.
Elevating the head of her bed with bricks doesn't do much for the décor in Deborah Kronenberg's bedroom, but it has made a big difference in her persistent nighttime heartburn.
Daphne Babrow's son, Evan, is only 5 months old and she's already thinking about getting pregnant again. The decision won't be easy.
It all started with the flush of an automatic toilet. The terrifying sound marked the beginning of a two-year nightmare for Sarah Teres as she desperately tried to potty train her daughter Molly.
Jaundice is a common condition that affects six out of 10 newborns, according to the March of Dimes. CNN learned more about infant jaundice from Dr. Anne Hansen, a neonatologist at Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
I'm the mother of two daughters, a teen and a tween. So every day, I tiptoe through hormonally laced minefields hoping to avoid emotional carnage in response to any of my random comments or actions.
Lois Fletcher started taking the subway to work nine months ago to save money. It turned out to be an excellent way for her to lose weight -- more than 30 pounds to be exact.
At its worst, Melissa Miller's blood pressure measured 153 over 95, dangerously high for anyone, never mind a woman who is 36 weeks pregnant.
Brian Connell felt the first pains of a heart attack while shoveling snow a year ago. But he was only 38, so he shrugged it off.
It's the middle of the night, and the sound of a wailing young child pierces the air. Her body feels as if it's on fire when you touch her forehead. What do you do next? The reality of dealing with a feverish child can send some parents into a panic.
Competition is tougher than ever this year to get into the freshman class at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The admissions office received close to 10,000 applications for just 2,400 slots.
Not every mother would allow her hair to be cut by her 4-year-old daughter, but Cindy Hurst thought it was a perfect idea.
A paper cape sits loosely around your shoulders, covering your naked chest. A radiology technologist directs you toward an imposing-looking machine. As you hold your breath, one bare breast at a time is tightly compressed between two flat panels and X-rayed.
Every year in the United States an estimated 15 million people have surgery and every one of them runs the risk of complications.
You would expect to find pre-algebra, American history and grammar in a middle-school curriculum, but what about a lifetime lesson in fitness?
From the outside, Kimberley Mims' Snellville home is immaculate. But look behind the garage door and it's a different story.
The lights are dim, the music is pulsing and couples are circling the dance floor in elaborate, revealing costumes.
Kamryn Campbell is only 16 months old, but she's been through more medical trauma than most people will suffer in a lifetime.
A bottle of perfume, a box of candy or a set of pajamas are quick, easy gifts to buy and wrap during the holidays. This year, instead of giving something predictable, why not give the gift of health? The selections are endless, and prices range from expensive to downright cheap. Just imagine the reaction you'll get when you use your imagination.
It's been a long time since 66-year-old Judy Borgula has seen the inside of a classroom, but a near-death experience forced her back to school -- "Heart School."
Amy Granelli started her holiday shopping weeks ago. As she aimlessly pushed her cart through towering aisles of toys she still found herself overwhelmed by choices.
College senior Lisa Hamlett is looking forward to going home to Crossville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, but she hasn't always been so enthusiastic about spending Thanksgiving vacation with her parents.
When 19-year-old Reid Overton wants to smoke a cigarette on his college campus, he has to walk to a distant parking lot and get into his car, but he doesn't seem to mind. "Even as a smoker, I don't like to walk past a cloud of smoke," he says.
Even at 5:30 in the morning, Marlene Mauk is wide awake and smiling as she walks through the door of the Buckhead Athletic Club in Atlanta, Georgia.
Greta Anne Rowe is like a little kid when it comes to Halloween. During a recent outing at a Target store near her suburban Atlanta, Georgia, home, the 37-year-old seemed to spare no expense as she filled her shopping cart with plastic pumpkins, flickering ghost-shaped flashlights and a CD with spooky music.
The prostate gland is an integral part of the male reproductive system. When it's enlarged, men can suffer from myriad symptoms. CNN learned more about the condition from Dr. Jacques Carter of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
Jennifer Lynch and Jennifer Gonzalez live nearly 900 miles apart. But they have much more in common than their first names: Each has three young children, each works outside the home and each admits she's stressed out.
Fourth-grade teacher Elisabeth Beckwith wants her students at Fernbank Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia, to pay attention to a lesson on Greek mythology.
It's lunchtime at Café Sunflower in Atlanta, Georgia. The kitchen is humming as the chef prepares the most popular item on the menu: sesame chicken. That's not what you'd expect at a vegetarian restaurant. But the so-called chicken is actually a seasoned soy product made to taste like the real thing. "It's a treat for vegetarians who miss meat," says restaurant owner Edward Sun.
Timothy Connick was in agony for six years. In bed at night, it felt as if a pair of scissors was sticking out of his foot. "I turn over, and it's just like they're getting jammed in more."
Laura Hathaway initially had no regrets after getting a tattoo on her lower back when she was 21. But now, 10 years later, she wants it gone.
By the second week of fifth grade my son Christopher's backpack already weighed 27 pounds. I know because we put it on the bathroom scale. A thick binder, two textbooks, a novel and miscellaneous supplies create a heavy burden for a 10-year-old who weighs only 77 pounds.
Joe Sauers doesn't get too upset when his co-workers call him "Sparky" or whenever they move away from him during a thunderstorm.
Stephen Plumlee started feeling dizzy and nauseated shortly after his flight from Sarasota, Florida, landed in Atlanta, Georgia. He was wheeled off the plane by paramedics, but instead of being taken to a hospital emergency room downtown, he was treated in the atrium of the busiest airport in the world.
Wearing his new backpack and school uniform, 5-year-old Sebastian Grau looked pretty confident walking down the hallway of Austin Elementary in Dunwoody, Georgia, on his first day of kindergarten. But his parents tell a different story.
Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition that affects up to 5 million Americans. CNN learned more about psoriasis from Dr. Mathew Avram, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser and Cosmetics Center.
The lights were dimmed, soft music was playing and a scented candle burned on the counter. In the center of it all was Julie Trotter -- moaning through hard labor contractions.
Caring for a 5-month-old son and a nearly 4-year-old daughter seems like a full-time job for Amy Little, but the Dunwoody, Georgia, mother also works 40 hours a week in sales at AT&T.
Julie Beverly runs about 20 miles a week. While her workouts are helping to tone her body, they're also wearing down the soles of her sneakers. "The shoes are starting to bow on the sides because they're so old," says Beverly. "Actually, they're making the back of my ankle hurt."
Rebbeca Turner wasn't prepared for the breast cancer diagnosis she received nine months ago. "Nobody is prepared," she said. "There is definitely an initial shock ... but you deal with it, get a plan, move forward and try to beat it."
The name sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, but omega-3 fatty acids are a necessary part of our diet. "Every cell in the body requires omega-3 to function normally," says Dr. Andrew Stoll, author of "The Omega-3 Connection." "They are a class of fats, good fats that are actually as essential as vitamins to our health."
The scar has faded over his left eye, but the fireworks injury that Tony Wittmann suffered when he was 17 taught him a lesson that he hasn't forgotten.
It's estimated that half of all American adults take a daily vitamin supplement. Yet, in spite of the popularity of the pills, many wonder whether they're good for our health.
Susan Kauffman can't stop smiling. Not only does she have a perfect set of teeth, but after enduring physical abuse repeatedly in her life, she also has renewed self-esteem. "I had a broken spirit," Kauffman said. "I became very isolated ... and became a recluse."
A year before turning 50, Michele Thomas learned she had type 1 diabetes, a condition that used to be associated mainly with children.
It started with a pain behind the nipple. Within a few weeks, a lump started to grow. It got bigger and more painful until a doctor finally diagnosed stage 4 breast cancer. It's a story shared by thousands around the United States, only in this case, the patient's name is Bill Morley.
When Tracey Trumbull and his wife, Cathy, go for a bike ride, they don't have to worry about keeping up. They're always together, on a tandem bicycle.
Blowing bubbles in the water is fun when you're a child, but for Stacey Mueller, it's part of a bigger endeavor. At the age of 45, she is learning how to swim. "It's very hard," says Mueller. "It's like learning a language or learning how to breathe when you're young."
Spending hours in a gym wasn't giving Susan Huynh of Los Angeles, California, the results she was looking for, so on the advice of a friend, she picked up some poles, but she didn't head to the slopes. Instead she tried a growing exercise trend: Nordic walking.
CNN medical correspondent Judy Fortin spoke with endocrinologist Dr. Bruce Bode of Atlanta Diabetes Associates about the differences and similarities between the two types of diabetes.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. It's also a leading cause of long-term disability. CNN Medical Correspondent Judy Fortin learned more about stroke from two neurologists at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Matthews Gwynn is chief of neurology, and Dr. Keith Sanders is director of the Stroke Center.
It's been more than a decade since her 13-year-old daughter, Maria-Victoria, died in a car accident, but Lynda Boucugnani will never forget the doctor who delivered the news. "I remember he sat down, but his first words were, 'Your daughter is deceased.' That just struck me as so cold, so cold," says Boucugnani. The experience was horrendous, she says. "I expected a little bit more compassion ... there was no, 'I'm sorry,' no touching my hand. These things would have meant the whole world to me."
Early morning meetings and late-night business dinners make it almost impossible for Trisha Curtin to fit in a workout on the road. "It's been a huge challenge to do any type of exercising other than walking from building to building," says Curtin, who works in planning and distribution for a department store.
Here are the fitness offerings from a sampling of major hotel chains:
Here are the fitness offerings from a sampling of major hotel chains:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children be immunized to protect them from dangerous childhood diseases.
Donna Ducker started panicking within minutes of her son Evan's birth. "They said, 'There is something we need to tell you about your baby,'" she remembers.
Birthmarks are often referred to as stork bites or angel kisses. They're pretty common in the United States. It's estimated more than half of all new babies are born with a birthmark.
It's estimated 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease are diagnosed each year in the United States. Dr. John Growden of Massachusetts General Hospital has been studying the condition for 25 years. He spoke with CNN about the incurable brain disorder.
First she heard the pop, then she felt the pain. Sixteen-year-old Lindsey Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in her knee during the last game of the 2005 soccer season. She's been sidelined ever since.
It's not easy making decisions about end-of-life care. An advance directive may help ease the burden. It's a legal document that conveys your specific wishes regarding your care.
It's been around for years, but Botox is still one of the most popular anti-wrinkle products on the market. Its manufacturer reports more than 3 million procedures were performed in 2005. CNN Medical Correspondent Judy Fortin found out how it works from Dr. Harold Brody, a dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon in Atlanta, Georgia.
There are more than three-quarters of a million adults in the United States living with a congenital heart defect. The majority need ongoing, specialized care. CNN Medical Correspondent Judy Fortin found out more about the condition from Dr. Wendy Book, director of the Adult Congenital Cardiac Program at Emory University in Atlanta.
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