Issuu

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

DENTON COUNTY

More Inside THE Lp(a) FACTOR FIRST IMPRESSIONS PEPTIDES: WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

Keanu Reeves A Quiet Force

Our Focus is

You

Denton Rehab is a locally owned and operated skilled nursing facility that is licensed by the State of Texas and certified to participate in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Our core management team has worked together for years and has decades of experience providing compassionate healthcare. When you require professional, dependable, skilled nursing care to regain your health and strength, chose the expert team at Denton Rehab. We invite you to stop by and meet our friendly staff. 02 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Now Open! We’re excited to show you our beautiful new community in Denton, located on six beautiful acres conveniently located next to Medical City Denton. Our facility has 94 private beds with ensuite and shower. We have two suites that include ensuite, shower and a living area. Our new community has three living areas, two dining areas, a private dining area for families, cultural center, sitting parlor, beauty shop, activities center, whirlpool room, therapy gym, and eight covered outdoor areas to relax and view nature and the beautiful, landscaped grounds. Our state-of-the-art kitchen uses green technology to provide healthier, more delicious food. Denton Rehab’s nurses and certified nurse aides provide around-theclock care. Doctors and nurse practitioners make rounds three times a week while our medical director makes rounds twice a week. Our number one goal is helping you recover and rebuild your life. Our Focus is You!

As always, Denton Rehab will expertly coordinate all aspects of your care: 24-Hour Nursing Care Wound Care Hospice/Respite Care Restorative Nursing Physical, Occupational, & Speech Therapies Assistance with Personal Care Laboratory and X-ray Services Skilled Nursing

dentonrehab.com | 940.387.8508 3345 Medpark Drive, Denton, TX 76210 DENTON COUNTY • 1

Your lower limbs were designed to support you for a lifetime.

Give them the care they deserve. Complete Foot and Ankle Care of North Texas is equipped to treat all of your foot and ankle needs. Achilles Tendon

Geriatric Foot Care

Ankle Sprains

Heel Spurs

Ankle Instability

Arthritic Foot & Ankle Care Athlete’s Foot Bunions

Calluses Corns

Crush Injuries

Diabetic Foot Care Flat Feet

Fungal Toenails

Hammertoes

Ingrown Toenails Injuries

Neuroma

Neuropathy Pediatric

Plantar Fasciitis Warts

Wounds

Damien Dauphinée 1, 2, 3 Raafae Hussain 1 DPM, FACFAS, FAENS, FACCWS, CWS-P

DPM

Subscribe to

The PODdoctors Podcast on all major platforms!

866-490-3668 (FOOT) | 940-300-3054 DENTON 3319 Unicorn Lake Blvd., Suite 111 GAINESVILLE 1625 N. Grand Ave. CompleteFootandAnkleCare.com

2 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

NAIL WELLNESS & BEAUTY, REDEFINED. Denton homegrown and locally owned. Located inside the medical offices of Complete Foot and Ankle Care of North Texas, we offer an elevated nail spa experience focused on expertise, quality care, and safety.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC We offer safer nail services to promote healthier nails, including: • Nail Care for conditions like diabetes, fungus, and trauma • Restorative nail replacement • Gel polish, gel tips, and builder sets • Nail art and more

NailTreatmentCenter.com 3319 UNICORN LAKE BLVD., STE 111, DENTON, TX OFFICE: 940-735-3319 | TEXT: 866-463-4833 EMAIL: INFO@NAILTREATMENTCENTER.COM FACEBOOK: Nail Treatment Center Denton INSTAGRAM: NailTreatmentCenter

DENTON COUNTY • 3

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Living Well A Health & Lifestyle Magazine for THRIVING ADULTS

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

A QUIET KIND OF STRENGTH

s summer eases into fall, it always feels like a fresh start around here. It’s a good time to check in on your health, your habits and the people who help you stay well, and this issue is filled with exactly that. On this month’s cover is Keanu Reeves, an actor who has spent decades proving you can reach the very top of a loud industry without ever raising your voice. Known as much for his quiet generosity and hard-won resilience as for his films, Reeves has weathered real loss and kept showing up with the same steady kindness. In “A Quiet Force” (page 8), we look at the man behind the roles and why his understated strength has quietly won the world over. It’s a fitting cover for an issue about living well, because Reeves embodies the idea that how we treat people matters more than almost anything, setting a thoughtful tone for the pages that follow.

PRESIDENT & CEO SAM HOUSTON VICE PRESIDENT & CFO SPRING HOUSTON EDITOR, FEATURE WRITER & SOCIAL MEDIA SONDRA BARR ART DIRECTOR VANESSA FRYER ACCOUNTS MANAGER JENNIFER BEAVERS WEBSITE LYDIA ROGERS ADVERTISING & SALES TEXAS: Denton County, Dallas County, Collin County TEXAS & OKLAHOMA: Texoma Area

WRITE TO US: We also dig into the science of snap judgments. In “First Impressions” (page 20), Grace Evans looks at the research showing we size up a stranger’s face in about a tenth of a second, why those instincts can be surprisingly useful and how often they still lead us astray.

Tell us who you would like to see featured on the cover, or what subjects you would like covered in upcoming editions of LIVING WELL MAGAZINE at info@livingwellmag.com

From there we turn to a heart number many people have never heard of. In “The Lp(a) Factor” (page 14), writer Patrick Lane explains why this largely inherited marker has cardiologists paying attention, and why the newest guidelines suggest measuring it just once in your lifetime, even if you already do everything right.

SUBSCRIPTIONS & CUSTOMER INQUIRIES

And because the word seems to be everywhere lately, we asked a simple question: what’s all the buzz about peptides? In “Peptides: What’s the Buzz?” (page 34), Julia Porter separates the real science from the social media noise, starting with what these tiny building blocks actually are and why the word “peptide” alone tells you very little. However you spend the season, we hope these pages leave you a little more informed and a little more inspired. Thank you for reading, and for letting LIVING WELL be part of your day. Live well, Sam & Spring Houston

4 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Houstons of Dallas Publishing, Inc. 102 E. Broadway, #901 Prosper, TX 75078 www.LivingWellmag.com Phone: (214) 507-1000 Fax: (855) 248-2132 LIVING WELL MAGAZINE is a source for quality educational articles on living a healthy, vibrant life. Our focus is on connecting our readers with the latest information on a host of topics relevant to their evolving life. From cutting edge medical news and procedures to top-tier financial, legal and lifestyle information. Connecting readers to leading medical and business professionals in their community in Texas and Oklahoma. All advertisements in this Magazine are placed by third parties. We do not control or endorse either the advertisements or their content. Further, we do not manufacture, sell, distribute or provide any of the goods or services advertised herein. We hereby expressly disclaim any liability with respect to information or goods and services contained herein. We further disclaim any and all warranties or representations, express or implied, with respect to such information, goods or services, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose (it being understood that we do not acknowledge that any such warranty exists). We are not liable or responsible for any loss, injury, damage, or harm that you may suffer as a result of the information contained in any advertisement or goods or services contained herein. “We” refers to the name of this Magazine, and all versions of Living Well Magazine as well as Houstons of Dallas Publishing, Inc.

CONTENTS

AND MUCH MORE...

Don’t Know What to Say During Hospice Care

Digital Eye Strain

The Things Nobody Uses Anymore

Time Sure Does Fly!

Is Fear Keeping You from Better Hearing?

Who Should Handle the Funeral?

Words of Hope

FEATURES 8 14 20 34 Keanu Reeves A Quiet Force

The Lp(a) Factor One heart number to know The Science of First Impressions

Peptides: What's the Buzz?

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

DENTON COUNTY

More Inside

THE Lp(a) FACTOR FIRST IMPRESSIONS

@ LivingWellmag

PEPTIDES: WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

@ LivingWellmags

Keanu Reeves

@ LivingWellmags

A Quiet Force

@ LivingWellmagaz Visit LivingWellMag.com for a free digital subscription.

34 DENTON COUNTY • 5

FOR FORYOUR YOURHEART HEARTHEALTH, HEALTH,

YOUR HEARTMATTERS HEALTH, THE THEFOR RIGHT RIGHT PLACE PLACE MATTERS. .

THE RIGHT PLACE MATTERS.

Advanced heart and vascularcare care starts here. Advanced Advanced heart heart and and vascular vascular carestarts startshere. here. Need some help keeping up with your heart health? The physicians at Need Need some some help help keeping keeping upup with with your your heart heart health? health? The The physicians physicians atat Texas Health Heart &Vascular Vascular Specialistsare are here to customize care Texas Texas Health Health Heart Heart && Vascular Specialists Specialists are here here to to customize customize care care plans around your unique needs and give you a healthier future. From

plans plans around around your your unique unique needs needs and and give give you you a healthier a healthier future. future. From From proactive prevention to diagnostics, discover our wide range of

proactive proactive prevention prevention toto diagnostics, diagnostics, discover discover our our wide wide range range ofof

compassionate care options and see how we can help. Schedule your

compassionate compassionate care care options options and and see see how how we we can can help. help. Schedule Schedule your your in-person or virtual visit today.

in-person in-person oror virtual virtual visit visit today. today. Amjad Kabach, M.D.

Amjad Amjad Kabach, Kabach, M.D. M.D.

Find your specialist today.

866-906-5645

Find Find your your specialist specialist today. today.

866-906-5645 866-906-5645 THPG.org/Heart THPG.org/Heart THPG.org/Heart

Texas Health Heart & Vascular Specialists is a Texas Health Physicians Group practice. Providers employed by Texas Health Physicians Group are not employees or agents of Texas Health Resources hospitals. © 2026 Texas Health Resources

Texas Texas Health Health Heart Heart & Vascular & Vascular Specialists Specialists is a is Texas a Texas Health Health Physicians Physicians Group Group practice. practice. Providers Providers employed employed by Texas by Texas Health Health Physicians Physicians Group Group are are notnot employees employees or or agents of Texas of Texas Health Health Resources Resources hospitals. © 2026 © 2026 Texas Texas Health Health Resources Resources 6 agents • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026hospitals.

Don’t put your life on hold any longer because of your foot pain. Justin M. Kane, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and founder of the Orthopedic Institute of North Texas (OINT). He is internationally recognized for his expertise in foot and ankle care. He is a published author and a global lecturer, who has previously served as a Professor of Surgery at Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine. At the Orthopedic Institute of North Texas, Dr. Kane and his team’s goal is your return to normal activity. They provide surgical and non-surgical solutions designed to resolve your pain. Dr. Kane specializes in

Justin Kane, MD, FAAOS Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

•

Bunion and hammertoe correction

•

Complex foot and ankle reconstructive surgery

•

Surgical and non-surgical treatment of foot and ankle disorders

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Kane today at one of our convenient locations ~ 972-591-6468 (OINT). Baylor-Frisco

Dallas

Professional Bldg. #1

Pavilion III

5575 Warren Parkway, Suite 115

12228 N. Central Expy., Suite 390

Frisco, TX 75038

Dallas, TX 75243

972-591-6468 (OINT) • www.oint.org DENTON COUNTY • 7

The Quiet Life of

Keanu Reeves At 62, he has survived more than most, chased fame less than anyone, and built a life on kindness that costs him nothing and means everything.

eanu Reeves turns 62 in September, and his calendar is fuller than it was at 40. He spent last fall making his Broadway debut in one of the hardest plays in the English language, and this spring he put out an album with the rock band he started in his 20s and climbed back on a tour bus. For a man who has never seemed to want anything from fame, he keeps saying yes. The cottage industry devoted to marveling at his decency is built almost entirely on things other people reported. He gave Rolexes to his stunt team on John Wick: Chapter 4. He picked up the tab when the cast and crew of the last Matrix film took a trip to San Francisco. He funded a private cancer foundation after his sister Kim’s long fight with leukemia and never put his name on it. What is striking is not that he does these things. It is that he never talks about them. Keanu Charles Reeves was born in 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon, to an English costume designer named Patricia Taylor and an American father who left when Reeves was 3. His mother moved the children through New York and Sydney before settling in Toronto, where stepfathers came and went and Reeves passed through several high schools without collecting a diploma. He has never played that as tragedy. “When I see stuff in L.A. now, I realize how safe and sheltered my upbringing [in Toronto] was. We didn’t even do graffiti, you know?” he told Interview magazine in 1991, in a cover story the magazine reprinted in 2022. “I mean we did sling chestnuts at teachers’ heads.” What he collected instead were enthusiasms, and he has kept nearly all of them. Punk rock: “The Ramones changed my life,” he said in that same interview. Books: he was rereading Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet. Motorcycles: he named a 1974 Norton Commando as the great love of his life and admitted he had wrecked it more than once. “But I love that bike, man.” And acting, which he described at 26 in terms that still explain most of what came after. “For me, acting is very self-involved, especially between projects,” he said. “Once you get a part, you’re liberated. You can find out what that character thinks.” Hollywood underestimated him early, and he let it. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure made him famous in 1989 and stuck him with a reputation for being as vacant as the character. He does not appear to hold a grudge. “I think they still use, like, ‘Keanu’s Excellent Adventure.’ Or ‘dude,’” he told GQ in 2019. “That’s still around.” The interesting part is what he did with all that low expectation. He spent it. In 1991 alone he made Point Break for Kathryn Bigelow and My Own Private Idaho for Gus Van Sant, and the second was a genuine professional risk that apparently did not feel like one. He and River Phoenix, he told GQ, decided it the way young men decide things: “It was more like standing 100 feet in the air, and there’s this beautiful pool of water, and you’re looking at each other like, ‘You want to jump? Yeah, let’s jump!’” Speed made him a movie star in 1994. He turned down the sequel to play Hamlet onstage in Winnipeg, and the studio made him pay for it. “I didn’t work with [Fox] again until The Day the Earth Stood Still,” he said. That is a decade in the wilderness, described without a trace of bitterness.

8 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

By SONDRA BARR

Once you get a part, you’re liberated. You can find out what that character thinks.

DENTON COUNTY • 9

LEFT PAGE: Performing with his band Dogstar, credit Davide Sciaky From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, Lionsgate Outcome, Apple TV. Starring Reeves, Jonah Hill, Cameron Diaz, and Matt Bomer. RIGHT PAGE: Good Fortune, Lionsgate A Walk in the Clouds, 20th Century Fox

10 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

When I see stuff in L.A. now, I realize how safe and sheltered my upbringing [in Toronto] was…

He absorbed losses in those years that would have flattened most people. Phoenix died in 1993. In 1999, the daughter Reeves was expecting with Jennifer Syme was stillborn, and Syme died in a car crash 18 months later. He has never traded on any of it. When GQ asked what finally got him thinking about the shape of his own career, somewhere in his mid-40s, he gave a cheerful one-word answer: “Death.” Then he changed the subject to Anthony Quinn. It was 1994, and Reeves was 29, shooting A Walk in the Clouds in the Napa Valley. Quinn, about to turn 80, played the family patriarch. Over lunch one day, Reeves watched him work the phone between setups, checking in with his people, seeing what he had booked. Six decades and two Oscars in, Quinn was still selling himself. “Still hustling,” Reeves said, still marveling about it 25 years later. “I was like, Whoa.” The next morning the two of them had a long walking shot to get through, alone in the mist and the rows of vines. “Anthony?” Reeves asked. “Is it always going to be like this?” “Yes,” Quinn said. “There’s this idea that, like, at some point you’re going to be set,” Reeves told GQ. “And then maybe there won’t be so much working on working.” He never got set. That may be the best thing that ever happened to him. The John Wick films arrived in 2014, when Reeves was 50, and handed him a second act almost nobody in his business gets. He spread out rather than cashed in. In 2011 he had co-founded ARCH Motorcycle with designer Gard Hollinger, building bikes by hand in Hawthorne, California. He co-created the comic series BRZRKR and co-wrote a novel with China Mieville. He has been

with the artist Alexandra Grant since they met in 2009, and their first collaboration was a book, not a red carpet. Mostly, though, he went back to the bass. Dogstar, the band he started in the early ‘90s and got mocked for, reunited during the pandemic and became a serious part of his life. “I just want a bass in my hands at all times,” he told Bass Magazine in July. “Whether I’m on the phone or watching a movie, I need to be holding one and playing.” Ask what he is chasing onstage and the answer doubles as a philosophy of aging. “I’m looking to have fun. I’m looking to pay attention. I’m looking to listen,” he said. Ask his role in the band and the answer is funnier. “I’m called ‘Switzerland.’ I mediate, I’m in the middle, and I solve conflicts.” Last September, at 61, he made his Broadway debut in Waiting for Godot opposite Alex Winter, his Bill and Ted co-star and friend of nearly 40 years. The idea was his own. “I was in a hotel room. I was thinking about what Alex and I could work on again,” he told NPR. “And then it just struck me: Waiting for Godot.” Asked what he was feeling before opening, he did not pretend to be serene. “Terror, anxiety, hope,” he said. He did it anyway, eight shows a week, and what made it possible was four decades of trust. “We had a trust and confidence in our art practice through our friendship,” he told Gothamist. In May, Dogstar released its fourth album, All In Now, and hit the road. More films are coming. At 62, he is still starting things he is not yet good at. Quinn’s answer, handed to a 29-year-old in a foggy vineyard, turns out to have been a kindness. Yes, it is always going to be like this. There will always be another part to chase, another song to learn, another thing you have not done yet.

DENTON COUNTY • 11

PREMIER SURGEON FOR HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT Dr. Charles Toulson specializes in: • Robotic Joint Replacement • Total Hip Replacement • Total Knee Replacement • Partial Knee Replacement • Total Hip and Knee Revisions TO LEARN MORE, VISIT

txjointinstitute.com

ALLEN 1125 Raintree Cir., Ste. 201 Allen, TX 75013 MCKINNEY 4201 Medical Center Dr., Ste. 100 McKinney, TX 75069 SHERMAN 204 Medical Dr., Ste. 110 Sherman, TX 75092

(972) 566-5255

Please call to make an appointment.

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

VOTED TOP DOC IN DALLAS COUNTY AND COLLIN COUNTY. DR. TOULSON IS PROUD TO SERVE LOCAL RESIDENTS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

12 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Stephen P. Courtney, MD Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Over 28 Years of Experience Dr. Courtney is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon located in Plano, Texas. A Louisiana native, he attended Louisiana State University for medical school, and completed residency at Texas A&M followed by a fellowship at the Florida Neck and Back Institute. SPECIALTIES: • Back Pain • Neck Pain • Spine Pain • Disc Replacement • Microdiscectomy • Spinal Fusion • Minimally Invasive Surgery • Steroid Injections • Physical Therapy “I believe in treating each of my patients with honesty, dignity, and respect. My patients come away from our shared interactions feeling confident, assured that they are truly in the best hands. Throughout my career, I have remained laser-focused on providing world-class care and innovation to the patients I treat on a daily basis. I look forward to getting to know you!”

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2018-2026

Voted Top Doc for Orthopedic Spine Surgeon by Living Well Magazine readers.

2004 Ventura Drive, Suite 200, Plano, Texas 75093 (972) 499-5457 • scheduling@advancedspinecenters.com advancedspinecenters.com DENTON COUNTY • 13

The Lp(a) Factor One Heart Number to Know By PATRICK LANE

ou probably know your cholesterol numbers, or at least recognize them when they appear on a lab report. Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides have been part of routine conversations about heart health for years. But there is another number receiving considerably more attention lately, and plenty of people who carefully follow their cholesterol have never heard of it. It’s called lipoprotein(a), usually shortened to Lp(a), and one of the most interesting things about it is that you can do many of the “right” things for your health and still have a high level. You can exercise regularly, eat thoughtfully, maintain a healthy weight and have respectable cholesterol numbers. Lp(a), however, plays by somewhat different rules because the amount circulating in your blood is determined largely by the genes you inherited. That doesn’t mean a high Lp(a) is a reason to panic. It does mean this once relatively obscure blood marker is becoming an important part of the conversation about cardiovascular risk. In March 2026, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology released updated guidelines on managing cholesterol and other blood lipids. Among the notable changes was a recommendation that Lp(a) be measured at least once in a person’s lifetime. Because levels are predominantly genetically determined and tend to remain relatively stable, one measurement is generally enough to identify someone with an elevated level, although certain health conditions and life changes can affect results.

14 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

So what exactly is Lp(a)?

To understand it, start with LDL, the cholesterol carrier most of us know as “bad cholesterol.” Lp(a) is a particle that resembles LDL but has an additional protein attached to it called apolipoprotein(a). That extra component changes the way the particle behaves and appears to contribute to cardiovascular risk. Elevated Lp(a) has been associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attack and stroke, as well as calcific aortic valve disease. The European Atherosclerosis Society concluded after reviewing extensive genetic and population research that the evidence supports Lp(a) as a causal cardiovascular risk factor rather than simply something that happens to be present in people who develop heart disease. This is where Lp(a) becomes particularly interesting. Someone may have LDL cholesterol that doesn’t raise immediate concern yet still have another inherited source of cardiovascular risk that wouldn’t necessarily appear on a standard cholesterol panel. And unless someone specifically tests for Lp(a), they may never know.

The Genetic Connection

Unlike many familiar cardiovascular risk factors, Lp(a) is largely inherited. Diet and exercise are tremendously important for overall cardiovascular health, but they generally don’t have much effect on

the Lp(a) number itself. That distinction matters because a person shouldn’t interpret an elevated result as evidence that they’ve done something wrong. It isn’t a report card on how well you’ve eaten or how many workouts you’ve completed. In many cases, it is simply part of the genetic hand you were dealt. It also explains why family history matters. When heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular problems have occurred unexpectedly or relatively early in a family, physicians may look beyond the traditional risk factors for additional clues. An inherited elevation in Lp(a) can sometimes be one piece of that puzzle. Because Lp(a) runs in families, learning that one person has a markedly elevated level may also lead to conversations with a healthcare professional about whether relatives should be evaluated.

Why Haven’t We Heard More About It?

This is probably the question many will have. If Lp(a) matters, why haven’t doctors routinely discussed it for decades? Part of the answer is that cardiovascular medicine continues to evolve. Researchers have known about Lp(a) for many years, but understanding of its role in cardiovascular disease has grown considerably. Another practical issue has been that, unlike LDL cholesterol, there historically hasn’t been a widely available treatment used specifically to lower Lp(a) with proven cardiovascular benefit. That created an unusual situation. Why routinely measure something if there was little doctors could do specifically about the number? Thinking around that question has changed. Knowing about an elevated Lp(a) can provide additional information about someone’s overall cardiovascular risk. Rather than looking at one laboratory value in isolation, physicians can consider Lp(a) alongside cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking history, diabetes, family history and other relevant factors. Think of it less as a diagnosis and more as another piece of information. A high number doesn’t mean someone is destined to develop heart disease, just as a lower number doesn’t guarantee that they won’t. Cardiovascular risk is much more complicated than any single blood test.

What Does a Result Mean?

This is one area where an internet search can create unnecessary confusion. Lp(a) can be reported in different units, most commonly milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). Those units measure somewhat different characteristics of the particle and aren’t reliably converted with one simple mathematical formula. The European Atherosclerosis Society has described less than 30 mg/dL, or 75 nmol/L, as a lower-risk range and 50 mg/dL, or 125 nmol/L, and above as a level that can increase cardiovascular risk, with a gray zone in between. But a laboratory number shouldn’t be interpreted in isolation. Its significance depends on the rest of a person’s cardiovascular picture. That is one reason this isn’t a test to diagnose yourself with after seeing a result in an online patient portal. A physician can put the number into context with the rest of your health history. There is another useful feature of Lp(a) testing: fasting generally isn’t required. And because levels are primarily genetic and usually fairly stable, it isn’t necessarily another number that needs to be chased every few months.

If Lifestyle Doesn’t Lower It, Why Know?

This is perhaps the most important question of all. If someone learns that their Lp(a) is elevated and can’t simply lower it by eating more vegetables or walking another mile, wouldn’t knowing create unnecessary worry? Not necessarily. Cardiovascular health is made up of multiple factors. While someone may not be able to change the genes influencing Lp(a), a healthcare professional can use that information when considering the person’s overall cardiovascular risk and other factors that may be modifiable. The goal isn’t to become obsessed with one number. It’s to have a clearer picture. This distinction is especially important because healthy habits still matter enormously. Exercise, nutritious food, avoiding tobacco, maintaining appropriate blood pressure and addressing other cardiovascular risk factors remain important even though those behaviors may not significantly change the Lp(a) measurement itself. In other words, “I can’t change my Lp(a)” and “there’s nothing I can do for my heart health” are two very different statements.

What About Treatments?

This is an especially interesting area of research. Scientists are studying medications designed specifically to dramatically reduce Lp(a), including therapies that interfere with the body’s production of apolipoprotein(a). Several have advanced through clinical development, but lowering a laboratory value isn’t the only goal. Researchers need to establish whether reducing Lp(a) actually translates into fewer heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events. Those studies are important because medicine has learned repeatedly that improving a biomarker doesn’t automatically guarantee better health outcomes. For now, treatment decisions for someone with elevated Lp(a) depend on the person’s broader cardiovascular picture and belong in a conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. This is also an area likely to change as new clinical-trial results become available.

One Number, Not the Whole Story

Perhaps the best way to understand Lp(a) is to resist making it either more frightening or less important than it deserves to be. Heart health has never been determined by one number. Not cholesterol. Not blood pressure. Not a calcium score. And not Lp(a). What Lp(a) offers is another window into risk, particularly a portion of risk that may have been inherited rather than acquired through lifestyle. For someone who has spent years carefully watching cholesterol, discovering that another cholesterol-related particle exists may initially feel frustrating. But more information doesn’t have to mean more fear. Sometimes it simply means asking a better question. The next time you’re discussing cholesterol or cardiovascular health with your healthcare provider, Lp(a) may be worth including in the conversation, particularly now that major cardiovascular guidelines recommend measuring it at least once during a lifetime. Your provider can determine whether testing makes sense in your individual circumstances and, if you already have a result, explain what that number means alongside the rest of your health information. For years, most of us learned that knowing our cholesterol was part of understanding our heart health. Medicine now knows the picture is a little more detailed than that. Lp(a) may be only one piece of the puzzle, but for some people, it could be a piece worth knowing about. DENTON COUNTY • 15

“Where we are committed to excellence” RECOGNIZED BY U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT AS BEST NURSING HOME AND SHORT-TERM REHABILITATION FACILITY

Experience The Cantex Advantage Cantex Continuing Care Network has been performing the highest standards of transitional healthcare and long-term residential services for more than 30 years. Ask anyone who knows. Cantex stands for quality.

AMENITIES:

CLINICAL SERVICES

• Private and semi-private studios, some with kitchen elements and/or Frenchdoor courtyard patios

• Library with computer stations and complimentary internet access

• Flat-Screen televisions • 32 channels of satellite television service

• Neighborhood cafes with complimentary premium beverages and snacks

• Wi-Fi internet access

• Restaurant-Style dining room

• Electric beds for easy comfort adjustments

• Beauty/barber shop with full-time beautician

• Living room with fireplace and player piano

• Sedan and van for resident transportation

• Chapel

• Activity program with community outings

• • • • • •

Around-the-clock skilled nursing Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies Wound Management Intravenous Therapy Tracheotomy Care Physician Services

• Medication Administration • Enteral/Parenteral Therapy • X-Ray Services • Laboratory Services

4101 Long Prairie Road, Flower Mound, TX 75028 214-285-3200 | 866-400-7621 (Fax) | www.cantexcc.com

TRANSITIONAL HEALTHCARE IN A LUXURY SETTING Cantex Continuing Care Network is committed to providing the highest level of services to promote recovery and restore independence. We are passionate about patient safety and well-being, devoted in innovation, and dedicated to values of compassion and service.

16 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

INJURED PHYSICALLY OR FINANCIALLY? CALL GUS AT MIGNUCCI LAW FIRM. NO WIN, NO FEE. When the stakes are high, experience matters. Gus Mignucci is an award-winning trial lawyer known for taking on tough cases and fighting for the people and businesses he represents.

MIGNUCCI LAW FIRM

972-370-3378

MignucciLawFirm.com 5344 Alpha Road, Dallas, TX 75240

WE FIGHT FOR YOU PERSONAL INJURY • COMMERCIAL LITIGATION • BREACH OF CONTRACT • BUSINESS LAW DENTON COUNTY • 17

Brian Nwannunu MD, MS Brian Nwannunu, MD, MS, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement. He cares for patients at Texas Joint Institute in Allen and in McKinney, Texas. Dr. Nwannunu, a native of Dallas, graduated Valedictorian from the High School for Health Professions at Townview Magnet Center in DISD. He then earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was part of the Morehouse College Honors Program. Upon graduation, he completed his master’s degree in Physiology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., with a concentration on complementary and alternative medicine. Dr. Nwannunu then graduated with his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Nwannunu completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the John Peter Smith Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas, before pursuing additional training with a fellowship in adult reconstruction at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. In addition to his clinical training, Dr. Nwannunu enjoys mission work abroad, providing medical care and health education to populations in need. He is also one of the few official Jiffy Knee™ surgeons in the North Texas area. He is a member of the American Medical Association, National Medical Association, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. When not working, Dr. Nwannunu enjoys basketball, weight training, outdoor activities, attending art and music festivals, traveling, world news, and reading.

ALLEN 1125 Raintree Cir., Ste. 201, Allen, TX 75013 MCKINNEY 4201 Medical Center Dr., Ste. 100, McKinney, TX 75069

(469) 796-4295 • txjointinstitute.com

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

Left to Right Caetano J. Coimbra, MD; Joseph Beshay, MD

2026

Providing modern, minimally invasive procedures to patients with neurological conditions Dallas Brain, Spine and Skull Base Surgery is a neurosurgical practice that offers over 40 years of experience providing an innovative and collaborative state of the art approach to the care of patients with challenging neurological problems from around the world. Dr. Beshay and Dr. Coimbra have developed unique expertise in the treatment of brain tumors becoming the referral destination for the treatment of patients, especially those with complex or difficult to access tumors. They have also shown a commitment to the development of minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures including the most modern expanded trans–nasal endoscopic skull base surgical techniques and focused extradural approaches to skull base tumors. Dr. Beshay’s interests include tumors of the brain and spine, minimally invasive spine surgery, complex spinal reconstruction, and epilepsy surgery. In addition to surgical treatment of intracranial and spinal disease, he has an interest in neurological bleeding and its reversal. Dr. Beshay’s clinical interests include: benign and malignant brain tumors, neuroendoscopy, epilepsy surgery, intracranial hemorrhage, cranial/ spinal trauma, minimally invasive spine surgery, complex spinal reconstruction with an interest in C1–C2 and occipito–cervical junction disease. Dr. Coimbra restricts his practice mostly to intracranial neurosurgery. This selective tertiary practice has fostered the opportunity to develop unique expertise and commitment to the treatment of malignant and benign brain tumors. He is an expert in the minimally invasive resection of the most complex skull base tumors, including meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, and pituitary tumors. He employs CyberKnife radiation therapy, endoscopic endonasal techniques, and an array of focused skull base approaches to create a customized treatment plan for each patient in his practice. These innovative approaches allow resection of deep, difficult, and complex tumors with minimal brain tissue manipulation and maximal preservation of function. Dr. Coimbra and Dr. Beshay believe in customized patient care and a team approach to medicine with attention to careful selection of the least invasive and most effective treatment for each patient. Their commitment to this philosophy has resulted in maximum preservation of function, less discomfort, shorter hospital stays and durable favorable outcomes for their patients.

7777 Forest Ln., Ste. A307, Dallas, TX 75230 (972) 566–5200 • dallasbrainandspine.com DENTON COUNTY • 19

The Science of

First Impressions By GRACE EVANS

ou walk into a room and meet someone for the first time. Before you’ve learned where they’re from, what they do, or even whether they prefer dogs or cats, your brain has already started forming an opinion. Friendly. Intimidating. Confident. Trustworthy. All of this happens astonishingly fast. Researchers Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov at Princeton University found that people began forming impressions of qualities such as trustworthiness, competence and likeability after seeing an unfamiliar face for just 100 milliseconds. That’s one-tenth of a second. Even more interesting, giving participants additional time often increased their confidence in those judgments without substantially changing the impressions they had already formed. In other words, your brain can make up its mind before you’ve had much of a chance to think. Why are we so quick to judge?

20 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Part of the answer may lie in the basic job our brains have always performed: rapidly making sense of the people and situations around us. Is this person friendly? Is something wrong? Should I approach or keep my distance? We constantly gather information from facial expressions, posture, eye contact, tone of voice and behavior. That ability can be remarkably useful. It can also be remarkably unfair. Imagine meeting someone at a party who barely speaks and avoids eye contact. You might leave thinking, “She certainly wasn’t very friendly.” But perhaps she was painfully shy. Maybe she had just received upsetting news. Or perhaps she simply felt uncomfortable walking into a room where she knew no one. You observed something real. Your interpretation of why it happened may be completely wrong. That distinction is important because first impressions are not always useless. Psychologists have studied something called “thin-slice”

The next time you immediately dislike someone, try becoming curious about your reaction.

judgments, our ability to draw conclusions from very brief glimpses of behavior. Research published in the Journal of Research in Personality found that people could make moderately accurate judgments about certain characteristics after only five seconds of observation. But accuracy depended heavily on what they were trying to judge. Some characteristics became easier to assess with additional exposure, while others remained much harder to read. Your instincts may pick up something meaningful, they’re just not mind readers. Our biggest mistake may be taking that first impression and turning it into a finished biography. A person who appears confident becomes arrogant. Someone who is quiet becomes unfriendly. We take one piece of information and start filling in the blanks. A person’s appearance complicates things further. Then something else happens. Once we have decided what we think about someone, we tend to notice things that support our original opinion. Suppose you decide a new coworker is inconsiderate. The next time she walks past without saying hello, you think, “I knew it.” But when she brings coffee for everyone the following morning, you may treat that as an exception rather than evidence that your original assessment deserves reconsideration. That’s one reason an inaccurate first impression can have such staying power. Of course, there is another side to this story: we are someone else’s first impression, too. That can be useful to remember before a job interview, first date, business meeting or introduction to a new

neighbor. You don’t need to manufacture a personality or become the most charismatic person in the room. Small signals matter. Looking up from your phone, making eye contact when appropriate, offering a genuine smile, or being a good listener. The next time you immediately dislike someone, try becoming curious about your reaction. What exactly caused it? Was it something the person actually did, or something you assumed about what the behavior meant? Likewise, be careful when your first impression is overwhelmingly positive. We tend to talk about trusting our gut only when our gut is warning us about someone, but positive snap judgments can be wrong, too. Charm isn’t character, confidence isn’t competence, and a warm first meeting doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about someone. Time reveals information that first impressions simply cannot. Perhaps that’s the most useful lesson from the science. Think about the people you love today. There’s a good chance at least one of them didn’t impress you very much when you first met. Perhaps you thought your closest friend talked too much. Your spouse seemed aloof. The coworker who eventually became a treasured friend initially drove you crazy. Fortunately, you kept gathering evidence. First impressions have their place. They help us navigate a complicated social world and occasionally alert us to things worth noticing. But they deserve to be treated as a first draft, not a final verdict.

DENTON COUNTY • 21

Left to right John S. Early, MD Terry K. Gemas, MD William F. Tucker, Jr., MD Duncan L. McKellar, Jr., MD J. Conner Ryan, MD Brian I. Nwannunu, MD Florian F. Dibra, MD Charles E. Toulson, MD Cyrus E. Abbaschian, MD Donald W. Hohman, MD J. Stephen Appleton, MD Alexander S. Greenstein, MD Kwame A. Ennin, MD Samuel K. Stephenson, MD Raj Yalamanchili, MD Emmanuel D. Eisenstein, MD

At Texas Joint Institute, our growing team of highly skilled orthopedic surgeons and medical professionals are at the forefront of bone and joint health. From joint replacements and minimally invasive treatment options to complex joint reconstruction and treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, our team offers a wide range of services to help you get back to your daily activities you enjoy.

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

TXJOINTINSTITUTE.COM 22 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Phone: (972) 566-5255

| Fax: (972) 566-5236

OLIVIA ROGERS, RN, BSN, CHPN, CHPO, MBA, is a leading voice in health care and senior services and the Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer of VNA Texas. Dear Olivia, My husband is coming home from the hospital after a long battle with cancer, and we feel overwhelmed by the thought of caring for him at home. We know VNA hospice will support us, but we don’t know what to say to him—or if we should avoid talking about dying so that he doesn’t lose hope. Our grown children and I want to help him be at peace and make the most of the time we have left, but we don’t know how. ~Don’t Know What to Say Dear Don’t Know What to Say, First, I want you to know how deeply sorry I am that you and your family are walking through this. Bringing a loved one home on hospice can feel frightening and overwhelming. You are not alone—many families face these same questions and worries.

Some people want to talk openly about what’s ahead; others do not. Both are okay. Listen for cues, and follow his lead. • Be present, even when words are hard. You don’t need the “right” thing to say. Sitting quietly, holding a hand, sharing memories, or simply saying “I love you” can be incredibly comforting. • Use your hospice team. Social workers, bereavement counselors, and spiritual care providers are specially trained to help families navigate these conversations and emotions. They can guide both you and your adult children through this time. • Support the whole family. Hospice care includes support for loved ones of all ages. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness—it’s an important part of caring well.

Hospice is not a place, but a philosophy of care. It is focused on comfort, dignity, and quality of life—for your husband and for your entire family. It’s very common to wonder whether talking about dying will take away hope. In my experience, hope often changes rather than disappears. Hope may shift from cure to comfort, from more time to meaningful time, or from fear to peace.

Our goal is to help ensure your husband’s final days are as comfortable and meaningful as possible, while surrounding your family with compassion and support. We all want to ensure our loved ones get the best care possible at the right time.

Here are a few gentle guidelines that may help: • Let your husband lead the conversation.

With warmth and care, ~Olivia

Hospice & Palliative Care

Ann’s Haven vnatexas.org NIJH

ACCREDITED

To schedule your free in-home informational visit please call (940) 349-5900 or email gethelp@vnatexas.org For volunteer opportunities please call (214) 689-2271 or email volunteer@vnatexas.org DENTON COUNTY • 23

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

Texas Back Institute Texas Back Institute (TBI) has served the North Texas area in spine care for nearly 50 years. An uncompromising desire to put patients first and provide individualized spine care has helped change the treatment options available to patients for neck and back pain. Today, TBI is a leader in artificial disc replacement, minimally invasive spine surgery, complex revision surgery, and treatment of spinal deformity. TBI has trained hundreds of surgeons, scientists, and allied health professionals now practicing worldwide. Its research institute employs state-of-the-art technology and is actively involved in many clinical trials, including artificial disc replacement, minimally invasive technologies, and robotic spine surgery. Texas Back Institute has remained one of the most academic practices in spine care. It is one of the largest multidisciplinary spine centers in the world, providing comprehensive care for neck and back pain. With a fully dedicated staff of board-certified orthopedic spine surgeons, neurosurgeons, physiatrists, and physical therapists, the TBI team works together to support its mission of helping patients get back to life. The 27 physicians at Texas Back Institute are leaders in the surgical

24 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

and nonsurgical treatment options for back and neck pain, from the most common outpatient procedures to the most complex cases. Thanks to the unmatched expertise of the medical staff, the advanced diagnostic testing, and an unparalleled commitment to patient care, the Texas Back Institute physicians can identify the potential cause of your pain and create a treatment plan specific to your needs. Texas Back Institute has developed several spine specialty programs. These include the Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Center, Center for Disc Replacement, Scoliosis and Spine Tumor Center, and Complex Back Surgery Center. These programs give patients access to highly-trained care teams who focus specifically on these areas of spine care, allowing patients in the North Texas area access to treatment options for their individual problems from physicians with extensive experience in these areas. “At Texas Back Institute, finding the right solution for each patient and offering the least invasive treatment is core to our belief and the foundation for all treatment plans.” Dr. Michael Duffy.

TOP ROW: Sheena Bhuva, MD; Michael Duffy, MD; Alejandro Carrasquilla, MD; Brian Braaksma, MD; Theodore Belanger, MD; Stephen Tolhurst, MD; Blake Staub, MD; Alexander Satin, MD; Ivan Cheng, MD; Kevin Ju, MD; Akwasi Boah, MD; Junyoung “Jon” Ahn, MD; Chun Lin, MD BOTTOM ROW: Adewale Adeniran, MD; Thomas Kosztowski, MD; Rey Bosita, MD; Rajesh Arakal, MD; Jessica Shellock, MD; Isador Lieberman, MD, MBA, FRCSC; Richard Guyer, MD; Jack Zigler, MD, FACS; Scott Blumenthal, MD; Kevin Gill, MD; Nayan Patel, MD; Craig Lankford, MD; Michael Hisey, MD; Uche Davidson, MD

CENTRAL PLANO 4001 W. 15th St., Ste. 455 Medical Office Bldg. III Plano, TX 75093

ALLIANCE 3025 N. Tarrant Pkwy., Ste. 220 Fort Worth (Alliance), TX 76177

FORT WORTH 1650 W. Rosedale St., Ste. 301 Fort Worth, TX 76104

ARGYLE 310 FM 407E, Ste. 100 Argyle, TX 76226 DALLAS 12222 N. Central Expy. Pavilion II, Ste. 310 Dallas, TX 75243

FRISCO 5575 Frisco Square Blvd. Ste. 400 Frisco, TX 75034

PLANO 6020 W. Parker Rd., Ste. 200 Plano, TX 75093

MANSFIELD 2925 E. Broad St., Ste. 101 Mansfield, TX 76063

ROCKWALL 3164 Horizon Rd., Ste. 100 Rockwall, TX 75032

DENTON 3537 S. Interstate 35, Ste. 308 Denton, TX 76210

McKINNEY 4510 Medical Center Dr., Ste. 106 McKinney, TX 75069

FLOWER MOUND 4370 Medical Arts Dr. River Walk Bldg. III, Ste. 230 Flower Mound, TX 75028

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS 4351 Booth Calloway Dr. Ste. 404 Fort Worth, TX 76180

SACSHE 4650 President George Bush Turnpike, Ste. 100 Sachse, TX 75048 WICHITA FALLS 501 Midwestern Pkwy. E Wichita Falls, TX 76302

(972) 608-5100 • texasback.com DENTON COUNTY • 25

We Preserve, Enhance, and Protect your vision. OUR SERVICES: Macular Degeneration Diabetic Eye Disease Retinal Vein & Artery Occlusions Flashes & Floaters Retinal Tears & Detachments Macular Pucker/Epiretinal Membrane Macular Holes Uveitis

MATTHEW K. ADAMS, MD, MBA At Texas Macula & Retina, our mission is to provide exceptional eye care with a focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of retinal disorders. Dr. Adams is a board-certified Ophthalmologist and Ophthalmic Surgeon specializing in Vitreoretinal Surgery. His principal areas of interest include age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment repair, macular surgery, retinal lasers, and secondary intraocular lens implantation. Dr. Adams and his team are committed to preserving and improving the vision and overall quality of life for our patients by offering the most advanced and personalized retina care available.

Livingwell

Texas Macula & Retina, PLLC 6843 Communications Pkwy., Ste. 810 Plano, TX 75024

TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

26 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

texasmr.com (972) 440-2020

Digital Eye Strain When Your Eyes Need a Break from Your Screen By MATTHEW K. ADAMS, MD, MBA

y the time you finish reading this article, there is a good chance you’ll have checked your phone, glanced at a text, looked at a television, or wondered why the font on your screen suddenly seems to have been designed for ants. Welcome to life after 50 in the digital age. Smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, and even car dashboards become part of everyday life. While these devices are incredibly useful, hours spent staring at screens can leave our eyes tired, dry, irritated, blurry, and generally unhappy. These symptoms are commonly called Digital Eye Strain. And despite what you may have read on Facebook or Reddit, your smartphone probably isn’t permanently ruining your eyes. But it certainly can make them feel miserable. Why Screens Make Our Eyes Tired When we look at a screen for long periods, our eyes work harder than we realize. We constantly focus, refocus, track words, adjust to glare, and deal with differences in contrast and lighting. One of the biggest problems is surprisingly simple…we forget to blink! Normally, we blink regularly to spread tears across the surface of our eyes. When concentrating on a phone or computer, blinking can decrease significantly, resulting in dry, burning, and gritty eyes. And after age 50, dry eye is already more common. Add several hours of scrolling through Facebook, reading the news, answering emails, or watching videos, and your eyes may feel like they just spent the afternoon in a West Texas Haboob (that’s a big dust storm for those of you who did not grow up in Texas). Your Arms Aren’t Getting Shorter Many adults notice another phenomenon around their 40s and 50s: menus, medicine bottles, and phones seem increasingly difficult to read unless they are held farther away. This loss of near vision as you age is called Presbyopia. Screens can make this more noticeable because we spend so much time looking at small print at close distances. If you are constantly increasing the font size, squinting, removing your glasses, or holding your phone halfway across the room, it may be time for an updated prescription. What About Blue Light? Blue light has received plenty of attention, and blue-light-blocking glasses have become a booming business. Current evidence does not show that normal exposure to blue light from phones or computers causes permanent damage to your eyes.

However, bright screens, especially at night, can interfere with your sleep cycle and contribute to dry eyes. Turning down screen brightness and limiting screen use before bedtime may benefit both your eyes and your sleep. Give Your Eyes a Vacation Fortunately, reducing digital eye strain does not require moving to a cabin without Wi-Fi. Try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something approximately 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This allows your focusing muscles to relax and gives your eyes a break. You can also make a few other simple changes: • Increase the font size rather than squinting. • Keep your screen approximately an arm’s length away. • Reduce glare from nearby windows and lights. • Match your screen brightness to the room around you. • Remember to blink. • Consider artificial tears if your eyes frequently feel dry. And yes, scrolling through your phone while watching television technically counts as looking at two screens, not taking a break from one. Don’t Blame Everything on Your Phone This may be the most important point. Blurred vision, difficulty reading, headaches, dry eyes, or changes in vision should not automatically be dismissed as “too much screen time.” After age 50, conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, and changes in your prescription become increasingly important to detect. Many serious eye diseases can develop with few or no symptoms in their early stages. That is why routine comprehensive eye examinations should be a priority, even if you think you see perfectly well. Your eye doctor can check your prescription, evaluate the health of your eyes, identify causes of dryness or discomfort, and look for potentially serious conditions before they begin affecting your vision. Technology is not going away, and thankfully, neither are cat videos, FaceTime with the grandkids, online shopping, or whatever rabbit hole YouTube sends you down at 11 p.m. Enjoy your screens. Just remember to give your eyes an occasional break. And most importantly, make sure those eyes get checked regularly. You only get one pair, and unlike your smartphone, there is no upgraded model coming out next year. DENTON COUNTY • 27

The Things Nobody Uses Anymore By EVELYN MARSHALL

hen was the last time you unfolded a paper map across the hood of a car? Looked up a number in the phone book? Dropped off a roll of film and waited several days to discover whether any of your pictures were actually good? Chances are, you didn't consciously decide to stop doing any of those things. One day you simply realized you hadn't done them in years. That's the funny thing about everyday objects. They rarely announce their departure. There is no farewell party for the answering machine or final ceremony for the Rolodex. Technology quietly replaces them, habits change, and before long something that once seemed indispensable becomes an object younger family members hold up and ask, "What did you do with this?" Plenty of things from the past deserve to stay there. Few people are campaigning for the return of busy signals or trying to revive the experience of rewinding a VHS tape. Still, looking at the things we've stopped using tells an interesting story about how dramatically ordinary life has changed in a relatively short period of time. Consider the telephone. For decades, the telephone was attached to the house. If someone called and you weren't home, they simply didn't reach you. Eventually, answering machines solved part of that problem, giving us the familiar experience of walking through the door and immediately checking for a blinking red light. Caller ID later felt almost revolutionary. Suddenly, you could know who was calling before answering. Today, many households don't have a traditional landline at all. The phone lives in a pocket and does considerably more than make calls. It's our camera, map, calendar, alarm clock, calculator, flashlight, address book, newspaper, music player and occasionally, believe it or not, a telephone. That one device has sent an astonishing number of familiar household objects into retirement. Take the phone book. Once a year, a thick directory landed on the

28 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

doorstep containing what seemed like every person and business in town. Need a plumber? Open the Yellow Pages. Trying to find an old friend? Start with the White Pages and hope there weren't fifteen people with the same last name. There was something wonderfully democratic about the phone book. Almost everybody was in there unless they paid to be unlisted. Today, finding someone can involve search engines, social media, business websites and online directories. It's certainly faster, but there's something amusing about remembering that we once considered a five-pound book of telephone numbers cutting-edge information technology. The paper map has suffered a similar fate. Before GPS, taking a road trip required at least a little navigational competence. Maps were unfolded, refolded incorrectly, turned sideways and occasionally argued over. If you missed an exit, there was no calm voice announcing that your route was being recalculated. You figured it out. Printed maps still exist, of course, and there are perfectly good reasons to keep one around, particularly when traveling somewhere without reliable cell service. But for everyday driving, GPS has largely eliminated the need to know exactly where we are. We know where to turn next, which isn't quite the same thing. Something similar happened to the humble address book. Birthdays, phone numbers and addresses were once written by hand in little alphabetized books, often with so many crossed-out entries that certain pages became historical records of marriages, moves and changed telephone numbers. Lose that book and you had a genuine problem. Today, contacts transfer from one phone to the next with barely a thought. Photography may offer the most dramatic example of how much our relationship with an ordinary activity has changed. A roll of film gave you 24 or 36 chances. That was it. You didn't take 17 nearly identical photographs of dinner. You didn't know whether someone's eyes

were closed until the pictures came back from processing. And every family seemed to own at least one photograph containing a mysterious thumb in the corner. There was also anticipation. You dropped off the film and waited. When the envelope finally arrived, you flipped through every photograph because you genuinely didn't know what you were about to see. Digital photography gave us something undeniably wonderful: the ability to document life almost without limit. We can take thousands of photographs, share them instantly and preserve moments that might otherwise have been missed. The irony is that having more photographs doesn't necessarily mean we look at them more often. A shoebox containing 200 prints may have been opened repeatedly over the years, while 20,000 digital photographs can quietly disappear into a phone. Music has undergone an equally remarkable transformation. Albums gave way to eight-tracks, cassettes, CDs, MP3 players and eventually streaming. Each transition eliminated another physical object from our homes. The record store, once a destination where people browsed album covers and discovered music almost accidentally, became increasingly rare. Convenience won decisively. Today, millions of songs can travel with us anywhere. But choosing an album used to involve a small commitment. You bought it, brought it home, listened to Side A, flipped it over and often discovered songs you hadn't intended to hear. Now we can skip within seconds. Whether that made listening better is probably a matter of opinion. Television required patience too. If a favorite show aired Thursday at 8:00, Thursday at 8:00 was when you watched it. Missing an episode meant hoping for a rerun. Families planned evenings around television schedules, and the next morning millions of people had seen the same thing. The VCR gave viewers their first taste of freedom, assuming someone knew how to program it. Then came DVRs, on-demand television and streaming. Today, waiting a week for another episode can feel almost unreasonable. We've gained extraordinary choice while losing some of the shared anticipation that came from everyone waiting for the same night. Even the way we obtain information has changed. Encyclopedias once occupied entire bookshelves and represented a considerable investment. School reports began with a trip to the library or a search through alphabetical volumes at home. Newspapers told us what happened yesterday, and television news arrived at designated times Now information arrives continuously. A question can be answered before the person asking it has finished wondering about it. That's an extraordinary advancement, but it has also changed our expectations. We no longer merely appreciate immediate information. We expect it.

Other disappearing objects are less sentimental. Few people mourn carbon paper, floppy disks, fax machines or stacks of traveler's checks. Handwritten checks haven't vanished, but they're certainly less common. Printed boarding passes are optional for many travelers. Paper calendars compete with phones that remind us where to be before we've had a chance to forget. Even cash has begun to feel different. There was a time when leaving home without money in your wallet was impractical. Now someone can buy groceries, gasoline and dinner without touching a dollar bill. We tap cards, phones and watches against little machines and move along. Of course, old doesn't automatically mean better. Nostalgia has a habit of editing out inconvenience. Paper maps were frustrating. Film was expensive. Long-distance calls cost money. Waiting for someone who was late was considerably more annoying when you couldn't text, "Where are you?" Technology solved real problems, and most of us aren't interested in giving those solutions back. What makes these disappearing objects worth remembering isn't that we necessarily need them again. It's that they remind us how quickly "normal" changes. Many things we once assumed would always be part of daily life vanished within a generation, and we barely noticed it happening. It also raises an entertaining question about today. Which objects currently sitting around our homes will look equally strange 25 years from now? Will physical credit cards disappear? House keys? Remote controls? Cable boxes? Maybe today's smartphones will eventually look as quaint as a rotary telephone. We won't know until it happens, and that's part of the fun. Somewhere right now, there's probably a drawer containing an old address book, a forgotten roll of film, a stack of CDs or a road map that hasn't been unfolded since 2004. We may never need those things again, but it's difficult to throw some of them away. They aren't just obsolete objects. They're reminders of how we lived, traveled, communicated and entertained ourselves before one little device in our pocket learned how to do almost everything. And if you still have a Rolodex on your desk, don't worry. I’m not judging. Just don't be surprised if someone asks you what it is.

DENTON COUNTY • 29

RICK ROBERTSON

LIZ PORTER

BRIAN LOUGHMILLER

VOTED 2026 TOP LAWYER

Board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Board Certified in family law and civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

KoonsFuller Divorce, Child Custody, Post-Divorce Modifications, Child Support, Marital Property Agreements, Enforcements, Grandparents’ Rights, Paternity, Collaborative Law, And Appeals Your Family, and Their Future, is our Priority. At KoonsFuller, family law is not just what we do, it’s all we do. For over 40 years, we have been dedicated to guiding Dallas families through life’s most complex legal challenges. With 24 Board Certified Attorneys across four North Texas offices, we’re honored to bring a collaborative, tailored and team-based approach to every case. From informal negotiations and mediation to litigation, our experienced attorneys are prepared to handle estates of all sizes, sensitive custody matters, and high-profile cases with the utmost discretion and care. And through all of that, we never lose sight of what matters most: achieving results that protect your family and their future.

CHARLA BRADSHAW

Livingwell TOP LAWYERS

2026

Dallas 1717 McKinney Ave., Suite 1500 Dallas, TX 75202 (214) 871-2727 (Principal Office)

Denton 320 Eagle Dr., Suite 200 Denton, TX 76201 (940) 442-6677

Plano 5700 W. Plano Pkwy., Suite 2200 Plano, TX 75093 (972) 769-2727

Southlake

KoonsFuller.com 30 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

550 Reserve St., Suite 450 Southlake, TX 76092 (817) 481-2710

See Better. Look Better. Feel Better. Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

Left to Right: Leslie Pfeiffer, MD; Anita Jacob, OD; Kimberly Warren, MD; Sadaf Razi ElHaffar, OD; Faisal Haq, MD

• Comprehensive Adult Eye Care • Light Adjustable Lens, Odyssey , Symfony®, PanOptix, Vivity® and the Eyhance IOL ™

• Management of Dry Eye, Glaucoma & Corneal Disease

Convenient locations to serve you in Allen, Arlington, Dallas, Frisco, Greenville, McKinney, Mesquite, North Fort Worth, Plano, Richardson, and Rockwall.

• Eyelid Surgery & Botox® • Laser Vision Correction, EVO ICL™

Give us a call today 972-769-2020 or Toll-Free 800-442-5330 www.keywhitman.com

(username: keywhitman) DENTON COUNTY • 31

T E X A S O N C O L O G Y. C O M

EXPERT COLON CANCER CARE RIGHT WHERE YOU LIVE.

Carly, Colon Cancer Survivor

When you’re diagnosed with colon cancer, you need comprehensive care from renowned physicians, advanced treatment options, leading edge technology, and clinical trials. But you also need to keep being Mom. With more than 280 locations across the state, Texas Oncology provides expert cancer care and keeps you close to those you love. Because we understand that hugs from your six-year-old are an important part of your treatment plan. 32 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

903.868.4700

TRUSTED SPINE CARE FOR OVER 36 YEARS

Luis Antonio Mignucci, MD ADVANCED SPINE CARE. PROVEN EXPERIENCE. Dr. Luis Mignucci, the founder of Neurospine Surgical Consultants, has helped patients throughout the DallasFort Worth area find relief from spine and neurological conditions for more than 36 years. Awarded Top Doctor from Living Well Magazine and has been awarded Best Doctor by D Magazine an unprecedented 24 consecutive years. He is one of the few neurosurgeons in the nation certified by both the American Board of Spine Surgery and the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Dr. Mignucci specializes in the surgical management of spinal tumors and spine conditions, including scoliosis and spondylolisthesis. Additionally, he performs minimally invasive procedures to treat ruptured discs in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Neurospine Surgical Consultants is located within Windhaven Medical Plaza, home to Windhaven Medical Imaging and its advanced 3T MRI technology. Patients can often be evaluated and complete diagnostic imaging the same day, helping expedite diagnosis and treatment. The building also houses the recently expanded Windhaven Ambulatory Surgery Center, offering state-of-the-art surgical care in one convenient location.

EXPERT DIAGNOSIS. ADVANCED TREATMENT. COMPASSIONATE CARE.

Windhaven Medical Plaza 6160 Windhaven Parkway, Ste. 200 Plano, TX 75093

Livingwell

(972) 378-6908

2026

TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

neurospinesurgical.com DENTON COUNTY • 33

What’s the Buzz? By JULIA PORTER

few years ago, most of us could probably go through an entire week without hearing the word “peptide.” Now it seems to be everywhere. Peptides are showing up in conversations about weight loss, muscle, recovery, skin care, healthy aging, energy, longevity, and teeth! Scroll through social media long enough and you’re almost guaranteed to encounter someone talking enthusiastically about a peptide you’ve never heard of. So, what exactly are peptides, and why are we suddenly hearing so much about them? The first thing to understand is that peptides themselves aren’t new, exotic or inherently controversial. Your body has been making them all along. Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the same basic building blocks used to make proteins. One easy way to picture the difference is to imagine amino acids as individual beads. String several together and you have a peptide. Build a much longer and more complex chain and you’re moving into protein territory. That sounds simple enough, but what peptides do in the body is anything but simple. Different peptides can act as messengers, helping cells and organs communicate and influencing a wide range of biological processes. Some are involved in hormones, metabolism and immune function, while others play roles in appetite, blood sugar regulation and numerous other functions that researchers continue to study. This is also where today’s peptide conversation can become confusing. “Peptide” isn’t the name of one treatment any more than “vitamin” is the name of one nutrient. There are many different peptides, and they can have completely different effects. Saying that something is a peptide tells you something about its structure, but very little about whether it is effective, appropriate, FDA-approved or even well studied in humans.

You’ve Probably Heard of Peptide Drugs Already

Although the terminology may sound futuristic, peptide-based medicines have been around for decades. Insulin is one familiar example of a peptide hormone used therapeutically. Other peptide medicines have been developed for conditions ranging from osteoporosis to certain cancers. Then there are the medications that helped turn “peptide” into a mainstream word: GLP-1 receptor agonists. Some widely known medications used for diabetes and weight management are peptide-based drugs designed to interact with biological pathways involved in appetite and blood sugar regulation. These are pharmaceuticals that have gone through formal development, clinical trials and regulatory review for specific uses. That’s very different from seeing an unfamiliar peptide advertised online as a shortcut to faster healing, more muscle or slower aging. Unfortunately, those two worlds are increasingly being blended together in well34 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

ness marketing. Someone may hear that an established prescription medication is a peptide and reasonably conclude that another substance described as a peptide must have similar scientific credibility. It doesn’t work that way. Every individual compound has to stand on its own evidence.

Where Things Get Murkier

The current peptide boom extends well beyond FDA-approved medicines. Names such as BPC-157, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, MOTS-c and TB-500 have migrated from research discussions into gyms, wellness clinics, podcasts and social media feeds. They may be promoted for everything from injury recovery and muscle development to metabolism and longevity, but in several cases the enthusiasm has moved much faster than the science. For a number of peptides currently promoted for wellness purposes, human research remains limited or nonexistent. BPC-157 is a good example. Despite the attention it has received online for supposed healing and recovery benefits, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has identified no, or only limited, safety information for proposed human uses and has raised concerns about possible immune reactions and peptide-related impurities. The agency has identified limited safety information or other potential concerns involving several additional peptides that have become popular in wellness circles. That doesn’t mean researchers will never discover useful applications for these compounds. Medicine advances because scientists investigate promising ideas, and today’s experimental compound could conceivably become tomorrow’s legitimate treatment. It simply means that “being studied” and “proven to work safely in people” are not interchangeable phrases. That’s an important distinction whenever something begins trending faster than the clinical evidence behind it.

The Compounding Question

Another word frequently heard alongside peptides is “compounded.” Compounding has a legitimate place in medicine. A pharmacist might prepare a special formulation for a patient who cannot use an available FDA-approved product because of an allergy, dosage requirement or another specific medical need. However, compounded medications aren’t FDA-approved. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains, that means the agency does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed. The FDA also cautions that poor compounding practices can result in problems such as contamination or medications containing too much or too little of an active ingredient. That distinction can easily disappear in advertising. A

product being available through a clinic or compounding pharmacy doesn’t mean the FDA has evaluated and approved that particular compounded product. With peptides, manufacturing quality deserves particular attention because these molecules can be complicated to produce and characterize. The FDA has specifically raised concerns about peptide-related impurities and the potential for immune reactions with some compounded peptide substances. Put more simply, where a product comes from and how it was produced can matter considerably.

What About Peptide Supplements?

Walk through the supplement aisle or search online and you’ll find another category entirely: products marketed as peptide supplements, including collagen peptides. These shouldn’t automatically be grouped together with injectable or prescription peptide drugs. Collagen peptides, for example, are fragments of collagen protein typically consumed orally, and the digestive system breaks dietary proteins and peptides down as part of normal digestion. A collagen peptide powder and a prescription peptide medication may both contain the word “peptide,” but that doesn’t make them comparable products. The same caution applies to peptide skin-care products. Certain peptides are used in cosmetic formulations and marketed for their potential effects on the appearance of skin. That’s a very different route of exposure and purpose from injecting a peptide intended to produce effects throughout the body. One word is being used across several very different categories, which helps explain some of the confusion.

Why Peptides Are So Appealing

It’s not difficult to understand the fascination. The idea of sending a targeted message to the body sounds almost tailor-made for modern medicine. Instead of broadly affecting multiple systems, researchers hope certain peptide therapies can interact with particular receptors or biological pathways. That potential has made peptide drug development an active and legitimate area of pharmaceutical research. But promising science tends to attract marketing long before all of the questions have been answered. The wellness industry is particularly good at taking legitimate scientific concepts and moving them several steps beyond what the evidence actually supports. A laboratory finding becomes “breakthrough research.” Early animal research becomes “scientifically proven.” A compound being investigated for one purpose starts appearing online as a solution for five others. None of this means the underlying science is unimportant. It means consumers need to separate the excitement surrounding a field from the evidence supporting a particular product.

A Better Way to Think About the Peptide Boom

Perhaps the most useful way to approach the peptide conversation isn’t to decide whether peptides as a whole are “good” or “bad.” The category is simply too broad for that. A prescription peptide medication with years of clinical evidence and an experimental injectable promoted by an influencer may share a scientific classification while having little else in common. Instead, the important questions concern the particular product. Which peptide are we talking about? What is it supposed to do? Has that claim actually been studied in people? Is there an FDA-approved medication containing it for that purpose? Where is the product coming from? What is known about its risks? Those questions aren’t nearly as exciting as a dramatic before-and-after photograph on social media, but they’re considerably more useful. If a peptide you’ve heard about interests you, especially an injectable or one promoted for effects such as weight loss, muscle growth, healing or longevity, a qualified healthcare professional can help distinguish established medical uses from emerging research and marketing claims. Bringing the exact name of the compound to that conversation is far more useful than simply asking about “peptides.”

Worth Watching, Without the Hype

Peptides aren’t a passing invention created by the wellness industry. They’re fundamental parts of human biology, and peptide-based medicines already play important roles in modern healthcare. Research into new peptide therapies may eventually produce treatments we haven’t imagined yet. At the same time, the excitement surrounding peptides has created a marketplace where established medicine, experimental science and aggressive wellness marketing can look remarkably similar from the outside. That’s where a little healthy skepticism becomes valuable. You don’t need to memorize a list of complicated peptide names or become an amateur pharmacologist. You simply need to recognize that the word “peptide” by itself isn’t a stamp of safety, effectiveness or scientific proof. The next time peptides come up at dinner, at the gym, on a podcast or in your social media feed, you’ll know that the real question isn’t whether peptides are the next big thing. Some already are important medicines, others may someday become important medicines, and some may never live up to the promises currently being made about them. For now, that’s probably the most useful way to approach the peptide craze: be interested in the science, ask good questions, and don’t let the buzz get ahead of the evidence.

“Natural” Doesn’t Settle the Question

Peptides are sometimes marketed in language suggesting they’re safer because peptides occur naturally in the human body. That reasoning sounds reassuring, but it oversimplifies biology. The body carefully regulates when, where and how much of its signaling molecules are produced. Introducing a substance from outside the body isn’t necessarily equivalent to the body’s own tightly controlled production of it. Dose, purity, route of administration and possible interactions can all matter, as can the particular peptide itself. Even medicines based on substances naturally present in the body can have side effects, contraindications and meaningful biological effects. The word “natural” may sound comforting on an advertisement, but it doesn’t settle questions about safety or effectiveness. DENTON COUNTY • 35

David Shau, MD/MBA Texas Hip and Knee Center Fellowship Co-Director and Faculty at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University Dr. David Shau is a native Texan, born in Fort Worth, TX. He graduated high school in Flower Mound, TX, and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied biomedical engineering. Dr. Shau then ventured out-of-state to work at leading academic orthopedic surgery centers, including Vanderbilt University, Emory University, and University of California, San Francisco, before being recruited to return home to practice at the premier DFW joint replacement group, the Texas Hip and Knee Center (THK). Dr. Shau has quickly built his practice through connecting with his community, committing to quality service, and delivering excellent patient care. He utilizes a variety of techniques and approaches for hip and knee care, including direct anterior hip replacements, and offers technology-assisted surgeries, such as Mako Technology for partial and total joint replacements. He also specializes in revision joint surgeries and enjoys complex, challenging cases. As a result of dedicating himself to his craft, his partners at THK promoted him to Fellowship Co-Director early in his practice. Dr. Shau also serves as a Physician Development Coach and is an Assistant Professor at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, where he enjoys his roles as a teacher, mentor, and coach. In his free time, he enjoys food, sports, music, and spending time with his wife and daughter. For more information on Dr. Shau’s care philosophy and the techniques/approaches offered for hip and knee care, please visit DavidShauMD.com.

Dr. Shau has three office locations: 10900 Founders Way, Ste. 201, Fort Worth, TX 76244 6301 Harris Parkway, Ste. 300, Fort Worth, TX 76132 5450 Clearfork Main, Ste. 100, Fort Worth, TX 76109

Please call 817-433-8301 for an appointment. 36 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Don’t let hip or knee pain keep you from what you love.

Find a doctor who uses Mako, visit

MakoCan.com

All surgery carries risk. Talk to your doctor to see if joint replacement is right for you. JR-MKOSYM-GRAP-681675

Scan. Plan. Mako Can. DENTON COUNTY • 37

Time Sure Does Fly! By AMANDA FISHER

ur childhood had an entirely different clock. The three weeks before Christmas lasted approximately six months. Summer vacation was practically an era. Somewhere along the way, the math reversed. Now we’re the ones saying, “How can it possibly be September already?” or the increasingly disturbing, “Didn’t we just take the Christmas decorations down?” A day still contains 24 hours, and the calendar continues to hand everyone the same 365 days most years. Yet our experience of those days can change dramatically. Psychologists have studied this strange relationship with time for decades, and while there isn’t one neat explanation for why life seems to speed up, there are some fascinating clues. Memory, attention, routine, emotion and new experiences all appear to influence whether a stretch of life feels substantial or disappears in the rearview mirror. Psychologist Ruth Ogden, a professor at Liverpool John Moores University who studies time perception, explained to the American Psychological Association that people consistently report time seeming to pass faster as they get older, although researchers are still working out exactly why. Think about an ordinary year of childhood. Nearly everything was new. There were new teachers and classmates, first sleepovers, and first dances. Even relatively uneventful years contained experiences the brain had never encountered before. We were also paying atten-

38 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

tion because we had to. A child learning to ride a bicycle doesn’t pedal down the sidewalk while mentally composing tomorrow’s grocery list. Adult life is more efficient. We know how to get places, complete familiar tasks and navigate the rhythms of our days without devoting much thought to them. We drive the same roads, shop at familiar stores, and settle into routines that keep life running. That efficiency is useful. Imagine having to approach brushing your teeth every morning with the concentration of someone defusing a bomb. The downside is that familiar experiences don't always leave behind the same collection of distinctive memories. That may be one reason a week can feel perfectly full while we’re living it and nearly disappear when we look back. Monday contained work, errands and dinner. Tuesday contained work, errands and dinner. By Sunday, plenty happened, but there may not be many memorable markers separating one day from another.

Your Brain Isn't a Stopwatch Our sense of time is surprisingly dependent on what we're doing when we measure it. Sit in a waiting room watching the clock and ten minutes can become a personal endurance event. Spend an hour having dinner with people you enjoy and somebody inevitably looks at the time and says, “Is it really that late?”

Psychologists distinguish between experiencing time while it is happening and estimating it afterward. When we're consciously paying attention to time, attention plays an important role in how long something seems to last. Looking backward is different. Research on retrospective time perception suggests that we reconstruct duration partly from memories of what occurred during that period. This creates one of time's stranger tricks. A great vacation may seem to fly while you're on it because you're enjoying yourself and aren't watching the clock. Yet when you return home, the trip can feel wonderfully long in memory. You remember the first restaurant, the unexpected rainstorm, the excursion that didn't go as planned, the beautiful view and the night everyone laughed until they cried. Your brain has a lot of material filed under “that week.” Compare that with a week spent mostly following your normal routine. It lasted exactly as long, but when you look back there may be fewer distinct events to retrieve. Researchers continue to study the mechanics, but evidence supports the idea that contextual changes and remembered event boundaries can influence our judgments of how long past experiences lasted. That helps explain why certain periods of our lives seem enormous in retrospect.

Remember When We Had to Wait?

There may be another reason adulthood feels faster: we have become very good at eliminating empty time. Standing in line once meant standing in line. Waiting for a friend meant looking around until the friend arrived. Sitting in a doctor's office meant reading a threemonth-old magazine and learning far more than you ever intended about a celebrity you didn't follow. Now a spare 90 seconds can be filled immediately. We check texts, email, weather, news or social media. We order groceries while waiting for an oil change and answer work messages while standing in the checkout line. We don't merely have more ways to occupy our attention. We've developed the expectation that practically no moment needs to remain unoccupied. That has advantages, but it also means we spend less time noticing time itself. Ogden points out that when we're enjoying ourselves and absorbed in something, we tend to pay less attention to time and it can seem to fly. When we're bored, stressed or waiting for something unpleasant to end, we're much more likely to monitor the clock, which can make the same amount of time feel slower. Children, meanwhile, do a lot of waiting. They wait for birthdays, school breaks, driver's licenses and the day they're finally old enough to do whatever adults have just told them they're too young to do. Adults often have the opposite relationship with the calendar. Instead of wishing Friday would hurry up, we're wondering how Friday got here so quickly. There's also a popular theory that a year feels shorter because it represents a progressively smaller fraction of the life we've already lived. At 10, a year is a substantial chunk of your entire existence. Much later, it represents a considerably smaller fraction. It's an appealing idea and may describe part of our subjective experience, but time perception is more complicated than a simple mathematical formula. Attention, memory, emotion, routine and our expectations about time all enter the picture.

Give the Year Some Landmarks

The obvious question is whether we can do anything about it. We can't actually slow time, short of convincing the entire planet to renegotiate the laws of physics. Nor should we turn life into a frantic campaign to

We've developed the expectation that practically no moment needs to remain unoccupied. manufacture memorable experiences. Nobody needs the additional pressure of wondering whether Tuesday was sufficiently novel. What we can do is occasionally interrupt autopilot. Novel experiences receive more attention precisely because they're unfamiliar, and research has found that novelty can enhance memory under certain conditions. Fortunately, novelty doesn't require an African safari or jumping out of an airplane. Trying the restaurant you've driven past for five years counts. So does taking a class, visiting a nearby town, or finally attempting something you've always said you'd like to learn. Small departures from routine can become surprisingly strong memory markers. Making life feel fuller doesn't necessarily require doing more. For people whose schedules are already packed, doing more may be the last thing they need. It may be more about noticing more. If our memories help construct our sense of how much life has passed, then being present enough to form those memories matters. Photographs can help, although there's a difference between documenting a moment and spending the entire moment documenting it. Take the picture. Then perhaps put the phone away and look at the actual sunset, birthday cake or ridiculous thing the dog is doing. The camera doesn't need 63 versions. One of you should probably experience it firsthand. Looking back occasionally can help distinguish the months as well. You don't need to start an elaborate journal unless that appeals to you. A few photographs, calendar entries or notes about what happened can remind you that the year contained more than you thought. “Where did the year go?” sometimes becomes easier to answer when we can actually see where it went. There is something comforting about realizing that the sensation of speeding time doesn't necessarily mean life itself is slipping away unnoticed. Part of what we're experiencing may simply be the efficiency of a brain that has seen a lot before. We recognize patterns, automate familiar tasks and move through known territory without needing to study every detail. That's experience doing its job. We probably can't make a year last as long as summer vacation did when we were kids. But we can give our memories enough new material that December doesn't feel as though it arrived directly after April. And considering how quickly the Christmas decorations seem to return to the stores, we'll take whatever help we can get.

DENTON COUNTY • 39

Better Hearing KEEPS YOU

Connected! » Staffed by 2 Licensed, Doctors of Audiology » Hearing Aid Fittings, Maintenance and Repairs » Invisible Fittings/Open Fittings » Evaluation Period On All Hearing Aids » Hearing Evaluations For All Ages » Wireless/Connectivity Hearing Solutions » Battery Purchase Programs » Custom Ear Protection » Assistive Devices

HEARING SERVICES OF McKINNEY

CASSANDRA WILSON, Au.D. DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY

hearinmckinney.com

972.838.1300 3600 Eldorado Pkwy., Building B, Suite 1 McKinney, TX 75070

TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

Monday–Thursday: 8:30am-5:00pm Friday: 8:30am-2:00pm

Locally Owned and Operated • Financing Options Available 40 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Livingwell

Is Fear Keeping You From Better Hearing? Courtesy HEARING SERVICES OF McKINNEY

ost of us would rather not discover that something about our health has changed. We put off the eye exam because we’re getting by with drugstore readers. We ignore the tooth that’s becoming sensitive. And when family members suggest that the television seems awfully loud, we may insist that everyone else simply talks too quietly. Hearing can be particularly easy to put off. Sometimes the reason is denial, but often there’s something else behind it: fear. The possibility of hearing loss can bring up all kinds of concerns. Will I need hearing aids? Will people notice them? Will I still enjoy music? Does hearing loss mean I’m getting old? What if my hearing continues to get worse? Those concerns are understandable.

When Not Knowing Feels Easier

Hearing loss usually develops gradually, making it remarkably easy to accommodate. You turn the television up a notch. You start choosing a seat where you can see everyone’s face. At a restaurant, you smile when everyone else laughs even though you didn’t quite catch the joke. Eventually, those little adjustments can become normal. Family and friends often recognize the change first. Unfortunately, their well-intentioned comments can make someone defensive. “You need hearing aids” may be meant as helpful advice, but it can feel like criticism. That can make it even easier to avoid having your hearing checked. A hearing evaluation, however, doesn’t automatically lead to hearing aids. It simply provides information. You may discover your hearing is within a healthy range, learn that certain sounds have become more difficult to hear, or find that treatment could make everyday communication considerably easier. Knowing gives you options.

The Fear of Hearing Aids

For some people, the hearing test isn’t nearly as intimidating as what might come afterward. Hearing aids still carry outdated stereotypes. Someone may picture the noticeable devices a grandparent wore decades ago and decide, “I’m not ready for that.” Today’s hearing technology looks very different. Many devices are remarkably small and discreet, and some offer features such as rechargeable batteries, smartphone connectivity and Bluetooth streaming. Depending on the technology, you may be able to send phone

calls, music, podcasts and other audio directly to your hearing aids. There’s another question worth considering: What do people actually notice more, a small hearing device or repeatedly asking them to repeat themselves? Treating hearing loss isn’t an announcement that you’ve gotten older. It’s a practical decision to make communication easier.

When Fear Causes Us to Pull Away

Another concern we hear is that hearing loss will change relationships and favorite activities. Ironically, avoiding the problem can sometimes make those fears more likely to become reality. When following conversation becomes difficult, a dinner with friends can feel like work. Restaurants become frustrating. Group conversations move too quickly. Eventually, declining an invitation may seem easier than spending an evening struggling to keep up. Treating hearing loss isn’t only about hearing sounds. It’s about staying part of the conversation.

Replace Worry With Information

If you’re concerned about your hearing, start by noticing what’s actually happening. Are certain voices harder to understand? Do you struggle more when there’s background noise? Are you increasing the television volume? Do people seem to mumble more than they used to? Then replace guessing with facts. A professional hearing evaluation can identify whether hearing loss is present, what type it is and what options may be appropriate. If hearing aids are recommended, an audiologist can explain the choices and help you determine what works for your hearing needs and lifestyle. You don’t have to make every decision at the first appointment. The important thing is to stop allowing fear of what you might discover to keep you from learning what’s really going on. At Hearing Services of McKinney, we’re here to answer your questions, evaluate your hearing and help you understand your options without pressure. If you’ve been wondering about your hearing but have been hesitant to make that appointment, consider scheduling a hearing evaluation. You may find that knowing what’s happening is far less intimidating than worrying about it. DENTON COUNTY • 41

STAND OUT

WITH THE EMINENT CHOICE IN HEALTHCARE

42 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Eminent Medical Center is the premier treatment destination in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with three operating suites and five private patient rooms. Pain Management • Sports Medicine • General Surgery • Spine Surgery Orthopedic Surgery • Neurosurgery • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Total Joint Surgery • Foot & Ankle Surgery • Hand Surgery Headache and Migraine Treatment • Plastic Surgery

IN-NETWORK

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2018-2026

Eminent Medical Center is a premier, boutique treatment destination in the DFW area. We are an In-Network provider with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and United Healthcare.

ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY Orthopedic surgeons and the medical staff at Eminent Medical Center are excited to offer Zimmer Biomet’s ROSA Knee System, which helps surgeons personalize surgical procedures for their patients.

PROVIDING SPECIALTY CARE We provide surgical services for pain management,

orthopedic & sports medicine, headache and migraine treatment, spine surgery and general surgery.

Eminent Medical Center is a proudly certified Center of Excellence Designation for Advanced Spine Surgery and Advanced Hip & Knee Replacement

www.eminentmedicalcenter.com • (469) 910-8800 1351 W. President George Bush Highway, Richardson, Texas 75080 DENTON COUNTY • 43

Independent, family-owned, and rooted in service, we deliver exceptional care with integrity, respect, and unwavering attention to every detail. Rick Allen Melanie Allen Conner Allen

Meaningful

Appropriate

Affordable

Our New Dallas Arrangement Office Conveniently serving Park Cities families with Pre-Planning and At-Need Arrangements. Allen Family Funeral Options 2112 W. Spring Creek Pkwy., Plano, TX 75023 (972) 596-8200 44 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Dallas Arrangement Office 5950 Sherry Ln., Suite 400, Dallas, Texas 75225 (214) 231-6911

www.affoplano.com

Who Should Handle the Funeral? By RICK ALLEN

am becoming more and more supportive of the concept of cutting out the middle man. Often this can make a product or service more affordable. It also seems like we are getting less and less service from service providers these days, so you wonder just what are we paying for when a third party is involved? Here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, there is a television commercial for an insurance agent who takes great pride in being a “middle-man”. He claims that in his case, as a middle man, he can save you time, money and get you the best value for your money spent. I have used this agent in the past and I will attest that as a middle man, he does a great job delivering what he promises. Funeral homes, however, have done a pretty poor job in the recent times identifying their value to consumers and a trend has begun that cuts them out of funeral services because some of the public view them as unnecessary middle men. The Texas Funeral Service Commission has published a brochure in which the subject of do-it-yourself funerals is discussed. While it is not recommended, it is actually possible for a family to bury their own, completely on their own. Self-sufficiency is not a bad idea, but where funerals are concerned, a growing number of people are confusing self-sufficiency with getting something for nothing. The bad part about this is, the entity being asked to provide something for nothing is not the funeral home, but rather the place where people go to church. Several people have told me that when they die they want to just be buried or cremated, and then if their family wants a service, they can work it out with their church. I have yet to hear of a church refusing to do this directly with a family, but when you get right down to what is right and what isn’t, is it really the responsibility of the church to act as funeral directors? In my opinion, taking this article is actually a denial of reality. One reason people claim to have a lack of interest in their own service is the concept that “I’m not going to be there or know anything about it

anyway.” I, too, believe this is true, but what about your spouse, your children, siblings, friends, or maybe even your parent or parents? How are they going to find an appropriate way in which to accept the fact that a death has occurred, and how will they be able to say good-bye? The Frank Capra Film “It’s a Wonderful Life” beautifully illustrates how one man failed to recognize the manner in which his life impacted so many others. Little did the character of George Bailey realize how his actions, no matter how small or insignificant to him, endeared him to so many others in very powerful ways. It’s far easier to assume that no one cares or that you yourself don’t care than to face the fact that you will be missed and people will want to honor you when your time here is done. Putting this responsibility on the doorstep of your church is an easy way around a tough subject, but a far cry from the appropriate thing to do. Our funeral home has been asked on many occasions to come in and put together the loose ends. At other times we simply hear the tales from church volunteers of how unstructured things seemed when the funeral home was not involved in a service. Things get overlooked in the planning stage and unfortunately are discovered absent when it’s too late. Other things that could have made a huge impact on the service as a whole are left out completely because no one knew they could be done. Simply put, a good funeral director and a thorough funeral home staff are worth every penny you may pay to them. They plan memorial tributes every day, and those that are really worth something are constantly searching for ways to innovate and contemporize the way people say good-bye. Does value exist at all funeral homes? No. That is why I encourage you to discuss your plans with more than one funeral home. See the difference for yourself and then make a decision on which one you think will do the best job at helping you and your family create something that is meaningful, appropriate and affordable. DENTON COUNTY • 45

WORDS OF HOPE

When You’re Tired of Being Strong By D.S. EMORY

have a feeling there are people reading this who are tired in a way that sleep doesn’t fix. You can get eight hours, wake up, have your coffee, and still feel it sitting there. It’s not exactly physical exhaustion, although sometimes that’s part of it. It’s the weariness that comes from being the person who keeps things going. The one who remembers what needs to be done, checks on everyone else, handles the problem, makes the appointment, offers reassurance, and says, “We’ll figure it out,” even when you’re not entirely sure how you’re going to do that. Maybe you’ve been doing it for so long that people have started describing you as strong. They mean it as a compliment, of course, and most of the time it is one. But I’ve learned there can be a strange loneliness in being considered the strong one. People tend to assume you’re okay because you usually are. Or at least you appear to be. You’ve become so capable at carrying things that sometimes no one thinks to ask whether they’re getting heavy. I’ve been thinking about that lately, especially about the expectations we place on ourselves as people of faith. Somewhere along the way, I think some of us picked up the idea that trusting God should make us almost endlessly resilient. We should handle disappointment gracefully, face uncertainty courageously, care for others without fatigue, and remain peaceful while doing it. If we become discouraged or overwhelmed, we wonder whether we’re failing some kind of spir-

46 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

itual test. Maybe if our faith were stronger, we think, we wouldn’t feel so tired. But when I look at Scripture, that’s not really the picture I find. I find people who loved God deeply and still became weary. Elijah became so depleted that he sat beneath a tree and told God he’d had enough. David filled the Psalms with questions, grief, fear, and exhaustion. Jeremiah wept. Job struggled to understand what had happened to his life. Even Jesus, during His earthly ministry, withdrew from crowds and rested. Scripture doesn’t seem embarrassed by human weakness. We are often far more uncomfortable with it than God is. That matters to me because there have been times in my own life when I’ve confused strength with faithfulness. I thought being faithful meant carrying whatever came without letting it affect me too much. Keep moving. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep taking care of what needs to be taken care of. There is certainly something admirable about perseverance, but I’ve come to understand that perseverance and pretending are not the same thing. Sometimes the most honest prayer we can offer is simply, “Lord, I’m tired.” And I don’t think God is disappointed by that prayer. Jesus said something in Matthew that many of us have known for years: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” [Matthew 11:28]. Familiar verses can become so

WORDS OF HOPE familiar that we stop hearing what they’re actually saying. Lately, I’ve noticed what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t tell the weary to become stronger before coming to Him. He doesn’t ask the burdened why they allowed themselves to become overwhelmed. He simply says, come. There is such tenderness in that invitation. Come tired. Come confused. Come with the situation you still haven’t figured out and the responsibility you wish someone else could carry for a while. Come with the prayer you’ve prayed so many times you’re beginning to run out of words. Come even if all you have left is enough faith to say, “I need help.” Maybe that’s what we sometimes misunderstand about strength. We think it means having enough within ourselves to keep going indefinitely, but Christian faith has never really been about self-sufficiency. We are invited to depend, to trust, to receive, and sometimes to admit that what we’re carrying has become too much for us to carry alone. That’s harder than it sounds, especially for those of us accustomed to being capable. We know what to do with a problem. We make a list, make a phone call, research the options, solve what can be solved, and keep moving. Those aren’t bad qualities. But life eventually hands all of us something that doesn’t respond to effort. A diagnosis we can’t change. Someone we love making choices we can’t control. A loss we can’t undo. A future we can’t predict. A problem that remains stubbornly unresolved no matter how many times we’ve tried to fix it. Those seasons have taught me something I probably wouldn’t have chosen to learn: there are limits to what I can carry, and there is grace in finally admitting it. I wonder if that’s why Isaiah’s words have comforted so many people for so long. Isaiah 40 says that God “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” A few verses later comes the familiar promise that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength [Isaiah 40:29-31]. Notice who receives strength. It isn’t the person who already has plenty. Strength is given to the weary. It is offered precisely where our own resources have begun to run out. Sometimes there is no dramatic breakthrough. You simply get up the next morning and take another step. You make breakfast. You go to work. You sit beside someone you love in a waiting room. You pray the same prayer again. You do what needs to be done today without knowing what tomorrow will bring. It may not feel particularly courageous, but I’ve come to believe there is a quiet kind of courage in continuing to walk with God when you don’t have the energy to soar. There are also times when faithfulness means letting someone help you. Strong people don’t always enjoy learning that lesson. We are usually much better at offering help than receiving it. We don’t want to inconvenience anyone, and sometimes explaining everything feels more exhausting than simply handling it ourselves. But I’ve become convinced that God often answers prayers for strength through other people. A friend calls at the right moment. Someone brings dinner. A person sits beside you without trying to fix anything. Someone says, “I’ll take care of that,” and for once, you let them. And then there are burdens we simply have to put down, at least for today. Not every problem can be solved tonight. Not every decision must be made immediately. Not every person we love can be protected from every consequence. Not every unanswered question requires an answer before we can sleep. There is a humility, and perhaps even an act of faith, in remembering that God will still be awake when we are not. If you’ve been carrying a lot lately, I don’t want to give you another list of things to do. Tired people don’t need another assignment. I simply want to remind you of something I sometimes need someone to remind me of: weariness is not evidence that your faith is failing. Being overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’ve stopped trusting God. Needing rest doesn’t make you weak, and admitting that something hurts doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten His goodness. Maybe today you don’t feel you have enough strength for next month or next year. Maybe today’s grace is simply enough for today. Enough to take the next step. Enough to ask for help. Enough to rest without feeling guilty. Enough to whisper a prayer that isn’t eloquent or particularly hopeful, but is honest. I’ve spent a lot of years thinking strong faith looked like standing firmly no matter what came. I’m beginning to think it sometimes looks quite different. Sometimes it looks like leaning, resting, and finally opening our hands to admit to God that we cannot hold everything we’ve been trying so hard to carry. And perhaps that’s when we discover something we couldn’t learn while insisting we were fine: God was never asking us to prove how strong we could be. He was asking us to come to Him when we weren’t.

You’ve become so capable at carrying things that sometimes no one thinks to ask whether they’re getting heavy.

DENTON COUNTY • 47

FLORIAN DIBRA, MD Florian F. Dibra, MD is an orthopedic surgeon located in Frisco, Texas who has extensive knowledge in hip and knee orthopedics and treats operative and non-operative hip and knee arthritis. He focuses on minimally invasive muscle-sparing total hip and knee replacement, anterior hip replacement, partial knee replacement, robotic joint replacement and complex hip and knee replacement revisions. Dr. Dibra is specialized in magIQknee™ and magIQhip™, muscle-sparing techniques with robotic technology. Dr. Dibra graduated with honors from Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Soon after, he received his medical degree, with cum laude honors from the esteemed Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his orthopedic surgery training at the University of Florida. He continued at the University of Florida Health Hospital to complete his fellowship in Adult Arthroplasty with an emphasis in hip and knee reconstruction. During Dr. Dibra’s surgical training, he accomplished several publications, book chapters, and poster presentations. Dr. Dibra’s family consists of his wife and two children. In addition to English, he is fluent in Albanian, Italian, and proficient in Spanish.

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

txjointinstitute.com (972) 566-5255

5575 Frisco Square Blvd., Ste. 530 Frisco, Texas 75034 48 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

4201 Medical Center Drive, Ste. 100 McKinney, Texas 75069

OVERALL

PRAIRIE ESTATES by CANTEX CONTINUING CARE NETWORK

Located near Frisco Lakes and downtown Frisco, Prairie Estates offers all the comforts of home and so much more.

*AS MEASURED ON MEDICARE.GOV

QUALITY MEASURES Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS PRO VIDERS

2026

Prairie Estates

1350 Main Street, Frisco, TX 75033 P: (214) 705-9108 • F: (214) 705-9939

Welcome to Prairie Estates Transitional Healthcare in a Luxury Setting

• Private and Semi-Private Suites • Pastorial Services • Television with Satellite Service • Wi-Fi Internet Access

Rehabilitative, Complex or Chronic Care

Prairie Estates offers both inpatient and out-patient rehabilitation services aimed at treating a variety of sub-acute and chronic medical conditions: • Orthopedic (Fractures, Joint Replacement, Amputation, etc.) • Cardiac (Congestive Heart Failure, etc.) • Comprehensive Wound Care • IV Therapy • Pain Management • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease • Stroke Recovery • Lymphedema Management • Bladder Control • Contractures • Care Transitions • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Post Operative Care • Neuromuscular Conditions (Such as Parkinson’s) • Balance Recovery • Swallow Function Recovery

• Electric Beds for Easy Comfort Adjustments • Restaurant Style Dining • Three-Course Meals at Lunch and Dinner

Services Include: • Clinical Services • Round-the-Clock Skilled Nursing Care • Intravenous Therapy • Physician Services • Enteral/Parenteral Therapy

• • • • • •

Housekeeping Transportation Bilingual Staff Activities and Outings Library Salon Services

• Medication Administration • Therapy Services • Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy • Speech Therapy • Respiratory Therapy • Restorative Program

Our Clinical Capabilities Include: • Cardiac Drips • Dobutamine & Milrinone • LVAD • Lifevest • TPN • Trachs & Trach Collars • CPAP • BIPAP

• Trilogy for COPD Support • Wound Vacs • Chest Tubes • Pleurex • JP Drains • Hema Vacs • Long Term Antibiotics

Experience the Cantex Advantage

Cantex Continuing Care Network has been performing the highest standards of transitional healthcare and long-term residential services for more than 30 years. Ask anyone who knows: Cantex stands for quality.

DENTON COUNTY • 49

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

TXJOINTINSTITUTE.COM 50 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Phone: (972) 566-5255

| Fax: (972) 566-5236