Some experts express concern about ‘lack of transparency’ as agency removes warnings on three estrogen patches
Three more patches for treating menopause will no longer carry black-box warnings about cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and dementia, officials at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday.
The FDA did not convene an advisory committee and offered few details on the scientific basis for the decision in the press briefing. The news follows the removal of black-box warnings from six menopause treatments in February, as patients across the US struggle with shortages of the patches.
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© Photograph: Bsip Sa/Alamy
© Photograph: Bsip Sa/Alamy
© Photograph: Bsip Sa/Alamy
Courtesy of Carol Colborn
This story is based on an interview with Carol Colborn, 77, a retired academic from Mesa, Arizona. It has been edited for length and clarity.
My husband, William, and I married in 2008 when I was 60, and he was 65.
We both retired and went on an amazing adventure together: RV-ing full time across North America for eight years.
We drove to every state in the US, every state in Mexico, and every province in Canada. Then we traveled the world, visiting 29 countries in total.
The trips stopped after William was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2018, so we're glad we built so many happy memories on the road.
He'd shown symptoms of the illness, mostly forgetfulness. I gave him a shopping list of three items written in large print, and he'd come back with two.
We had a ritual: he'd bring me a mug of herbal tea while we watched TV in the evening. It made me calm and serene and helped me sleep better. He'd done it every day since our wedding and, when he forgot the first time, I was distraught.
Courtesy of Carol Colborn
William had mild cognitive impairment for the first four years, which progressed into moderately severe Alzheimer's.
He needed 24/7 support, and I was his full-time caregiver. He stayed in bed a lot of the time, but I gave him his medication, three meals a day, and baths.
His mobility was limited, but we still did our evening walks past four houses. It was his main exercise.
Things were relatively manageable until July 2025, when I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I had surgery in September and was in the hospital for four days.
My daughter and William's daughter stepped up to care for him, but it was a temporary arrangement because they lived in other states.
I began chemotherapy and had to juggle my husband's health needs with my own. It was incredibly stressful.
Courtesy of Carol Colborn
"How can I take care of him while taking care of myself?" I asked myself. We considered assisted living, but we couldn't bear the thought of leaving our own home.
One of our biggest expenditures was transport. William gave up driving long ago, and I'd never driven. It meant we'd spend around $500 a month on Uber rides to get to things like his doctors' appointments and my cancer procedures.
We were paying between $30 and $40 a trip. It got to the point where we stayed home most of the time because we couldn't afford the cost.
The walls closed in on us. We didn't go to mass or socialize with our friends. Things like date night at a restaurant were out of the question.
It was exhausting trying to navigate the Medicare system. It felt as if I was fighting for every benefit and getting nowhere. Every day was a challenge.
Earlier this year, I saw an ad on Facebook for Ez Health, a free or low-cost service that deals with Medicare on your behalf. It explained how federal legislation passed in January 2024, called Community Health Integration, aims to keep people who want to stay in their own homes as long as possible.
Courtesy of Carol Colburn
The program supports carers like me. We were appointed a health advocate, known as a guide, who helped me through the qualification process.
We suddenly got many of the benefits I'd been struggling for, including eight hours a week of respite care. We also had access to medical professionals who came to your home, such as a physical therapist, a palliative nurse, a dentist, and a phlebotomist.
Our transport is subsidized. The guide introduced us to a local paratransit service that costs $3 per ride. It has saved us as much as $400 a month. Best of all, it's opened up our world.
We use it not only for grocery shopping and health appointments — I'm having maintenance therapy for my cancer now — but also for date nights. Dining out again is transformative and has strengthened our marriage.
These days, rather than William's caregiver, I refer to myself as his "present companion," as I steer him through his later years.
Copies of popular cosmetics and skincare products more likely to contain toxic substances, Trading Standards warns
Mercury, lead and methanol have been found in counterfeit beauty products seized across the UK, Trading Standards has said.
There is a rising problem with fake beauty products, with scammers selling copies of popular and expensive brands. Cosmetics, skincare and perfumes are now among the watchdog’s most commonly investigated fakes.
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© Photograph: IPO/PA
© Photograph: IPO/PA
© Photograph: IPO/PA
There’s a generational shift happening in the funeral industry: Over the past four decades, female enrollment in mortuary programs has increased from 5 percent to roughly 75 percent of recent graduating classes. But why? For the Los Angeles Review of Books, Andie Eisen examines this trend, speaking with three women working in the deathcare field. Some were drawn in by a fascination with death or a formative funeral experience; others by a calling to a higher purpose and a desire to bring intimacy and care to a field long seen as impersonal, commercial, and male-dominated.
When you speak with a mortician, their tone gives away the questions they’ve answered hundreds of times before. Don’t you get scared? No. Morticians are more afraid of doing a bad job. Have you seen a ghost? Sadly, no. Once, a cosmetologist thought a body was shaking, but it was just an earthquake. Do you get grossed out? Not really, but they’re only human, and the medical field can challenge the senses. The questions themselves hint at a broader problem: outside of urban legends and crime procedurals, the average American knows very little about the death industry.
On this week's episode of Freed Up, Robby "Lestat" Soave and Christian "Lizard" Britschgi sport their Halloween costumes while reviewing Nathan Fielder's buzzy new documentary, You Can See Everything. During their discussion, they analyze the psyche of Elizabeth Holmes as well as the differences between documentaries and biographical dramas, and Christian gets an opportunity to defend his written critique of the film. Next, the boys shift gears and unpack reports that Mary Peltola's Senate campaign in Alaska helped recruit a second "Dan Sullivan" to confuse voters who meant to support the incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R–Alaska).
0:00—Halloween costumes
4:58—Robby and Christian review You Can See Everything
9:05—The ethical dilemmas in You Can See Everything
16:00—Elizabeth Holmes is still a liar
30:00—The Dropout vs. You Can See Everything
42:24—Mary Peltola's dirty tactics come to light.
54:06—Freed Up live for the 2026 midterm elections
If you enjoy Freed Up, come watch Robby debate at our upcoming Reason Versus event in Washington, D.C. Tickets are available here.
The post <em>You Can See Everything</em>, Halloween Costumes, Mary Peltola appeared first on Reason Magazine.
© Illustration: Fatima Ruiz
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