Opinion

Stimulating the vagus nerve may be the answer for chronic pain, heart disease, depression, and more. In a clinical trial, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) involves using a small, pulse-generated device about the size of a jelly bean which is implanted under the skin on the left side of the neck. The pulse generator wraps around your vagus nerve, which is the body’s longest cranial nerve (actually two nerves), that run from the brain stem down through the neck on both sides of the body. The vagus nerve relays information between vital organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, spleen, stomach, small intestine, colon, and the brain. For one minute each day, the small implanted device releases an electric pulse that travels through the vagus nerve to the brain. According to Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, neurosurgeon, president and CEO of Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the device activates what we call the inflammatory reflex, which signals the vagus nerve to slow down inflammation. He says although vagus nerve stimulation can’t undo existing damage, it can reduce inflammation so significantly that pain and future damage can be decreased in as little as one week up to two and a half years or more after the implant.

A friend and I were riding the beautiful backroads of our special and unique part of the world when we flushed a roadside crew of goldfinches. The little flitterers of sparkling gold fled us, startled but fearless, knowing our big selves would not and could not harm them.

Being a lifelong music fan and an occasional radio host, I’ve often baffl ed my family with my song selections. I believe that the driver of the vehicle controls the music. I’m the one who has to stay alert, right? So my lucky passengers have long been treated to my music choices. At first, it was a mix tape, aptly named. Later, I began “burning” random songs to compact discs. Now I create my own playlists, and play them directly from my phone into the car speakers.

Ever wonder why your brain seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to choosing the easy way out? Let’s look at how the path of least resistance manifests in our daily lives. It’s everywhere, folks — from the moment we wake up to the time we hit the hay.

My wife, Lissa, was a talented artist and an enthusiastic art history buff. We dreamed together for years about traveling around Italy. More accurately, she dreamed about Italy and I was looking forward to traveling with her wherever she wanted to go, but Lissa died and our dream of traveling transformed into making Petersburg great again.

Fighting scams and fraud

With more than 50 Blessed Drives rambling in my head and heart, I couldn’t help but reminisce on my way over to Bugtussle. No matter how I sliced it, I was treading on ground already traveled in my sojourns across the county. But I don’t buy a roast beef sandwich for the bread, Family. Tucked in between Robinson and Swan Creek is Meat if I’ve ever seen it! My breath was taken away by the beauty of Bugtussle over and over. Truly, I hope y’all will take a slow Blessed Drive down this one if you’ve never gone before. Until then, let me try to whet your appetite a little.