- Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt passed away over the weekend, after a battle with melanoma and a recent meningitis diagnosis. Here's a good explanation of how the two conditions are related, and why cancer patients are so susceptible to this type of infection. [Daily News]
- Our Feel Great Weight blogger often discusses adjustments she makes to her summer diet to maintain weight loss, including cutting back on alcoholic beverages. But should you cut out drinking completely, or is moderation still the key to success? Fitness writer Katherine Hobson examines the issue in depth. [U.S. News & World Report]
- Can't sleep? Write a book. That advice may not work for everyone (in fact, most doctors probably wouldn't recommend it), but it does the trick for this well-known author—who suffers from a not-so-well-known sleep disorder, affecting only 2% of the population. [USA Today]
- Of all the questions posed to Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotomayor last week at her confirmation hearings, one subject that didn't come up was her health—specifically, her diabetes. Now the blogosphere is wondering, should her chronic disease be considered fair game? [L.A. Times]
- We know how important nurses are to our fragile and overworked health-care system, but not everyone appreciates them like we do. That's why we love this list of 10 things you should never say to a nurse. Heading to the hospital? Read this first. You'll thank us later. [Nursing Link]