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Wartime medicine is an incredibly challenging setting for the doctors, nurses, and paramedics who practice it: Not only are the injuries frequently serious ones, but the tools at hand are often more limited than in a traditional hospital. Over the centuries, that has meant that battlefield medical personnel have had to innovate. Those wartime practices, in turn, often served to refine medical practice beyond the military. (Samuel, 11/10)

One of the biggest health threats facing Americans age 65 and older is also one many of them don’t like to talk about: falling. At least half of senior Americans who fall don’t tell anyone, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whether it’s a spouse declining to tell a partner, or an elderly parent hiding it from the children, many seniors keep quiet because they are embarrassed and fear losing their independence. (Sadick, 11/12)

For the 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, help can seem far away. Scientists don’t fully understand the disease. The progressive dementia it brings can be scary and disorienting. And social isolation and loneliness are often part of the equation, further affecting brain function. Starting Nov. 30, a new stamp will lend a helping hand. (Blakemore, 11/11)

Ankle replacements, a new kid on the block compared with knee and hip replacements, used to be deemed a risky bet for patients under 65. But as doctors steadily gain confidence that the replacements will last, Carrie Kvitko, 60, from Columbus, Ohio, is one of a growing group of younger patients to sport a new ankle, made of metal and plastic and bending nearly as well as the original. In September, a year after her surgery, Mrs. Kvitko went on vacation to Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando and climbed 116 steps to the top of the Swiss Family Tree House. (Johannes, 11/12)

The day Dr. Roberto Montenegro finished his Ph.D. was memorable. But not for the right reasons. "I still cringe when I think about it," says Montenegro. It had started well. His colleagues at UCLA had taken him and his girlfriend (now wife) out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate. "I was dressed up in the fanciest suit I had at the time and my wife looked beautiful, like always," he says. "We laughed and we ate and we were excited we didn't have to pay for this." (Bichell, 11/11)