Latest news with #Konstantopoulos
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two Real Brides on the Challenges of Planning a Wedding with Migraines: 'It's Added Another Layer of Stress'
Wedding planning can be stressful. Between finding the perfect dress, choosing a venue, and wrangling guest lists, even the most laid-back bride can feel overwhelmed. But for brides living with chronic illnesses like migraines or autoimmune disorders, that pressure multiplies. What's supposed to be the happiest time of their lives often becomes a constant battle between what their bodies can withstand and the demands of the day. Anna Konstantopoulos, a graduate student getting married in 2025, knows this struggle intimately. Diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) at 15—a genetic disorder that affects connective tissue and, in her case, causes chronic migraines—she's spent the past decade learning to manage symptoms that don't always follow the rules. 'People confuse [migraines] with headaches and think, 'Oh, it's just a bit of throbbing in your head,'' Konstantopoulos says. 'But for me, they always occur on the left side of my head and feel like a stake has just been driven through my left eye. I cannot stand any light or any sound. I just have to lie in a dark room.' Mikaela Agnolin, a Miami-based real estate agent and another bride-to-be, knows that pain well — she's been 'dealing with migraines for about five years.' For her, it feels like 'a dull ache behind my eyes that builds into a throbbing pain on one side of my head. Sometimes it feels like a screwdriver is being drilled into the sides of my head.' Living with an invisible illness like migraines often means being hyper-aware of one's body. Konstantopoulos, for instance, keeps a Google Sheet full of her triggers, which help her try to manage the unpredictability of when a migraine might occur. But even the most careful preparation can't guarantee relief. Migraines can come on suddenly, and even the mildest ones leave both women unable to function. 'Even the weakest ones I've had, I still can't do anything,' Konstantopoulos says. Her most severe episode lasted nearly two months and left her bedridden. 'I had to drop out of school and was homebound. I could barely function,' she says. Agnolin had a similar experience. She remembers having to leave her job after her illness started impacting her professional life. 'I've had a few major instances at big work presentations in front of crowds that led to me having to stop in the middle of the presentation, which for me felt very embarrassing to explain,' she shares. Despite the inherent challenges of their conditions, both Konstantopoulos and Agnolin are determined to enjoy their wedding days. But living with chronic illness means making accommodations and adjusting every decision to reduce the risk of a flare-up. That includes choosing a venue with soft lighting, scheduling moments to rest throughout the day, and briefing the bridal party on what to do if a migraine strikes. It also means taking steps weeks before the wedding to prevent a flare-up. 'I need to be extra cautious about the food I put in my body, eat, avoid strenuous exercise, and keep extra hydrated,' Agnolin says. Konstantopoulos echoes this, adding that she's going to be focused on prevention and being very clean with her diet leading up to the wedding. And if she does have a migraine on her big day, she'll try her true-and-tried methods like eating sour gummy worms (she swears it works!) or wearing an ice pack. If it gets too bad, she'll go to the ER and get a migraine cocktail. Ultimately, though, when it comes to migraines, there's only so much you can do. 'They're generally one of those things you don't have any control over,' Konstantopoulos says. 'It's not something that's just mind over matter.' That's why being open about migraines is important. Agnolin says she often feels guilty when her illness forces her to cancel plans or miss out on key moments. 'There's a lot of guilt and shame because you feel unreliable when you have to cancel, and I wish more people understood the invisible toll migraines take on your life and relationships,' she says. "I have to think ahead about lighting at the venue, how much downtime I'll need before the wedding, and how to manage overstimulation during the event," Agnolin adds. "I've also had to say no to some pre-wedding events to protect my energy. It's added another layer of stress." Just like any bride, there's a lot that goes into one of the happiest days of your life — and having the support of friends and family through unpredictable moments is key to a memorable day, no matter what happens. Read the original article on People
Arab News
30-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Greek envoy praised strategic ties between Athens and Riyadh
Riyadh: Greece and Saudi Arabia are longstanding strategic partners and will remain so for many years to come, Greek Ambassador Alexis Konstantopoulos said on Tuesday. Speaking at the National Day reception at the Greek Embassy in Riyadh, Konstantopoulos said many important Greek companies and entrepreneurs contributed to the building of Saudi Arabia since the early 1960s, such as the Latsis Group, Archirodon and others. He added Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis visited AlUla last January and was warmly received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at his private desert camp, marking the first ever official state visit to take place there, a testament to the level of Greek-Saudi bilateral relations and their personal friendship. Mitsotakis was accompanied by nine ministers and deputy ministers and participated in high-level strategic dialogue, setting solid foundations, a comprehensive framework and concrete action plans in different fields — political, defense, investment and commerce, energy, culture, tourism and sports — which the ambassador called an ambitious, far-reaching and comprehensive program to advance every aspect of the two sides' bilateral relations for many years to come. 'Having had the privilege to serve in the Kingdom for some years, I can testify to the incredible changes that have taken place in this country — it completely transformed Saudi Arabia, its people and the Kingdom's regional and global position,' he noted. 'We look forward to enhancing not only our government-to-government relations but also our business-to-business and people-to-people level links. I take this opportunity to welcome here today the CEO of Piraeus Bank, which together with Eurobank and the National Bank of Greece, as well as many other Greek companies, have a strong interest in the Saudi market. Our common ambitions are strong, we are complementary in many fields and our cooperation will add significant added value to our economies,' said Konstantopoulos. He added: 'Tonight we are celebrating the national day of Greece, the beginning of the fight for independence against Ottoman rule, which falls on March 25 and was accordingly postponed since it was Ramadan. Together, tonight, we celebrate our two countries, our great history, our common friendship, and our mutual respect. 'Our Greek community is warmly welcomed here, adding significant added value to the Saudi public and private sector, a fine example of Greek know-how and expertise. We are looking forward to welcoming more Greek tourists in the diverse and beautiful natural environment of Saudi Arabia and to welcoming more visitors from Saudi Arabia in our home country Greece. 'Aegean has more than seven-weekly flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Greece and Saudia will start this summer to operate flights to Greece, almost on a daily basis,' said the ambassador. 'This is the celebration of a true friendship between two peoples with an ancient heritage, a booming present and a brilliant future,' he added. Konstantopoulos thanked Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of Riyadh region, for honoring the reception with his presence.
BBC News
24-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
AI assistant Dora eases NHS pressure for cataract surgeries
Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping reduce wait times for cataract surgeries, according to the automated voice system called Dora, which was developed in Oxford, is helping patients across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The NHS sad the system, which phones patients to ask questions and determine who needs to be seen by a clinician, reduced wait times from 35 weeks in January 2024, to 10 weeks or less by Konstantopoulos, from University Hospital Southampton, said the AI-powered tool had received "great feedback" from patients. Mr Konstantopoulos is a consultant ophthalmologist at the university, as well as ophthalmology clinical lead for NHS Hampshire and Isle of said Hampshire and Isle of Wight hospitals had made "massive strides" in reducing waits for cataract surgery."Dora has enabled this by allowing us to develop a single point of access for referrals, reducing the burden of administrative processes and providing clear options to patients," he from the NHS shows around 15,000 patients undergo cataract surgery in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight every year.A patient survey carried out by the NHS from July to December in 2024 showed 92% of the 310 patients asked were "extremely satisfied" with their experience using Konstantopoulos said: "Using Dora has also allowed us to free-up time for our nursing teams to concentrate on more surgical work, while Dora makes the phone calls and completes the administration duty."We have had some great feedback from patients who have said that Dora is very clear and easy to understand. "She also engages and interacts with patients and can understand what they are saying and asking." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
