New Books Added

Bad Animals: A Father’s Accidental Education in Autism by Joel Yanofsky

A veteran book reviewer, Yanofsky has spent a lifetime immersed in literature (not to mention old movies and old jokes), which he calls shtick. This account of a year in the life of a family describes a father’s struggle to enter his son’s world, the world of autism, using the materials he knows best: self-help books, feel-good memoirs, literary classics from the Bible to Dr. Seuss, old movies, and, yes, shtick. Funny, wrenching, and unfailingly candid, Bad Animals is both an exploration of a baffling condition and a quirky love story told by a gifted writer. (Source – book jacket)

Cancer Clinical Trials: A Commonsense Guide to Experimental Cancer Therapies and Clinical Trials by Tomasz M. Beer, M.D, and Larry W. Axmaker, Ed. D.

Cancer Clinical Trials is a comprehensive, no-nonsense, and readable guide for anyone who is considering therapeutic options in addition to standard cancer therapy. The book seeks to share knowledge about cancer clinical trials with people living with cancer, their families and loved ones. It will help readers decide if a clinical trial is a good option for them, to choose an appropriate trial, and to navigate through the clinical trial process. It includes lists of questions to ask, things to look for, things to watch out for, and places to look for information. (Source – book jacket)

posted by – Susan, Health Reference Services

Hepatitis C

News regarding the CDC’s recommendation that all Americans born between 1945 and 1965 — the baby boom generation — tested for hepatitis C has been widely reported.

According to the CDC “Hepatitis” means inflammation of the liver and also refers to a group of viral infections that affect the liver . The most common types are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.

Viral hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplantation. An estimated 4.4million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis; most do not know they are infected.

Get the facts regarding Hepatitis C:

Find important information regarding this condition and links to other websites from MedlinePlus.

The Department of Veterans Affairs – you will find comprehensive information regarding Hepatitis C.

posted by – Susan, Health Reference Services

New Books Added to the Health Reference Collection

Golden Holocaust by Robert N. Proctor

The cigarette is the deadliest artifact in the history of human civilization.  It is also one of the most beguiling, thanks to more than a century of manipulation at the hands of tobacco industry chemists.  In Golden Holocaust, Robert N. Proctor draws on reams of formerly secret industry documents to explore how the cigarette came to be the most widely used drug on the planet, selling six trillion sticks per year.  He paints a harrowing picture of tobacco manufacturer’s conspiring to block the recognition of tobacco-cancer hazards while ensnaring legions of scientists and politicians in a web of denial. — Book Jacket

What’s Wrong With My Kid? by George E. Leary Jr.

Raising a teenager is tough, but when you suspect that your kid is abusing substances, and is possibly addicted, it can feel unmanageable – and it can be hard to know where to find sound advice.  You are not alone.  Author George E. Leary Jr. was a longtime social worker when his son became an addict. Through this heart – wrenching experience, he changed his life’s path and committed to working with teens and adults with substance abuse problems. — Book Jacket

Check them out.

posted by – Susan, Health Reference Services

National Women’s Checkup Day

Today is National Women’s Checkup Day

The day is dedicated to encourage women to visit their health care professionals to receive or schedule  checkups, and to promote regular checkups as vital to the early detection of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, mental health illnesses, sexually transmitted infections, and other conditions.

Take the pledge at Womenshealth.gov

posted by – Susan, Health Reference

Mother’s Day

This coming Sunday, May 13, is Mother’s Day.  She’s always looked out for you.  The CDC has “Eight Ways to Help Make Mother’s Day Healthy.”

Sunday, May 13 is Mother’s Day, and the start of National Women’s Health Week. National Women’s Health Week (May 13-19) encourages women to make their health a priority and take simple steps to live a safer and healthier life. Here’s part of their list of a few ways to make Mother’s Day a special day of health.

• Offer to change the batteries in the smoke alarms. Make sure she’s taking steps to prevent fires.
• Help her get prepared for spring and summer storms.
• Get her a fabulous spring hat for sun protection against skin cancer.
• If she’s a senior, help reduce her risk for falls by making her home safer.
• Learn together the common symptoms of a heart attack and what to do in case of one. Make the Call. Don’t Miss a Beat.
• Take care of yourself by eating right, exercising, and not smoking – mom’s worry you know!

Make sure to include these tips in your daily life, so if mom resists, your response can be “It’s easy… Let’s do it together.”

posted by – Susan, Health Reference Services

Anger Management

No, not the Jack Nicholson movie.

According to the Mayo clinic:

“Do you find yourself fuming when someone cuts you off in traffic? Does your blood pressure go through the roof when your child refuses to cooperate? Anger is a normal and even healthy emotion — but it’s important to deal with it in a positive way. Uncontrolled anger can take a toll on both your health and your relationships.

Visit the Mayo Clinic to read their 10 anger management tips.

You will also find helpful advice from the American Psychological Association.

posted by – Susan, Health Reference Services

Born on a Blue Day Book Discussion Follow-Up

Thank you to all who were able to attend the discussion.  You made it lively and interesting.

Here’s the video shown at the discussion.

and one that I didn’t show, but may be interesting.

A short biography of Daniel Tammet.

Daniel Tammet – TED Different Ways of Knowing

posted by – Susan, Health Reference Services