Net Galley helps readers discover and recommend new books to their audiences. If you are a librarian, bookseller, educator, reviewer, blogger or in the media, you can join for free.
I enjoy reading and sharing what I read with my blog followers, so joining Net Galley helps me accomplish both.
Net Galley helps “readers of influence” discover and recommend new books to their audiences. If you are a librarian, bookseller, educator, reviewer, blogger, or in the media, you can join for free.
I enjoy reading and sharing what I read with my blog followers, so joining Net Galley helps me accomplish both. I try to find books with a health/medical theme although occasionally I will pick something just for fun. But I find that almost any story portrays some health-related issue since it’s a universal concern.
Here are two stories, both memoirs, but vastly different. One is a private personal story, the other a public personal story.
Ms. Maynard’s story opened with a failed marriage/bad divorce saga with adult children torn between the two parents, persistent anger and bitterness, and attempts to ease the pain with a series of bad choices in lovers. Equally sad was her telling of a complicated and ultimately failed adoption attempt.
Finally, she and we can breathe a sigh of relief when she meets a man and seems to have found true love at last. But that comes to an abrupt halt when he is diagnosed with cancer.
From then on she poignantly describes a life turned upside down as she enters new territory as a caregiver. As she relates how their lives changed, we the readers are changed also, learning to recognize what is truly important in life. As Ms. Maynard writes,
“success, money, beauty, passion, adventure, possessions- have become immaterial. Breathing would be enough.”
Read this book if you want your assumptions about life and death to be challenged and changed. You may read an excerpt at this link
Dr. Pietro Bartolo practices medicine on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, in the Mediterranean Sea. Lampedusa, known for its friendly people, sunny skies, pristine beaches, and turquoise waters famous for fishing, seems an idyllic place to live, work, and visit.
But for the past 20 years, Dr.Bartolo has cared for not just residents and tourists, but for hundreds of refugees- people who risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean from northern Africa, fleeing poverty and political unrest. The lucky ones land on shore injured and sick. The unlucky ones wash ashore dead, having died en route or drowning after falling from a capsized or wrecked boat, sometimes only a few feet from shore.
In this memoir, Dr. Bartolo shares the stories of many of these people, giving them the names and faces that we don’t see watching news stories about the refugee crisis. He also shares his own life story of growing up on the island, leaving for medical school, and returning to raise a family and to practice medicine.
Dr. Bartolo’s story was also told in the documentary film FIRE AT SEA
He never expected to become the front-line help for hundreds of desperate people. With no specific training on how to manage an avalanche of desperate, sick, and injured refugees, and with little resources, he manages to put together a system for triaging, evaluating, and treating these people, then sending them on for more advanced medical care or to immigration centers in Europe.
For the less fortunate, he serves as medical examiner, to determine the cause of death for those who do not make it to Lampedusa alive; sometimes taking body parts to extract DNA to identify them, so families can be notified. He states he has never grown comfortable with this aspect of his job.
As a physician myself, I marvel at Dr. Bartolo’s caring and commitment to people who will never be able to repay him for his sacrifice. He approaches his work as a mission of mercy and treats every person with the utmost respect, no matter their circumstance. Some of the people he treats become almost like family; he has even tried to adopt a couple of orphaned children but cannot due to legalities.
Dr. Bartolo’s story reads like a conversation. I think you will like him, and admire him for his dedication and selfless service. His life should encourage all of us to consider what we can each do to lessen someone else’s suffering.
Another book review from Net Galley is at this link-
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Exploring the HEART of Health
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I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.
I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.
Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.
I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.
Dr. Aletha
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
Up to 10% of the population have true food allergy, while 50-90% of people who believe they have food allergy may not. An accurate diagnosis is important so the condition can be managed properly when appropriate, but not needlessly..
One of the most informative lectures I heard recently was about food allergy, a common problem that patients and even physicians don’t always understand.
I welcomed the chance to hear from an expert to help me counsel my patients. I also have a personal interest since my grandson has food allergies; when he visits me, I have to be careful not to feed him foods he may react to.
The speaker, Kirsten Bennett, Ph.D. is a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in counseling patients with food allergies. She presented data from research studies as well as from her clinical practice, and I’m sharing some of what she said with you.
What is food allergy?
You may assume that any symptom due to eating a food is an allergy but there are many ways food can make us sick, including allergy, intolerance, toxic effects, and infection.
Dr. Bennett explained the difference between food allergy and food intolerance. (The other two will not be discussed here)
Allergy– is immune-mediated, meaning the immune system produces and releases antibodies after exposure to a food; celiac disease is due to food allergy.
Intolerance– does not involve the immune system, no antibodies are produced; this occurs in lactose intolerance.
Some foods such as wheat and milk can cause both allergy and intolerance.
Milk and wheat can cause allergy and intolerance.
So how do you know the difference? You can’t, without an appropriate medical evaluation, so it is important to see a physician if you suspect a food allergy.
Up to 10% of the population have true food allergy, while 50-90% of people who believe they have food allergy may not. An accurate diagnosis is important so the condition can be managed properly when appropriate, but not needlessly.
What causes food allergy?
The BIG 8 cause 90% of food allergy. These are
Milk
egg
peanut
fish
shellfish
soy
wheat
tree nut
Symptoms of food allergy
Almost any symptom can occur with allergy but the most common are
Rash with or without itching
Swelling of the face, lips, eyes
Watery, itchy eyes
Nasal drainage and/or congestion
Hoarse voice
Cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Dizziness, fainting
Low blood pressure, fast heart beat
Feeling of “impending doom”
How to diagnose food allergy
Although blood and skin testing may be helpful, the history is the first and most important step to identify food allergy. The evaluation may start with the answers to these 9 questions-
What are the symptoms?
What food was eaten that may have caused the symptoms and was it eaten before?
How much of the food was eaten?
Was the suspect food cooked or raw?
Has the food ever been eaten without symptoms?
Was else was the person doing or ingesting at the same time, such as exercise, medications, etc.?
Have the symptoms occurred without eating the food?
How were the symptoms treated and how long did they last?
by David Stukus, MD,Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Allergy/Immunology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in Columbus Ohio.
Goals in managing food allergies
Allow the child (or adult) to live as normal a life as possible while avoiding foods that might cause allergic symptoms.
The fear of a serious food allergic reaction can cause a family to forgo normal activities and keep a child isolated. Dr. Bennett suggested these tactics to minimize food allergy anxiety.
Read food labels carefully to avoid inadvertently eating foods that cause allergy.
At home
Cook as a family ; Learn how to cook meat and other protein foods
Take children grocery shopping and engage them in food selection
Use at least 3 elements of the plate model for meal planning
Gather together and celebrate food and eating together
Practice manners and table talk
Make the home kitchen a safe sanctuary
Enjoy the food journey
Travel
Take foods along that are safe
Identify possible allergy risks in travel itinerary -Restaurants
At school
What does the school staff and administration know about food allergies?
Start a conversation Provide reference materials or community resources
The greatest danger of any allergy is anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that impairs breathing and heart function.
Minutes matter with allergy emergencies
Anyone who cares for a person with food allergy needs to know what to do in case of a reaction. Schools and work places should have a plan for dealing with such emergencies.
Create and Maintain an Action Plan for school/work-
Develop an individualized Health Care Plan – which includes strategies for food avoidance as well as an Emergency Action Plan with specific actions to be taken in the event of accidental or purposeful ingestion of the allergenic food.
Maintain a current and backup supply of emergency medication
Epinephrine (Injectable)
antihistamine
Document specific instruction on transport to ER/ED (emergency room) for follow-up care Emergency medications and plan need to be accessible at all times.
exploring the HEART of food allergy
I also addressed food allergy in this book review post.
The book “Food Without Fear” by Dr. Ruchi Gupta addresses food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities. It covers topics such as the food reaction spectrum, the top food allergens, and managing food allergies in different settings. It also provides comprehensive resources and explores using epinephrine in allergy emergencies. The book aims to help individuals understand and…
watercress words by Dr Aletha 