Healthy Living

The days are getting shorter; the first snow has fallen; and many of us have more candy than we know what to do with now that Halloween has passed.

These are sure signs that the holiday season is here (although I must say, it is a bit early for snow).

Now is the time to make crucial nutritional decisions that could make or break our waistlines. Studies show that people tend to put on weight during the holiday season, because lets face it: it’s a time to celebrate, and food and beverages are many times a part of the festivities.

So it is important that we set realistic goals – most of us can’t expect to lose 20 pounds this time of year. A more appropriate aspiration might be to not gain any weight during this time period.

Setting realistic goals is one of the keys to success. For other healthy eating tips during the holiday season, please consider attending our free Enjoy LIFE (Lifelong Investment in Fitness and Exercise) event on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plainfield Recreation Center at 482 Norwich Road, Plainfield. To register, call 860-889-8331, ext. 2495.

Backus Registered Dietitian Sarah Hospod will present “Eating Healthy Through the Holidays,” where she will discuss healthy, appetizing and fun menu options for holiday cooking, and even hand out some of her favorite recipes.

Trying to avoid holiday festivities altogether is never the way to go. We should all enjoy the season. But with a little moderation and a few nutritional tricks up our sleeves from an expert dietitian, we could be the life of the party - and not pay for it later.

Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator at the The William W. Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

When I opened up the mail recently, there was a postcard from one of my patients who was enjoying a trip in Jamaica.

At the end, it said: “Miss you. Not really.”

Those were the best words I could have read. This cancer survivor was enjoying life, appreciating every day of it, and had moved well beyond the fear and anxiety that comes when you are first diagnosed.

This is a common theme. There are more cancer survivors in our midst now than ever before. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of cancer survivors is on the upswing, with nearly 12 million survivors in the United States as of 2007, up from 9.8 million in 2001 and only 3 million back in 1971.

As Backus Hospital’s latest television commercial says, cancer can now just be a chapter in someone’s life, not the whole story. People can live long and productive lives after being diagnosed with cancer.

This lesson was driven home when I attended Backus Hospital’s Survivors in Fashion on Thursday night at the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

This was much more than just a fund-raising fashion show. An audience of 900 strong was inspired by 19 breast cancer survivors who served as models – and role models.

Ranging from the newly diagnosed to decades of survivorship, they showed firsthand that there is much to live for after diagnosis. As they modeled clothing, tap danced and basked in the applause and loving sentiments from the audience, I could not have been more proud. No matter what issues anyone might have been facing in life before arriving at this show, they were quickly forgotten as we watched this magical performance.

There have been many advances in treatment, technology and programs. We know so much more about cancer now than we did just a few years ago. This all helps increase the number of survivors.

But, as these models showed us — just like my patient in Jamaica — attitude is everything.

Dinesh Kapur, MD, is Medical Director of the Backus Cancer Center and an oncologist with Eastern Connecticut Hematology and Oncology (ECHO) in Norwich. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Dr. Kapur or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

Many people don’t realize the connection between basic needs and health.

We see this correlation every day.

Improper nutrition leads major health problems. Being cold causes frostbite and hypothermia. Lack of availability of primary care leads to unnecessary emergency room visits.

Homeless people face all of these issues, right here in eastern Connecticut.

One night in January 2011, there was a census taken of homelessness in Connecticut. It was alarming to say the least.

A January 2011 census taking of homelessness in Connecticut showed an alarming number of people experiencing long bouts of homelessness. Families comprised one third of total people counted as “living in places unintended for habitation” such as the woods, on the streets, in abandoned buildings, or emergency shelters each year, according to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

Judi Gaudet, Site Manager of Generations Family Health Center in Norwich and Manager of the Healthcare for the Homeless Program said, “It is astounding how many young kids are counted among the homeless in Norwich alone.”

She attributes this to the economic downturn and unemployment, resulting in an increase in the cost of living, but decreasing median household income. There is a subsequent increase in stress, family strife, abusive behaviors, housing instability, and foreclosures.

Backus Hospital is once again partnering with Generations Family Health Center to participate in Project Homeless Connect.

This program started in 2004 in San Francisco, and was so successful, it is now replicated in hundreds of locations across the country.

The mission is to provide a single location with comprehensive health and human services for the homeless population.

Gaudet, a tireless advocate for the homeless, was instrumental in organizing the local Project Homeless Connect in 2006.

This year’s event will be held on Friday, Oct 21, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at St. Bernard’s School in Uncasville.

Bus transportation will be provided to the event, where over 50 area social service organizations, local businesses, healthcare agencies, and more than 100 volunteers will all be on hand to provide a variety of services to the homeless population.

Generations Family Health Center will be on the Backus Mobile Health Resource Center to provide primary care, including flu shots.

Health care professionals from Backus Home Health Care will provide foot care clinic, which includes a glucose screening, taking blood pressures and nutrition counseling.

Gaudet said that besides medical care and dental outreach, other services offered will be free haircuts, distribution of winter jackets and blankets, assistance with mental health issues, legal issues, substance abuse issues, housing, and employment opportunities.

Recognizing this, Backus Home Health Care staff is donating sleeping bags, toiletries, jackets, blankets and tents.

Although the connection between basic needs and healthcare may not be obvious, it is strong. We need to find ways to reach this population before they end up hospital emergency rooms, which can be very costly and are not always equipped to handle these issues. The good news is Gaudet expects 300-400 individuals to be served at this event.

Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator at the The William W. Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

It has been two years since my last column on Sjogren’s Syndrome. Since that time there have been developments that have really highlighted the significance of this diagnosis.

Venus Williams, a two-time U.S. Open women’s tennis champion, is among the approximately 4 million people who may be living with the disorder nationwide, according to the Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation.

The national attention may have spurred people to seek help locally. At the Backus Arthritis Center, we have seen more patients with symptoms consistent with Sjogren’s, and we have been able to utilize what we are learning about this condition to properly address some of their issues.

So what is Sjogren’s? It is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation and affects many different parts of the body. The areas most commonly affected are the tear and the salivary glands. Other parts of the body can also be impacted, including, joints, skin, lungs, and kidney.

Most of the complications of Sjogren’s occur because of decreased tears and saliva. Patients with dry eyes are at an increased risk for infections around the eye and may have damage to the cornea. Dry mouth increases risk of dental infections, decay, gingivitis and oral yeast infection. Patients may have episodes of painful swelling in the salivary glands around the face.

Pain and stiffness in the joints with swelling can occur in patients, and can cause significant stiffness in the morning. Rashes on the arms and legs can happen in patients. This may be related to the inflammation of the blood vessels or inflammation of the skin. Patients also complain of numbness and tingling in their feet related to neuropathy.

What causes Sjogren's? The underlying cause is not known, but it is an autoimmune disorder. Genetic factors and possibly viral infections may predispose people to developing this condition, which can affect people of any age, but symptoms usually appear between the ages of 45 and 55. Women are affected 10 times more often as men. Some of these patients may also have other underlying autoimmune illnesses like rheumatoid or lupus.

How is it diagnosed? Diagnosis is based on combination of symptoms, physical examination and blood tests. Special tests are available to assess the decreased tear production in these patients. Sometimes a lip biopsy is also used for the diagnosis. Blood tests can determine the presence of antibodies and amount of inflammation.

Who manages Sjogren’s? Patients are usually referred to a rheumatologist either by a primary care physician because of fatigue and stiffness or by the eye doctor when they see significant dry eyes. Patients may also be referred by a dentist or an ear, nose and throat specialist for dry mouth or recurrent parotitis.

There are treatment options for patients with Sjogren’s. Each patient is unique and treatment options are tailored to each patient. We always consider pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic options, and work closely with ophthalmologists and dentists to manage the disease.

Sandeep Varma, MD, is a rheumatologist and Medical Director at the Backus Arthritis Center, located at the Backus Outpatient Care Center in Norwich. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Dr. Varma or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

On Saturday, Oct. 15, a wave of light will gently brighten our world in remembrance of the babies lost in pregnancy or early infancy. All who have experienced this devastating loss — including parents, grandparents, siblings and caregivers — are invited to light a candle in honor of an angel.

Backus Hospital will host a free Remembrance Day memorial at 3 p.m. in its courtyard. Remembrance Day is a national event.

Approximately 16% of pregnancies — or more than 1 million each year — end in a miscarriage or stillbirth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These statistics illustrate how common this tragedy is. For many, healing can only come by grieving with others. Suffering alone and keeping everything inside can make things worse.

The support we experience when we grieve in community settings — whether it at a Remembrance Day event or our monthly support group at Backus — can facilitate the healing necessary to move forward with life.

Other tips for coping can include:

• Be patient with your spouse or partner
• Get plenty of rest
• Eat right
• Exercise

Don’t try to forget what happened. In fact, activities such as planting a tree, keeping a journal, scrapbooking or donating to a charity to memorialize the baby can have healing effects.

To learn more about the monthly support group or the event Oct. 15, call 860-889-8331, ext. 4239.

Elynor Carey is a social worker in the Backus Hospital Care Management Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Carey or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org