Author Archives for Herb Weiss

CDC: Rhode Island Hit with Widespread Flu

Published in the Woonsocket Call on January 6, 2018

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says it’s a no brainer as to what issue I should cover this week. Being homebound for three or four days, with the flu, and my submittal deadline looming, I pen my commentary on widespread flu activity now being reported in Rhode Island.

CDC’s Influenza surveillance (ending Week 52) reported widespread influenza “flu” activity in 24 states including Rhode Island. This CDC warning recently triggered a requirement by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH} to require unvaccinated healthcare workers in a variety of health care settings to wear masks when entering a person’s room, serving food, or participating with patients in group activities.

The masking requirement helps protect healthcare workers from catching the flu, and helps protects patients who are often dealing with other serious health issues,” said Director of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH., in a statement released on January 2. “For people who have not been vaccinated yet, it is not too late. Flu vaccine is the single best way to keep yourself and the people you love safe from the flu. Getting vaccinated today will provide you with months of protection,” she says.

According to the RIDOH, typical flu symptoms include having a fever, coughing, a sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also may have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu, and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

There are many types of illnesses or injuries even less severe cases of the flu do not require a visit to the emergency room, says RIDOH, noting that less severe cases of the flu will be treated more promptly by a primary care provider or in urgent care facilities. The department notes that going to an emergency room can oftentimes result in long waits because emergency room providers prioritize more serious injuries and medical conditions.

But, when do you seek out treatment for a nasty case of the flu? RIDOH says that difficulty in breathing or shortness in health, pain or pressure in the chest and having flu-like symptoms that improve and return with a fever and worse cough are clear warning signs to go immediately to an emergency room.

CDC expects that increased flu activity in the coming weeks, noting that the average duration of a flu season for the last five seasons has been 16 weeks, with a range of 11 weeks to 20 weeks. With significant flu still to come this season, CDC continues to recommend that anyone who has not yet gotten a flu vaccine this season should get vaccinated now. It takes approximately two weeks for the protection provided by vaccination to begin.

Although 480,000 Rhode Islanders were vaccinated last year, RIDOH, says that the flu sent 1,390 Rhode Islanders to the hospital and resulted in 60 deaths (compared to 1,216 hospitalizations and 33 deaths the previous year. The state saw more flu activity during the 2017-2018 flu season than during any flu season since the 2019-2010 season, when the state experienced the state experienced the H1N1 flu pandemic.

It’s Not too Late to Get Vaccination

In kicking off Rhode Island’s annual flu vaccination campaign last October, RIDOH Director Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, said, “A flu shot is the single best way to protect yourself and the ones you love against the flu. When you get a flu shot you are not only protecting yourself, you are also protecting the people in your life by limiting the spread of the flu.”

So, if you have not been vaccinated, consider doing so. RIDOH recommends that children older than 6 months of age should be vaccinated against the flu. Others should, too., including health care workers, pregnant women, people over age 50, nursing facility residents and persons with chronic conditions (specifically heart, lung, or kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, anemia, blood disorders, or weakened immune systems).

It’s easily to quickly get a flu shot because of its availability at doctors’ offices and pharmacies throughout Rhode Island.

In addition to getting a flu shot, here are a few simple tips that can help prevent you from getting the flu.

Wash your hands thoroughly throughout the day, using warm water and soap. If you do not have soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand gel.

According to the CDC, the flu can spread to others up to about 6 feet away, by droplets made when a person cough, sneezes or talks. So, reduce spreading the flu, just by coughing or sneezing into your elbow or into a tissue.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or month because germs spread this way.

Get a good night’s sleep, be physically active and look for ways to manage your stress. Also, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Keep surfaces wiped down, especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and toys for children, by wiping them down with a household disinfectant.

Rhode Island Authors Reflect Their Publish Tomes and New Year’s Resolutions

Published in the Woonsocket Callon December 30, 2018

According to a YouGov, an internet company that conducts polls on politics, public affairs, products and brands, the most common New Year’s Resolution in 2018 was to eat healthier, get more exercise and to even save money. With New Year’s just days away, seven members of the Association of Rhode Island Authors (ARIA), give us their literary aspirations and self-improvement resolutions for 2019, many of them mirroring YouGov’s poll findings last year while sharing details about their published tomes.

Julien Ayotte, 77, of Cumberland, wrote “Code Name Lilly, a book about a young Belgian nurse becomes a key leader in the Comet Line escape network during World War II. Through clever and persuasive ways, she aids over 250 downed airmen escape the Germans.

Publisher: Kindle Digital Publishing. Price: $16 (soft cover. For details go to http://www.julienayotte.com

New Year’s Resolution: Improving my eating habits to maintain a healthier weight in the coming year and to keep moving. My philosophy has always been, “it’s harder to hit a moving target.” Walk at least a mile a day, and lift weights. Continued good health will allow me to write my 6th novel in 2019. And all I need to do to make Code Name Lily a blockbuster bestseller and major film by building my reader audience. My goal is still to write 10 books in 10 years, and I am halfway there.

Phyllis Calvey, 68, of Bellingham, Massachusetts, wrote “The Butterfly Club: Is That You?” One component of the book is the butterfly phenomenon; the intriguing fact that God has used the perfect timing of the appearance of this spiritual sign to comfort innumerable people after a loved one has died. But the signs are not only butterflies, or signs connected to a death experience. Each of the true-life stories in the book focuses on an incredible sign God used to communicate with someone. The Butterfly Club is for all who have experienced or would like to be inspired by a sign that is undoubtedly more than just a coincidence!

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. Price: $10 (soft cover). For details, go to http://www.butterflyclubbook.com.

New Year Resolution: I believe it is the combination of nearing age 70 and having friends around me tragically dying of cancer that echoed these words of wisdom in my heart, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given”. It brought to mind when our two children were young. We made a difficult decision to put the television away which allowed us the time to joyfully discover the wondrous gifts that had truly been given to each of us! This year I am resurrecting the spirit of using the time given to focus on writing what I believe has been imparted to me. And hopefully that same discovered joy from years’ past will be found and kept all year!

Hank Ellis, 70, of Saunderstown, wrote “The Promise: A Perilous Journey.” One afternoon in late June, two adventurous, adolescent brothers stumble upon a huge mysterious cavern protected from the elements for centuries. Using dreams and deciphering riddles, they travel through underground passageways to meet a man named Eli. Through a series of strange and supernatural encounters, the two boys rely on resourcefulness, perseverance, and love to lead them to an opportunity they could never have imagined and make a decision that will change their lives forever.

Publisher: Archway Publishing. Price: $21.99 (soft cover); $39.99 (hard cover); $2.99 (e-book). For details, go to http://www.archwaypublishing.com

New Year’s Resolution: My biggest resolution is to finish writing my second book (sequel to The Promise). But with advancing age, and more important than any book, I want to pay more attention to the needs of those around me. At the same time, I want to simplify my life, eliminate clutter, and give things away. I am blessed.

Dr. Karen Petit, 67, of Cranston, wrote: “Banking on Dreams,” “Mayflower Dreams,” “Roger Williams in an Elevator,” “Unhidden Pilgrims,” and “Holidays Amaze.” Her five books have Christian content, historic elements, suspenseful action, dream/reality sections, romance, pictures, and methods of dealing with such problems as losing weight, fighting, quitting smoking, nightmares, writer’s block, anxiety, and separation.

Publisher: WestBow Press. Price: $11.95 to $24.95 (soft cover) depending on the book; $28.95 to $39.95 (hard cover) depending on the book; $3.95 (e-books for each book). For a specific listing of book prices and details on books, go to http://www.drkarenpetit.com/.

New Year’s Resolution: To lose weight by substitution and exercise. Because I love to munch on chocolate, I’ll substitute most of my chocolate items with low-calorie hard candy. I’ll also be substituting vegetables for half of my carbohydrates. After still enjoying a little bit of the sweetness of my favorite foods, I’ll be exercising while watching TV. Being healthier will mean a sweeter, longer life. In my book “Holidays Amaze,” the last two lines of my maze poem titled “A Maze of Choices for New Year’s Day” are: “A resolution opens new doorways / for new years of fun with amazing days.”

Steven Porter, 53, of Harmony and owner of Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based Stillwater Books, wrote: “Confessions of the Meek and the Valiant,” a South Boston crime saga;” Mantises,” an adventure novel set against the mysterious history and legends of Block Island;” Scared to Death… Do it Anyway,” the story of Brian Beneduce and his lifelong work to overcome panic and anxiety attacks.

Publisher: Stillwater River Publications. Prices: $18 each (soft cover); $ 5.99 each (e-books). For more details go to http://www.stevenporter.com.

New year’s Resolution: My wife Dawn and I have been crazy-busy these past 12 months setting up our new bookstore. We’ve basically been working around the clock. Our New Year’s resolution is to simply find more time this year to relax and spend quality time at home. As 2019 approaches, Porter has three new books and a half written, and a fourth of shorter works and essays ready to go. “My resolution is to have at least two books finished and ready for the 2019 holiday season,” he says.

Richard T. Rook, of Wrentham, Massachusetts, wrote “Tiernan’s Wake.” The book is a historical mystery about a search for the “missing portrait” of the Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley, but more importantly, it’s about how relationships and priorities change as we age.

Publisher: Lulu.com. Price: $15.97 (soft cover). For details go to http://www.amazon.com and search Tiernan’s Wake, or google Tiernan’s Wake.

New Year’s Resolution: Never to forget that the most important things in life are health, family and friends. If we have those, we don’t really need much else. To finish at least one sequel, listen more and talk less, and to keep my brain and body moving as much as possible.

Raymond A. Wolf, 76, of Hope, wrote a three-volume set, “Rhode Island Outhouses Today,” detailing exterior and interior color photographs of 469 outhouses discovered throughout the Ocean State, including details as when it was built and number of holes. A second five-volume set (cars from 1905 to 1949, the 1950’s, the 1960’s the 1970’s and trucks from 1921 to 1979) identifies over 1,100 cars and trucks photographed (in color) at Rhode Island cruise nights, car shows and private collections. Photo captions explain when the vehicle was purchase in or out of state, did the owner restore it or was it completely restored already, and identifies the owner, too.

Publisher: Wolf Publishing. Prices: $21.99 for each book (soft cover). For more details go to http://www.raywolfbooks.com.

New Year’s Resolution: Like previous years, his 2019 resolution is “never give up my dreams.”

The Association of Rhode Island Authors ARIA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization of local, published writers of both fiction and non-fiction committed to raising awareness of the outstanding written works crafted by writers in Rhode Island and other nearby communities. For details about ARIA’s 340 authors or to join the organization, go to http://www.riauthors.org.

Simple Tips on Surviving the Holidays

Published in the Woonsocket Callon December 23, 2018

The holiday season can be a double-edge sword. For some, it brings feelings of warmth and joy, even closeness and belonging to family and friends, but for others it produces, extra stress and anxiety and feelings of isolation and depression. Increased demands and family obligations during Christmas through New Year’s Eve, from last minute shopping for gifts, baking and cooking, cleaning and hosting parties, getting the Christmas cards mailed, and even having unrealistic expectations can bring about the holiday blues. Although holiday stress triggers depression, it can also bring about headaches, excessive drinking and overeating and even difficulty in sleeping.

During her 24-year career as a licensed behavioral health therapist, Holly Fitting, LMHC, LCDP, Vice President of Addiction and Residential Services at the Providence-based The Providence Center (TPC), has assisted many of her clients develop strategies to cope with the holiday blues. “It’s quite common,” says Fitting, who oversees over 20 programs at TPC.

Traveling to visit families, flight delays, long lines to check in, bad weather can add to your stress, too, says Fitting, even anticipating topics conversations that may lead to arguments and events that may not even happen.

Pre-planning Potential Family Conflict

Fitting says that preplanning potential issues that you might encounter at a family gathering can helpful up to a point if you just don’t over plan. “If you try to figure out every possible scenario that might occur, this may only heighten your anxiety,” she adds. So, if you think your sibling will bring up political topics you may not want to discuss, you can plan to say, “Let’s talk about this topic after the holidays,” suggest Fitting. Or just don’t sit near them at the dinner table to avoid the conversation, she adds.

It’s okay to say “no” if you choose not to attend holiday parties or family gatherings, says Fitting, especially if you feel stressed out going. To keep feelings from being hurt and reducing potential problems it might be better to go but limit the time there, she says.

Also, you can choose not to take on the responsibilities and commitments to bring trays of treats, says Fitting. But if you choose to bring dessert, take the easy road. Instead of baking everything from scratch, buy a platter of cookies or a store-bought cake to lighten your load.

Combating the Holiday Blues

Maintaining healthy habits can also help you beat the holiday blues. “Try to eat healthy meals before holiday gatherings and minimize sugary desserts and alcohol consumed at the celebrations,” states Fitting. During the holidays, “continue your exercise routine, even if it is a scaled down version and get plenty of sleep,” she suggests, noting that this will help to reduce anxiety and depression, sleep better and keep the weight off.

Out of control holiday spending and last-minute shopping can increase holiday stress, too, says Fitting who suggests these tips to reduce gift costs: “Stick to your set budget to avoid guilt about buying gifts you cannot afford. Use coupons and sales to decrease spending costs. Agree to set the spending limits to no more than $ 20. Rather than buying presents for ten different people, play Secret Santa and each family member just buys one gift. Set the price and rules ahead of time and make sure everyone understands them. Or rather than buying presents collect cash to make a donation to an agreed upon charity,” she recommends.

Standing in long lines in the shopping mall can quickly become a source of stress, says Fitting. “One good solution is to double up and invite a family member or friend to shop. Waiting in a long line alone always feels like it takes twice as long as when you have someone to talk to.

You can get into the holiday spirit by starting a new tradition for yourself and family that you will enjoy, suggests Fitting. “Volunteering to help out with a Toys for Tots Drive, or at a soup kitchen. Giving back by volunteering can really help to boost your spirits,” she says.

Finally, Fitting says, “accept the fact that there will be mishaps along the way during the holidays. Try laughing at the unanticipated events and this certainly will help to reduce the undue stress experienced.”

Getting Professional Help When Needed

As Christmas and New Year’s approach, and you cannot shake the holiday blues, “it is important to be honest with yourself and your feelings. But, if the feelings of sadness still persist then you should go speak to a professional. Sometimes going for therapy to talk through your feelings will help to alleviate depression and anxiety. Sometimes prescribed medication along with therapy is necessary to help reduce symptoms.”

For those suffering the holiday blues, call The Providence Center at (401) 276 4020 or go to http://www.providence center.org.