The amazing blueberry

One of my favorite summer activities is hiking. Connecticut is blessed with an impressive array of wooded parks and semi-wild public lands. Some of my favorite hiking areas are among the ‘Hanging Hills’ of Meriden, where I’ve discovered an abundance of wild blueberries. Once I learned to recognize the leaf patterns, I realized blueberry bushes were everywhere! They often grow as ‘undergrowth’, shadowed by trees, yet they thrive at the tops of mountains where the sunlight is better. I have found blueberry bushes growing up through crags in the rock – amazing to see Life making the best of every environmental niche. There are different varieties of blueberry as well. These can be distinguished based on leaf appearance, ripening time and the taste of the berries. Nature loves diversity!

The wild blueberry is more flavorful than the cultivated variety. In fact, it’s hard to ‘go back’ after having tasted that real blueberry flavor. Although the wild berries are smaller, a handful will unleash a symphony of tart juicy sweetness! Blueberries are one of the best foods to eat. In fact, a respected doctor of nutrition – Dr. Stephen Sinatra – recommends daily consumption of blueberries. This is because of the high levels of antioxidants (anthocyanins) they contain. These compounds are thought to slow the aging process and reduce some forms of cancer. Blueberries are a foundation of good health.

Wild blueberries can still be found here in the Connecticut wilderness because of the cool summer this year. You can pick your own on a hike or seek out the cultivated variety at my favorite blueberry farm - Hrubiec Farms, 421 Southington Rd, in Kensington CT. Happy picking!

RW

Miracles Needed! White Nose Syndrome hurting bats in the U.S.

In the past few years, a strange disease has been devastating bats across the Northeastern United States. Dubbed ‘White Nose Syndrome’ for the characteristic finding of a thin white fungus growing on the faces and wing membranes of the bats, this illness causes a high mortality.

Experts are worried, since the disease seems to be spreading and the death rates are so high. In some areas, more than 95% of bats have died. Some endangered bat species, such as the Indiana bat, could get pushed close to extinction if the disease cannot be stopped. No one knows for sure what is causing the disease – if it’s the white fungus or some other germ weakening the bats and allowing the fungus to grow.

Bats are important in the environment. Many bat species eat insects– such as moths and beetles which can damage crops. If large proportions of bats die off, there could be a greater reliance on harmful chemicals and pesticides to protect those crops.

Bats live in a different ‘world’ which might seem strange and frightening to some. Most bat species however are highly social – living in colonies for years. One bat researcher told me some bats can live up to 25 years! Bats make up 20% of all known mammal species, so there’s more of them than you might think. Mother bats usually just have one baby a year, and feed them milk to drink.

Bats don’t attack people or get tangled in someone’s hair. A healthy bat will try to avoid contact with humans if at all possible. A sick bat may have trouble flying and could be found on the ground. Like all wildlife, a bat should be respected and never handled without the proper equipment including durable gloves. A very small percentage of bats (usually 1% or less) might carry rabies. A scratch or a bite from a bat is a reason to see a doctor who would know about bat diseases – such as an Infectious Diseases specialist. The CDC rabies website gives some general advice on ‘What to do’ if a bat is found in your home.

So far experts don’t know exactly what is causing WNS or how to stop it. We’re hoping for some miracles soon to help these small but wonderful creatures.

A medical marvel – the influenza vaccine

I like to think there are many small miracles going on right now, as the influenza virus tries to invade North America. I imagine families and friends together, keeping warm from the cold. The flu virus hovers outside, looking in through frosted windows, hoping for a victim to enslave with its sinister viral machinery. Every year, the virus plots and schemes for a way to slip past our defenses and cause disease. Although it seems just a simple virus, it has an evil intelligence behind it.

Flu has ravaged human populations before. In 1918 for example, the Spanish flu was responsible for killing over 50 million people! Many of the victims were young and otherwise healthy. In 2009, we are much more interconnected, creating new opportunities for the virus.

Luckily we have tools to fight it- primarily the influenza vaccine. A flu shot could save your life and protect your family. Anyone who doesn’t get the flu shot should at least know the facts. Unfortunately some fear the vaccine and as a result, miss out on protective immunization.

The flu shot cannot ‘make’ you sick with influenza. There is nothing ‘alive’ in this vaccine – just inactivated proteins. Sometimes we don’t feel 100% after the shot because the immune system is activated. It’s supposed to be like that – so that when the ‘real’ flu comes along, sickness is prevented. It’s like going to the gym: after a work out, your muscles are sore the next day. If you give the immune system a ‘work out’, you might feel lousey for a day or two. These symptoms shouldn’t be that terrible — think of what the ‘real’ flu would do!

The other scenario is when a different virus comes along at about the same time as when the shot was administered. It might appear as if the flu shot caused an infection, but technically it is impossible. An egg allergy or a history of Guillan-Barre syndrome (a very rare neurological disorder) would be the only valid reasons for declining the flu shot.

There are a few other things to know about the flu shot. It is a purified collection of proteins that are the three ‘best guesses’ for which strain of flu will attack this year. Because it takes about 6 months to make a vaccine, flu experts have to pick the most likely candidates in advance of the flu season. Sometimes they are wrong, but each year we get immunized, we add to our immune system’s library of information to keep us healthy. A flu shot actually lasts for several years, but because the flu comes out as a different strain each year, it is best to get a new shot each season.

According to the CDC, about 10% of us this year will catch the flu, whether it’s recognized or not. How much suffering or missed days from work could this mean? What about those deaths that could have been prevented? We can shield our families and friends by getting immunized. February is actually the peak month of flu activity in North America, so it isn’t too late.

For those who are afraid of needles, there is a ‘Flumist’ which can be given up the nose as a spray. This is especially nice for children – since there is less anxiety than with an injection. This vaccine is a ‘live’ vaccine so caution is recommended as with other live vaccines. Your doctor will help decide which vaccine is best for you.

Learn more about influenza from the CDC website.

Be smart, get vaccinated, and save a life!

RW

Doctor Sunshine

My dad always wanted to be a doctor. He grew up, the eldest of three brothers, in upstate New York. His father worked in the factories of Rochester, his mother Coletta did her best to provide. She suffered from primary biliary cirrhosis, an autoimmune disease that slowly destroys the liver. My Dad recalled that she was always sick.

Joe delivered newspapers and studied hard in school. He was driven and lucky to be gifted. He received a scholarship to St. John Fisher college. Then, he applied to Harvard Medical School and by some small miracle was accepted. Before he could graduate, Coletta passed away from liver failure. I can only imagine how awful that must have been. It fueled my dad’s passion. He would try to heal what could not be healed.

My dad was the kind of person I think of as a ‘natural doctor’. He cared about his patients beyond ‘professional’ obligations. He was like family to them. He loved them. He wasn’t afraid. Once another doctor warned him that he shouldn’t drive his patients home from the hospital – ‘You might get sued!’ he exclaimed. My dad just smiled, knowing how impossible that was.

His patients, friends and colleges came to know him as ‘Doctor Sunshine’. He always had a ready smile. Everyone was equal – everyone had a name. From the janitor on the 4th floor, to the new radiology tech, to the E.R. nurse’s mom. For almost thirty years my dad took care of people in small town Connecticut. He was their doctor. That was my dad.

Cancer took him too early. I remember I first heard the news while traveling in the Philippines. He didn’t want me to come home, but to finish my work there at San Lazaro hospital. That was typical of my dad, he always put others first.

I had hoped one day to show my dad the Philippines. There was so much work to do, so many to take care of. He would have to see it through my eyes and hear it through my stories. The Philippines was such a far away place.

For some reason, my dad never had pain during the weeks his health declined. That was another miracle. As the cancer spread, he slipped into a long sleep without suffering.

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years already since he left. I know I’ve got big shoes to fill.

RW