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There has been a true revolution in cancer therapy over the past few years. If you are one of the millions of American cancer survivors to benefit from this wave of new, effective therapies, then I hope you're feeling well as you receive your treatments. At the same time, cancer treatment (and indeed, cancer itself) can take a major toll on the heart, putting survivors at risk of developing or accelerating cardiovascular disease. As a cardio-oncologist - a doctor who...
When we closed the library on March 15, 2020, we could not imagine how long it would be until we finally opened the doors again. Staff worked from home by recording storytime sessions with their own kids, creating recipes using cookbooks in our digital collection, and leaving chalk messages on the library's sidewalk. A year later, our hours, services, and programs are still evolving. Even before the pandemic, libraries have always adapted to meet community needs and deliver...
What adult has not heard the sigh from a young person who has just been reminded of the need to be cautious around others they meet? The sigh is often followed by the young person's frustrating reassurance: "Don't worry, I've got this." The drive for independence is a natural part of human development, as is the adult inclination to protect and support our young people. While admonitions to not talk to or take candy from strangers was never enough to equip our youth with the...
Ten days prior to hosting the 23rd annual Tablescapes Illuminate luncheon in March of last year, the Hinsdale chapter of the Infant Welfare Society was forced to postpone its event due to the pandemic. Now, a year later, the chapter will hold its coveted event virtually. While the women of the Hinsdale chapter fundraise throughout the year, Tablescapes has long been the chapter's largest fundraising event benefiting the Infant Welfare Society's Angel Harvey Family Health...
There are five main sources where students may learn about sexual health and drugs: school, friends, family, media and their environment. Many schools offer programs focusing on these important topics, allowing students to have access to information from reliable sources. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more students have been learning through online classes and remote learning. These unprecedented times are difficult for both students and educators, as they have had to...
With the never-ending snow, now is the perfect time to revisit a former hobby or get excited about something new like bird watching, genealogy, or learning a language. Online resources for genealogy and language learners can be found at https://www.hinsdalelibrary.info/digital-resources. • Ancestry.com is an online source for family and local histories, military and census records, as well as photographs, maps, personal narratives and newspapers. Access to this resource has b...
As a cardiologist specializing in heart failure, I’ve helped hundreds of patients and their families focus on the facts about this serious medical condition. In the age of algorithms and filter bubbles, it is easy to fall victim to misinformation and let panic or hopelessness set in. Patients and their loved ones need accurate information to achieve their best quality of life. So in that spirit, I’d like to debunk five heart failure myths I’ve seen floating around. • Myth No...
While reflecting on her nearly decade-long tenure with the Misericordia Women's League, this year's Heart of Gold award recipient, Kathy Connor, attributes the league's success to Sister Rosemary Connelly, whose heart has been at the crux of the organization since 1969. "Sister Rosemary is like a beacon of light," said the Hinsdale resident, who was named by Connelly to receive this year's award, along with her husband, Kevin. "She inspires all of us. She has made this her...
Due to the global pandemic, our world is full of more unknowns than ever before. Everything feels different, and with the pace at which things are changing, we're all living outside of our comfort zones. This is causing anxiety for many, which is a normal reaction to dealing with the many life changes we're experiencing. For children and teenagers, certain components of this new world can be especially anxiety-producing. • Social distancing The impact of loss of leisure t...
Often, people use the library to learn more about something they don't know. Why are my stupid houseplants turning yellow? How do I make a tagine? What does Doris Kearns Goodwin have to say about leadership in turbulent times? Sometimes though, we turn the tables and give you a chance to show off what YOU know. In our latest "Maple Street Mixer" for adults, we'll test your title recall with book riddles. And readers will race against each other to find phrases in one of their...
Can’t sleep? Can’t blame you. Is it the COVID-19 pandemic? The economy? Your children’s school situation? Climate change? We all have something that keeps us up at night. Sleep can’t solve these kinds of problems, but it can help us cope with them. Sleeping well improves our mood, alertness, concentration and memory. It helps dispel anxiety, depression and irritability. In short, getting enough sleep every night is essential to our physical, mental and emotional health. So how do you sleep when you just can’t? These sim...
Working as a Chicago Public Schools speech pathologist, Clarendon Hills mother-of-two Jen Alsman saw first-hand the struggles low-income families faced while striving to provide quality health care and resources for their families. Because of this, Alsman and others have devoted countless hours of service to fundraise for the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago's Angel Harvey Family Health Center via the organization's Clarendon Hills chapter and its annual benefit. "I saw the...
When anxious behavior and emotions show up in life it often feels all-encompassing. For a parent of an anxious child, having just the right tools to guide your child through their anxious feelings can feel extremely challenging. Learning how to show up for your anxious child, to walk with them in their feelings and guide them takes practice. There will be struggles and tough moments. The important thing is to work together, helping them with the tough feelings and emotions of...
We usually associate ghost stories with Halloween, but Victorian England considered them to be an essential part of the celebration of Christmas. In fact, they were so integral that magazines often published serials in the weeks leading up to the holiday and authors often wrote spooky tales specifically for the season. Some historians say the pairing began with the Druids, who believed that the membrane between the living and the dead thinned out during the dark of winter. So, much the way we appreciate a good fright in safe...
A six point snowflake holiday ornament, which now adorns the trees of The Community House Holiday Ball's friends and supporters, has become a symbol of hope and thanksgiving during this pandemic. In lieu of hosting its annual Holiday Ball - the unofficial start of the holiday season for so many in Hinsdale and the largest fundraising event for The Community House - the organization presented steadfast donors and supporters with a surprise gift, acknowledging their commitment...
Two weeks ago, I wrote about focusing on tips for dealing with discomfort, something 2020 has provided us in spades. As we continue to experience the perfect storm of physical, psychological and financial distress, let's consider why things can feel uncomfortable and shifting your relationship with discomfort. So, how comfortable are you with being uncomfortable? Some people seem able to go with it, while others fervently avoid discomfort. Some folks, consciously or...
Three years ago, the Hinsdale Public Library was thrilled to be selected as local author Cristina Henriquez’s favorite place. The New Yorker Radio Hour visited the library on a late October afternoon with Cristina to record a segment for their podcast, which aired in December 2017. As she toured her favorite library haunts, Cristina took a turn down the fiction aisle including authors whose last names start with “H” to find her book, “The Book of Unknown Americans,” on HPL’s shelves. We were delighted to be acknowledge...
How is everyone doing? This has officially been The Year of Discomfort. We've collectively experienced uncomfortable circumstances and events, lived our lives in uncomfortable ways and had uncomfortable conversations about uncomfortable topics. As if 2020 hasn't provided enough opportunities for unease, the holiday season is now upon us. The holidays will look and feel different for most. What we thought would be a sprint has become a marathon, and the distress in our lives...
When Karen Vrdolyak attended last fall's 100 Women Who Give a Damn fundraiser in Western Springs, she was unsure that her organization, the Harvey-based Restoration Ministries' Tabitha House, would be selected. Two other nonprofits were also presenting that night to the group of 100 women philanthropists and she knew that the topic of addiction wasn't warm and fuzzy. She did know that the Tabitha House graduate selected to present on the organization's behalf - a recovering...
The coronavirus has many people preoccupied with how to avoid getting sick and what the future holds. People are stressed. They’re stuck in a worry loop of anxious thoughts. They could use some mindfulness in their daily lives. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a known expert in mindfulness-based stress reduction, defines mindfulness as “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” Mindfulness can help people stop their mind’s constant chatter about COVID-19. It can help people center...
While my son was growing up, I was deeply involved in our local schools - as PTO president at Hinsdale Middle School and on different task forces and groups related to Districts 181 and 86. Like a lot of other active volunteers in town, every couple of years I'd invariably get the question: Why don't you run for the school board? A busy working mom, I honestly wasn't sure I had the time or the inclination. But one year when the election cycle began and someone asked me about...
Five years ago, Tara DeGeer's teenage son expressed concern about the well-being of his peers after the suicide of a local high school student. He worried about how others were doing with news of the student's death and that there could be copycat suicides. In response, DeGeer created The Parent List, a Hinsdale Central PTO-supported online platform where parents may leave an anonymous positive review of a professional who was helpful to their child. The Parent List contains...
Raising funds for cancer research continues to serve as a pillar for Scoreboard Charities as it prepares to host its fourth annual charity wine event. This year to stay one step ahead of COVID restrictions, organizers have moved to a virtual event they say will still be rewarding. "It is important to Scoreboard Charities to continue to help in the fight against cancer and to help provide kids with the disease a chance at being a kid," said Beth O'Malley, production manager...
Influenza viruses become widespread each year beginning as early as mid-fall and running as late as mid-spring. This coming year's influenza season will also compete with COVID-19. The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-2-CoV, can cause symptoms that are similar to influenza: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea. So how can someone tell...
A friend of mine recently texted me a picture of the iconic children's book character Miss Viola Swamp with the message, "I can't go into it right now. But I need to know what book this is from." I quickly typed back, "Miss Nelson is Missing" by Harry Allard. Illustrations by James Marshall ("George and Martha," "The Stupids," all the good fairy tale retellings.) You're welcome." This year more than any other, there is special comfort in reading about classrooms and lockers...
