Media Release

The Stillwater Public Library is teaming up with the Stillwater Medical Center (SMC) and the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative for another great health series.

“Healthier Choices, Healthier You” is a six week program designed to equip participants with tools to manage symptoms that stem from on-going health conditions. It takes place at the library Sept. 24-Oct. 29 on every Monday from 5:30-8 p.m. SMC will be providing a light dinner for each class.

When an individual has an ongoing health condition like arthritis, diabetes, anxiety, hypertension or COPD, they may not have just the symptoms that go along with the illness. Unfortunately, they often also experience fatigue, sleeplessness, stress and other challenging symptoms that make dealing with the initial condition even harder. To compound problems, those symptoms can also make people vulnerable to even more illness.

This class helps individuals and/or their caregivers manage those symptoms. Brandi Bishop from SMC and one of class instructions says that attendees will learn tools for managing symptoms, getting better sleep, getting appropriate exercise and dealing with stress and the blues

Class is limited to 18 participants, so be sure to register soon. To sign-up, you may call Brandi at 405-742-5791 or Maricela at 405-271-6424.

The library has a wealth of material on these subjects. See some of the titles below:

• You Don’t LOOK Sick!: Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness by Joy H. Selak. This book addresses practical issues like hiring a doctor, managing chronic pain, loss of function, winning battles with health and disability insurers, countering the social bias against the chronically ill and charting a path for change and more.
• Living a healthy life with chronic conditions: self-management of heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, depression, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and other physical and mental health conditions by Kaye Lorig. This book is designed to help readers learn information and skills to manage chronic conditions on a daily basis while doing thing things they need and want to do.
• The exhaustion breakthrough: unmask the hidden reasons you’re tired and beat fatigue for good by Holly Phillips. This guide will help readers understand their exhaustion, rule out any underlying illnesses and correct any allergies or hormonal issues that may be contributing to extreme tiredness.
• Full catastrophe living: using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn. This groundbreaking book shows you how to use medically proven mind-body approaches derived from meditation and yoga to counteract stress, establish greater balance of body and mind and stimulate well-being and healing. Check out the eBook for the updated version.

For more information about the book sale, visit the Stillwater Public Library web site at library.stillwater.org, call the Help Desk at (405) 372-3633, ext. 106 or e-mail askalibrarian@stillwater.org.