July 2022 NNLM Reading Club: Travel Health

Posted by Darlene Kaskie on July 1st, 2022 Posted in: Blog, Consumer Health, General, News from NIH/NLM, NNLM Reading Club

Most of us never think about sickness or injury while traveling, but it happens. The risk is compounded for those with a chronic health condition, like diabetes or high blood pressure, who must manage their health when far from home. Others travel with a relative who has a serious diagnosis.

Yes, there’s a lot to think about. Fortunately, some doctors specialize in “travel medicine.” They have seen and heard it all. More importantly, they’ve helped people survive ill health and injuries while traveling. Yes, travel is fun. It opens new horizons, and simply, wonderfully brings us closer to those we love. This month, the NNLM Reading Club explores how peace of mind, in terms of health, can be your travel companion. For information on each of our three featured books, free downloadable book club discussion guides, customizable promotional materials and more visit: https://nnlm.gov/nnlm-reading-club/travel-health

• In Holiday SOS: The Life-saving Adventures of a Travelling Doctor, author Ben MacFarlane, M.D., shares his work bringing people back to Britain after holiday travel disasters, gap year crises, embarrassing business incidents and all the other health-related things that can go wrong on the road. Follow Ben as he grabs his medical bag and flies to pick up the pieces after another travel emergency. Dramatic, wildly unexpected and sometimes hilarious, emergency medicine isn’t restricted to hospitals – it can happen right across the aisle on your next flight.
• After her mother is diagnosed with dementia and she realized the extent of her mother’s waning memory, Steph Jagger proposes the two take a Montana camping trip. In Everything Left to Remember: My Mother, Our Memories, and a Journey Through the Rocky Mountains, Jagger describes how their adventures of horseback riding, hiking, and “tenting” out West became one woman’s reflection on childhood, motherhood, personhood ― and what it means to love someone who doesn’t quite remember the person she spent her life becoming.
• Emergency Medicine physician and travel doctor Yvette McQueen, M.D., describes everything you need to know to have a pleasant trip: from what to pack, to precautions against traveler’s diarrhea, skin issues and more. A world traveler herself, Yvette offers preventive measures and first aid tips, along with steps to take should you or a loved one experience an unexpected medical event, in Travel 911: A Health Guide for Adventurers.

ABOUT Darlene Kaskie
Darlene Kaskie, M.L.S. is Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist for Region 6 of the Network of the National Library of Medicine. She connects communities to training, engagement, and funding to improve access to health information and NLM Resources such as MedlinePlus. Advancing health literacy and digital skills training helps people make informed decisions about their health. She earned her Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) from the Medical Library Association.

Email author View all posts by Darlene Kaskie