KDMC offers free flu shots Oct. 16 and 23

ASHLAND, Ky. – If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, there’s still time. King’s Daughters Medical Center has scheduled two free flu shot clinics this month:

• 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the lobby of the Heart & Vascular Center 22nd Street side in Ashland

• 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Oct. 23, at Belk Women’s Store in Ashland Town Center.

Immunizations are for adults age 18 and older and will be available while supplies last. Shots will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis; appointments are not needed.

Influenza is a contagious disease that can be spread by coughing, sneezing or nasal secretions.

For most people, symptoms last only a few days, but for others the flu can be a serious, even fatal disease. Young children, people over 65, pregnant women and those with heart, lung or kidney disease can become very sick with the flu.

Each year, thousands of people die from influenza and even more require hospitalization. By getting the flu vaccine, you can protect yourself and those you care about from needless suffering.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend getting the flu vaccine as soon as possible. Influenza occurs from October through May, with most cases occurring in January and February. It takes about two weeks for protection to develop following immunization.

 

Monarch Waystation dedication Oct. 16

ASHLAND, Ky. — Boyd County Public Library and the Southern Hills Garden Club will host the dedication of the new Monarch Waystation outside the Main Branch, on Wednesday.

The dedication is at 2 p.m., after which guests are invited to a reception in the library’s Reading Garden. In case of bad weather, the reception will be inside the library.

Work began on Waystation #7360 in August, in an area between the Main Branch and Crabbe Elementary, and adjacent to Central Park. The area is full of plants such as milkweed that attract the Monarch butterflies for feeding and laying eggs. The hope is that the station will become a regular stop for the butterflies as they travel from Canada to Mexico and back.

In the future, BCPL plans to have programs related to the project and will also work with the garden club to provide milkweed to individuals who would like to plant their own. Crabbe Elementary will also use the waystation as part of the student’s curriculum.

For more information on library programs and services, visit www.thebookplace.org.

 

 

Habitat to host annual Rocco’s Italian Dinner

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Huntington WV Area Habitat for Humanity will host its 11th Annual Rocco’s Italian Dinner on Monday, Oct. 28, at Rocco’s Ristorante in Ceredo. This year’s event, scheduled for 6 p.m., promises to be a great evening filled with friends and delicious Italian cuisine!

The annual Rocco’s Italian dinner is the affiliate’s largest fundraising event of the year and offers three levels of participation: Foundation Partner (4 tickets at $1000); Roofing Partner (2 tickets at $500); and Painting Partner (1 ticket at $100).

 

Infant Loss Day marked

Ashland, Ky.— King’s Daughters Medical Center Women’s Services program will present a candlelight ceremony on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, Tuesday from 6 to 7 p.m. in Ashland’s Central Park.

The event is open to anyone who has experienced the loss of a baby at any time during pregnancy or after delivery. Candlelight service and prayer will take place near the park fountain at the corner of 22nd Street and Lexington Avenue.

The Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Group meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of every month in the KDMC Health Education Center (lower level of the Lexington Avenue parking facility). New members are welcome.

For more information about the special event or the support group, please contact Cathie Whitt at (606) 408-2152 or email to Cathie.Whitt@kdmc.kdhs.us.

 

Free varicose vein screening is Oct. 24 in Ashland

ASHLAND, Ky. — King’s Daughters Medical Center is offering a free varicose vein screening beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Tri-State Vascular Specialists offices, Suite 140, Medical Plaza B, 613 23rd St., Ashland.

Vascular/endovascular surgeon Al Addasi, M.D., will perform the screening.

Varicose veins are swollen veins that you can see through your skin. They often look blue, bulging and twisted. Left untreated, varicose veins may worsen over time and can cause aching and feelings of fatigue as well as skin changes, rashes, redness, and sores. As many as 40 million Americans have varicose veins.

Varicose veins affect men and women. Factors that can increase your risk include family history, being overweight, lack of exercise, smoking, standing or sitting for long periods of time or having deep vein thrombosis.

The screening is available to adults age 18 and older and consists of a paper and pencil questionnaire followed by a visual examination of the affected area(s).

Appointments are required for the screening and can be made by calling King’s Daughters at 1-888-377-KDMC (5362).